“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’” (James 2:18 NLT)
“Miraculous!”… “Revolutionary!”… “Greatest ever!” We are inundated by a flood of extravagant claims as we channel surf the television, [browse social media,] or flip through magazine pages. The messages leap out at us. The products assure that they are new, improved, fantastic, and capable of changing our life. For only a few dollars, we can have “cleaner clothes,” “whiter teeth,” “glamourous hair,” and “tastier food.” Automobiles, perfume, diet drinks, and mouthwash are guaranteed to bring happiness, friends, and the good life. And just before an election, no one can match the politician’s promises. But talk is cheap, and too often we soon realize that the boasts are hollow, quite far from the truth.
“Jesus is the answer!”… “Believe in God!”… “Follow me to church!” Christians make great claims but are often guilty of belying them with their actions. Professing to trust God and to be His people, they cling tightly to the world and its values. Possessing all the right answers, they contradict the gospel with their lives.
With energetic style and crisp, well-chosen words, James confronts this conflict head-on. It is not enough to talk the Christian faith, he says: we must live it. “Dear brothers and sister, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone.” (James 2:14) The proof of the reality of our faith is a changed life.
-- From the “Life Application Study Bible”
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