Devotion - Tuesday, September 15

Since I started talking about the Book of James yesterday, I seem to have little choice but to continue today.  Honestly, I would rather avoid James 2:14-26.  This is the section where the writer lifts up the absolute necessity of "works."  

He writes:  "You see that one is is justified by works and not by faith alone."

This challenges my experience of God - that God saves me while I am yet a sinner, and that God is the one who makes salvation happen.  So, I tend to get uneasy when someone starts to talk about "works."

I do not want to dismiss James' words, or pretend they are not in the Bible.  Truth be told, I agree with James, that faith without works is a dead faith.  How can one receive the gift of faith and not respond with a whole host of good words?  Impossible.  Faith without works is a dead faith.

I will not insist, philosophically, which comes first - faith or works.  I will report that I share the experience of the beloved "Amazing Grace" hymn which states "Was Grace that taught my heart to fear...."  It was not me who found Christ, but Christ found me.  Having been found, my gratitude leads me to work - sometimes work too many hours and on too many fronts.  That is my experience.  Others may have a differing experience.  They may have worked their way in to their relationship with God.

Another possibility worth pondering is the meaning or definition of these words in the context when James wrote them.  But we can save that for another time.

For this morning, it is important to me to call attention to a section of a book in the bible that I typically won't give a lot of attention.  I don't want you to be uninformed, because of my theological tendencies.  And I certainly don't want to encourage any to drift into a dead faith.  Do good works.  Insist on good works.  Discern for yourself how it is that God lays claim on your life.