FAITH THAT PRODUCES WORKS
The Word of God states: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works” (Luke 6:46). Yet the Bible says, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26). But the biblical Word of God gives us living examples of faith with works for our understanding and encouragement in producing(Romans 15:4).
BIBLE EXAMPLES OF FAITH THAT PRODUCES WORKS OF OBEDIENCE
ZACCHAEUS, a tax collector, who cheated people out of their money, believed in Jesus and did works of repentance. Being short, Zacchaeus ran ahead of a crowd and climbed a tree to see Jesus as he passed by in a crowd of people. Jesus, who knows all hearts, ask Zacchaeus to eat at his house. As Jesus was eating in Zacchaeus home, he recognized Jesus as Lord and was convicted of his wrong doings. He told the Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and I will pay back four times the amount to anybody I have cheated. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10).
ABRAHAM’S faith in God was affirmed by obeying God in taking his family to live in a land that only God knew where (Genesis 26:1-5). Abraham’s faith was further affirmed when he prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on an altar in obedience to God (Genesis 22:1-12). Abraham believed and obeyed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Galatians 3:6).
EXAMPLES OF FAITH WITHOUT WORKS OF OBEDIENCE
SAUL was a King of God’s people, but showed a lack of faith that produces obedience to God. The Lord instructed Saul to wait for the prophet Samuel to offer a burnt sacrifice before going to war. When Saul saw his soldiers scattering, and the prophet not having yet arrived, Saul offered up a burnt offering, seeking to gain God’s favor. Samuel arrived just as Saul had finished making the offering. The prophet told the king, “You have done a foolish thing…You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.” (1 Samuel 13:5-13).
On another occasion, King Saul did not obey God. Saul did not destroy all the enemies and their possessions as God told him to do (1 Samuel 15:1-23). When Samuel confronted him on his disobedience, Saul said, “The soldiers…spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” The prophet of God replied: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:1-22).
DEMONS. The Bible tells us that even demons know that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 8:28); but they still do works of the devil ( James 2:19-20). And it tells us the devil is the father of people who do not obey the Lord (John 8:39-44).
HOW WE MAY DEMONSTRATE FAITH THAT PRODUCES WORKS OF OBEDIENCE.
- We demonstrate that we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus to be his disciple (Mathew 16:24).
- We are impacted by recognizing that God loved us so much that he gave his only begotten Son to die for our sins (John 3:16).
- We repented of our sins and asked God for forgiveness us (1 John 1:8-9).
- We do not willfully go on sinning that God’s grace may increase (Romans 6:1-2).
- We ask God to strengthen us with the Holy Spirit to be able to obey the Lord and bear our cross (John 14:15-17).
- We work to tell others the good news of salvation through believing Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15-16).
We endeavor with all our heart, mind and soul to love and obey our Lord God; and to love others even as Christ has loved us (Luke 10:27; John 13:4)
