James 2:18-26 - Whose works are they, anyway?

Scripture: James 2:18-26

Summary: Examples of why faith without works is dead. Abraham was justified when he offered his son as a sacrifice. Rahab was justified by her works when she helped the messengers.

Thoughts: This is more details about the argument about faith and works, continued from the last scripture.  Can you have faith without works?  I think we can only have this if the person with faith doesn't have the opportunity to do good works. But it's hard to imagine an example of someone who doesn't have the chance to do something good for someone else. So I guess it's possible, but unlikely.

Can we have works without faith? Yes. I've seen lots of people who are willing to help others that don't yet have the faith to back it up. Can good works lead you to faith? I think so. How about the youth who doesn't believe but goes on the mission trip to be with her friends? Isn't it possible that she may see God in the faces of the people she is serving or the people she is serving with? That is one of the reasons I try to get every single youth I work with to go on a mission trip. I can see the difference that mission has made in my life. So I hope that God might use mission to make a difference in the lives of the youth that I work with. Because in the end, it's not my work that matters, but the work of God. Sometimes that work is done through another person. But it is always the work of God.

Prayer: God use me to show others what you can do in the world. Amen.