James 2:25-26

Passage

And likewise was not even Rahab the prostitute being declared righteous out of works after receiving the messengers and after sending them out along a different way?  For just as a body without a spirit is dead, in the same way even faith apart from works is dead.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Once more James gives an example of a figure from the Old Testament whose actions proved their faith: Rahab.  Rahab was the person in Jericho who received the spies sent in by Joshua when the Hebrew people were taking the Promised Land.  Rahab received them, spared them from being discovered, and then showed them a way to escape.  As a result, her family was saved from destruction when the Hebrew people took the city.  James’ point is that had Rahab not put her faith into practice, she would have been cut down with the rest of the people in Jericho.

Have you ever thought about this story in these terms before?  What would have happened to Rahab’s family had she not acted out of her faith?  What can this teach us about the importance of acting out upon our faith?

Second Thought:

James concludes this chapter with a two-pronged analogy.  The first prong is a reminder that a body without a spirit is dead.  I’m sure we’ve all been there before.  We go through the motions of life but without any particular agenda or purpose or meaning.  We simply get up, do what needs to be done, and go to sleep only to do it all the same the next day.  Yes, things happen, but it isn’t what we call truly living.  Without a spirit, the body is just going through the motions.

Think back to one of those times in life that you are just going through the motions.  How did it feel?  How did you work yourself out of that time?

Third Thought:

In the same way, James talks about faith and works.  Without a purpose, faith is dead.  Without a focus, faith has no meaning.  If faith doesn’t ever do anything, then it has no value.  Simply believing in God for sake of believing in God is not what God truly calls us to be about.

How do you feel about the way you act upon your faith?  Where do you succeed and demonstrate life?  Where do you fail and demonstrate a lack of purpose?  How can you improve in demonstrating your faith to others through your actions?

Passage for Tomorrow: James 3:1-5