Talk No. 2 Why Faith Must Have Works?

Shalom: I feel that it is enough for me to have faith in God. I believe

this alone is very important.
Abigail: Thanks for sharing your opinion with me. The fact that you
have faith in God is very good. The Bible actually commends people
like you. I would like to share with you this scripture at Hebrew 11:6.
Shalom: (READ)
Abigail: This scripture says that whoever approaches God must
believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those
earnestly seeking him. But have you considered if having faith alone
is enough? Is there anything more that we should do?
Shalom: Hmm... Im not sure...
Abigail: Say if a young man courts a young lady and tells her he loves
her. But he never asks her to marry him. Is he really showing that his
love is thorough?
Shalom: No. If he truly loves her, he should ask her to marry him.
Abigail: Yes. Likewise, if we just say we have faith in God but dont do
anything to show that we truly have faith in God, can we say that our
faith is genuine?
Shalom: No, we cant say that.
Abigail: Right. James 2: 14 and 26 explains this point clearly. Lets
read these scriptures. (READ) According to this scripture, is faith
alone enough?
Shalom: No.
Abigail: Here it says, of what good is faith without works? And
verse 26 shows, faith without works is dead. When a man is
dead, there is no animating force or spirit. So there is no work
produced. Anyone can see this, and can be sure that there is
no spirit in the body. The corpse is good for nothing, but must
be buried out of sight. Likewise, a merely professed faith is as
lifeless, unproductive and useless as a dead body. Faith cannot
be seen by the literal eye as one can see a person, but works
of faith can be seen. Where there is no animation in a person,
no moving to good works, this is conclusive evidence that no
living faith exists in him, for faith is a motivating force just as
spirit, or, life force, is motivating for the body. On the other
hand, where Christian works abound, evidence abounds that
faith is there motivating the individual to right works.
What are the works that we must do to show we have faith in
God?
Shalom: Pray to God and go to church...?
Abigail: Yes, prayer is very important. Its also important to read
and study the bible daily. We obey God by letting others know
about him and attending Christian meetings.
I have a book What Does the Bible Really Teach? Chapter 15
talks about what God requires from those who profess to have
faith in God. Can I discuss this topic with you next week at the
same time?
Shalom: Yes. That would be nice. Thanks.