Q13. Dead Faith

[Charles Sanger]

I believe that faith is dead when unaccompanied by action, because how are you going to express your faith if no one is there to witness that you are a child of God? Your deeds are the result of your faith although you could do good deeds without faith, but you could not have faith without good deeds.

People with faith have a love for Jesus Christ and out of that love for Jesus Christ they have love for others around them and because of this love people perform good deeds. If a person states that he has faith, but does not good deeds then he is blinded by the lies of Satan and should reassess himself to see whether his faith is genuine.

Your good deeds or actions do not necessarily have to be life changing in the sense that you have to do something great which will be remembered i.e. giving

[Susan Renier]

No one can see faith unless it's played out in everyday living. Faith alone may bring comfort to a person, but unless it is shared, it cannot grow in the way the Lord intended. We are not to hide our light "under a bushel - oh no!"

[ljmnkscart]

True faith produces works. If your faith does not works or actions to prove it then it is dead in fact not true saving faith.

[ljmnkscart]

True faith produces works. If your faith has no works or actions to prove it then it is dead in fact not true saving faith. It is the Holy Spirit that prompts us to good works. We must be listening for Him and will ourselves to do what He says. The more we pray and ask God to change our wants and desires and He does, obedience becomes not such a struggle. We will always have trials and tests but it is faith that keeps us going.

[RodR]

Faith that is kept to oneself is unproductive or dead in that it accomplishes nothing for God’s glory. Faith that is alive is accomplishing good for the Kingdom. Faith is not earned by faithful actions but faithful actions are produced by and are an evidence of one’s faith.

[Old Jerry]

The sense that faith is dead if it is unaccompanied by action is that it is just a bunch of words. You have to bring it into reality and mix it into you daily lives to make it alive. Faith is believing in Jesus Christ and doing the things that he did with the best of your ability. That is what makes it alive.

[ragnew]

(2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

Later in the passage faith without works is compared to a body without the spirit. In other words, a dead body. Dead people don't do much and faith without works is not doing anything either. It has no value and calls into question the very existance of that faith. If you do not act on your faith, then do you really have faith? Works are the evidence of faith.

V. 17 seems to indicate that without works faith is dead. Now the fruit or works of faith may not be discernible by us. It is up to God to decide who has faith and who doesn't. We never know what is going on in the hearts and minds of individuals and how God is working in and through them.

[Jwalane Mofokeng]

Q1. (2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action?

Believing in what God has promoised and not acting upon it

In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

Believe and act

[Guitar Jim]

Q1. (2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action?

 

Faith is bound to actions. If we live for Christ and for His kingdom we need faith in God to get anything worthwhile done. It's our faith in God that enables us to tell people about our beliefs. It is faith in God that enables us to give to His work when we otherwise couldn't afford to do that. It is faith in God that enables us to pray for our children and for others, that they might become believers also. It is faith in God that enables us to not allow ourselves to become polluted by the world's values system and to live morally right lives. It is faith in God that enables us to love our fellow believers and or fellow human beings as well.

If we don't do any of these things who's to know we even have faith? If our deeds and actions don't appear any different to anyone else's we aren't demonstrating to anyone that we're Christians. So our faith is dead in the water.

 

 

 

In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

 

Well, where there's life there's hope. If we continue to believe in God and in Jesus's sacrifice on our behalf, hopefully we may be able to get our lives sorted out and start living Godly lives. 

 

[Craig]

Q1. (2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

 

 

Faith is dead when unaccompanied by action in that the faith has no life.  For faith to be alive it must be exercised in my daily walk not in my mind.  When faith is restricted to the mind it has no impact on the  world.  As believers we are called to impact the world with our faith in Jesus Christ for the Kingdom of God.  What is not lived out is dead.

 

Action makes faith, concepts, and ideas living.

[GoRaysXD]

Q1. (2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

 

 

Faith is dead when unaccompanied by action in that the faith has no life.  For faith to be alive it must be exercised in my daily walk not in my mind.  When faith is restricted to the mind it has no impact on the  world.  As believers we are called to impact the world with our faith in Jesus Christ for the Kingdom of God.  What is not lived out is dead.

 

Action makes faith, concepts, and ideas living.

 

 

 

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q1. (2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

In a sense our faith is dead if we do not have Christian actions to follow. If we have faith our actions will surly follow, if not our faith is non productive or in a sense dead.

To be alive in our faith, our actions to that faith will be visible, producing good deeds to our fellow brother and sisters and the community.  

[Tyreek]

what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive? 

So far, James has given us encouragement in sufferings and no compromising our faith. Here, James is dealing with the counterfeit Christianity scattered throughout the Mesopotamia area. He tells his readers that faith apart from works is dead or useless; also, Christians who proclaim to believe in God but show no byproduct of genuine belief cannot be truly saved. Faith is dead without God. He gives faith sustenance and energy. God is a working God who gives us mercy, love, grace, assurance, freedom, confidence, making us alive without doubt or cease. God gave us His son to bear our sin so we would not have to fear His judgment. If we are true Christians, our actions would speak on our behalf to reflect the heart of God.

[Krissi]

Faith's actions have to be of God. To be busy or accomplish things for Him isn't an act of faith, necessarily. To do something or want to do something because it seems like a good or Christian thing to do, or a behaviour He would reward, may not be motivated by faith.

Lets say you had the idea of starting a business that would create a needed product, hire people who are unemployed and proclaim Christ in it's advertising (Chik-fil-A comes to mind). THis is faith in action, right? You're praying about this as you do it. It's a good thing to do. There's nothing immoral or unbiblical in this idea.

Thus, you've passed the first screen -- is it biblical/moral/good?

But you may not pass the second screen -- is it God's will? -- for a deed may be moral but not what He wants you to do.

Could it be that your idea is not motivated by faith in Him, but by the desire to do something for Him?

I'm struggling with this now. I think it's very difficult, at least for me, to tease out what I want to do from what He wants me to do, and frankly, I think it's a sin to do anything outside of His will.

[hanks]

Q13. (2:14-18) 
In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? 
In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive? 
We may claim to have faith, but without works it is not real faith at all – it is just talk and nothing else. In this sense faith unaccompanied by action is dead, for works are the outward proof of the reality of our faith. We are not saved by a faith of words only, but by a kind of faith that results in a life of good works. If we have been truly saved by faith we will want to please our Lord and Saviour by doing good works to glorify His name; not for boosting our own image. Calvin put it well: “we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” True faith and good works are inseparable, and to show faith apart from works is impossible. We cannot say that we are saved by faith plus works. To hold such a view would be to dishonour the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we were saved by faith plus works, then there would be two saviours - Jesus and ourselves. It is not faith and works that saves a person. It is not faith or works. It is faith that works. The only way others can know we have faith is by a life that demonstrates it; in other words, “I will show you my faith by my works”. If our faith is real, it will show itself, by our obedience to the Word of God. It is not our obedience that saves us, but it is our obedience that proves we are saved. 
 

[blezed]

(James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action?

If we just listen to the word and and do not put that word into action then it is dead.  Often times we think that just hearing God's word and know what it says is enough. 

In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

It is alive when we move on what the word says.  It could be something as simple as sharing the word with others.

[Anne coffey]

Not all action is active action,some believers action will be passive because of their circumstances or personality this does not mean that their faith and relationship with Christ is less deep,passive witness can be very effective in many circumstances in which active action has little effect. It is not possible to determine the strength of a Christians faith simply by their actions

 

[Therealizt258]

Faith without action is dead because when you just pray and not have action to what your praying about things won't come together. It is alive by having action works in things that is spirtual that is edifying and beneficial to the building upkeep of YHWH'S Kingdom

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q13. (James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In the sense of our being transformed so that we follow our Christian faith which is founded on good works: God creating the universe and all life and declaring it good. Jesus coming to earth to give us the good news, heal the sick, feed the hungry, drive out demons and do many other good deeds topped by sacrificially dying on the cross to redeem us from perishing. Our Christian faith is action oriented modeled on exceptionally good deeds.   In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive? In the sense tat we be doers of the word, looking into the perfect law of liberty, continuing in it by doing work such as bridling our tongues, and visiting the fatherless and the widows to help them in their afflictions

[Perry Ford]

Q13. (James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

Faith without works or a corresponding actions is futile and will get you no where. To be alive is to live by the Word of God and to be His will for your life.

 

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q13. (James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In the sense of our being transformed so that we follow our Christian faith which is founded on good works: God creating the universe and all life and declaring it good. Jesus coming to earth to give us the good news, heal the sick, feed the hungry, drive out demons and do many other good deeds topped by sacrificially dying on the cross to redeem us from perishing. Our Christian faith is action oriented modeled on exceptionally good deeds.   In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive? In the sense tat we be doers of the word, looking into the perfect law of liberty, continuing in it by doing work such as bridling our tongues, and visiting the fatherless and the widows to help them in their afflictions

[Katy]

Q1. Faith comes from God, Faith lives for God, Faith is kept alive by God. Our faith and our lives must be intertwined. If our faith is not ‘worked’ it will become cold and die. It is like a marriage when we get married we have to work at it, otherwise it goes wrong and eventually will die. As our faith grows as we get to know God we love Him more and more and we want to please Him and show our lives by serving Him in various ways.

[Neil NRG2]

In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action?

Inaction where there is a need you sense from the Holy Spirit within to help yourself or others reflects a lack of belief and not true faith. Words are important but actions can show compassion and love. 

In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

It is shown to be alive through honouring God in your thoughts and actions.

 

[haar]

. (James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

Action (or motion) is what differentiates what is living and the dead. Thus our faith does not lead us to act in the direction of our faith then it is dead.
 

[Janzie]

On 12/17/2004 at 2:56 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q13. (James 2:14-18) In what sense is faith dead if it is unaccompanied by action? In what sense might (if that were possible) it be alive?

Faith is dead if we are not stepping out on what the Word says to do.  If we are not a doer of the Word, our faith is dead.  Faith without works is dead.

Our faith is alive when we do the works of God.  Love one another, as I have loved you.  Give and it shall be given unto you,  Give testimony, be a good example of what the Lord has done in you life.  Shine for Him.