The Connection Between Faith and Works
The question has been asked, “What is the connection between faith and works?” To which, I briefly reply:
“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17)
Faith that works rightly "Works by love” (Galatians 5:6). That faith which does not work by love is worse than “dead faith” or no faith at all. The havoc that has been wrought by religious fanatics and zealous bigots is appalling! The world would be better without them and Christianity would be enhanced.
What is the connection between faith and works? Well, what one does (when he is acting voluntarily) is a reflection of what he believes and of what he really is. As a man “thinketh in his heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Again, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” (Hebrews 11:4) This still speaks to us today. What does it say? It speaks the same to us as it did to Abel; namely, what one does reflects what he is. Abel did not become righteous by his offering. His offering evidence the fact that he WAS righteous.
Jesus put it this way: “Either make the tree good and his fruit good: or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: an evil man out of the evil treasure bring forth evil things.” (Mathew 12:33-35)
The Apostle John puts it rather bluntly in I John 4:20: “If a many say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
Let us be careful lest what we do gives the LIE to what we say or profess we believe.
- Elder Virgil F. Lowrance