Daily Scripture
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:1-26
daily Devotion
These verses paint a picture of what faith looks like when put into practice. Although we can all agree that works in of themselves do not save you, we must also look at the fact that works are an important part in the expression of faith after you accept Jesus into your heart. We must have a faith that is seen. Not so we can boast or say “Hey, look at me! I’m doing this awesome thing!” But instead, it means we have so much joy and faith in the Lord that we can’t help but to honor Him and carry out His good work. When we surrender ourselves to Christ, a massive change should be occurring in our lives. How would someone believe Christ changed your life when there is no evidence of anything you’re doing differently?
James goes on to say in this passage that we must not show partiality. As humans, we have a sinful nature to judge and show favoritism to the people that we perceive to be “worthy” in our eyes. If Jesus was partial, none of us would’ve ever been saved from our sins. We are all unworthy individuals. However, we are saved by grace through faith. I am so thankful that Jesus wasn’t selective about who He died for. We must show this same grace to others. When Jesus was asked about the greatest of the commandments, He said to first love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Second, love your neighbor as yourself.
When we are obedient, our faith is shown. James talks about when Abraham went to offer his son Isaac on the altar. We were able to see true faith in Abraham by his actions. His obedience was a result of the faith he placed in Christ. Is your life a representation of the faith you have in Jesus? Are your actions different from unbelievers around you? Do other people know you're a Christian by the way you treat others? Are you willing to be obedient based on your faith in Christ? These are all important questions we must ask ourselves that can keep our faith from being considered “useless” or “dead.”
Elise Williams