Faith was made complete by what he did

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (James 2:22)

 

Behind the change and development of a person’s life lies his nature at the base. There’s nothing in the world that just happens of itself without meaning. For without knowing the cause and process of change in detail, people just say ‘by accident’ commonly. The people of God who believe in Christ Jesus must have affirmatively a clear perception for the faith combined with actions. Even the meaning of the common used word by Christian, ‘miracle of God,’ should not be recognized as the vague or an accidental occurrence. James the apostle said it clearly that faith without the actions was the dead one.

 

Do not think wrong as the dissolute attitude of living in any manner one please is equal sense to the freedom by faith. Freedom and self-indulgence are clearly different to each other. The life of freedom gained by believing in Jesus and the faith of life which is not thorough, these two have to be recognized different definitely. Let us clearly understand and implement the issue about the thorough living obeying God’s word, and the freedom of faith. The issue of the complete freedom of faith and the thorough living in Christ is not to be conflicted, but it rather is an issue to be harmonized. If a certain thing plays only the own role alone like it’s separated afar from away others, that ends up not being able to show a function to be satisfactory. Consider the universal serial bus (USB) used in computer as an example. When you connect an instrument of USB3 to USB2 terminal, the USB2 terminal cannot receive and deliver memory at that speed, USB3 speed that is 10 times faster than USB2. Only in case of the equal both, they together can be compatible to create an effect of synergy.

Not only the computer but also all things of nature and society are connected diversely to each other. If you look at the main board of computer, you would see so many soldering connections on the board. And also there are many component parts stuck on it. As the comprehensive function of all the connected parts, the monitor makes appear visual images such as pictures, text messages, and videos. If the computer has a good CPU, but it doesn’t have enough RAM memory, or if doesn’t have a graphic card inside it, PC cannot show normal working state in speed or on screen. For a person, the faith is basically no different from that functional principle of PC. If someone thinks has a faith, but does not actions reasonable to the faith, that faith he has is meaningless in the end. It is natural as duty of those who have received the gospel of Christ to say that God is alive or to shout the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ. But if the shout is not accompanied by the sincere deeds, that called faith is but only a dead one. Churches or believers in Christ must do hard in practice something good for society. Even demons know who God is, and they fear Jesus’ name. Therefore we shouldn’t be satisfied just shouting on the platform or the street.

It seems that some members of Church are very thorough in seeking their own selfish blessings, but too stingy reversely for the public good or the sacrifice and service for others. An altruistic act of them, and their practice of faith could be begun at least from fulfillment of offering tithe. And the church has to do many relief activities for society within Christ’s gospel. Until when are you going to play the lips asking just for the blessings of your individual and your family? The reason Jesus came to the world from the Heaven is to give God Father glory, by fulfilling the salvation of true righteousness on the land. Not He had come in order to decorate brilliantly the temple of Jerusalem with gold.

Faith should not end up only with calculation with brain and planning in thinking. Whatever in the mind should be thoroughly shown as the actions. That is normal and general principle. Individuals should do so, and also churches, which are collective, should do so. Otherwise, after all, it’s just same to a state of spiritual death. Several days ago, I heard a pastor’s talking that, a church in a small city runs Cultural Center and opens a class of Barista to give certificates, and the church meet with the people and preach Christ’s gospel to them.

 

That church would have helped them to have faith in Jesus, by preaching Christ to people through the gathering time. And that church will also make them have a learning of skills they need to get an aid of living. When a person has a real faith, he can have experiences of change in the practical life as well as in the mind. And the person express one’s faith more clearly through the changes in life. Faith we need is not anything separated from actions, but the combined with actions.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Jan 10th 2021)