Faith and Works!

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:24

I believe James is telling us that we cannot separate Faith and Works.  Faith without works is dead and works apart from faith are just as lifeless.  What you believe and what you do are inseparably linked. 

But Romans 3:28 says:  “For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Perhaps the apparent contradiction of these two verses can be resolved in the term “of the law” in the Romans passage.   When works, even works that God has commanded are separated from faith they are powerless.  Doing everything God has commanded without faith in your heart is useless.  But when you have faith you will obey His commands no matter how seemingly trivial they might be.

If you want to test your own faith, look at your works.  The sincerity of your faith is best judged by what you do.  It is easy to look at others and declare that their faith and works don’t match, but to look at yourself and make such a judgment is hard.  Perhaps the best way to do it is to start with your works and ask the question, “How does that come from my faith?”  If you can’t find a link back to your faith, then determine to eliminate it from your life.