Daily Bible Reading – 10.28.2021
James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 2:14-17, 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.
James says that authentic faith, also, has to do with caring for those in need. In this biblical time period, they did not have the social support network of the government that we do today. Though there are greater resources now than there were then, we know they still do not cover every need or situation.
Throughout the Bible, the message is clear that we are to care for each other’s needs. Those who have been blessed with much are called to be generous with what they have for those who are in legitimate need. I love the imagery of this verse:
Proverbs 19:17, Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
In the James 2 passage, James says the same is true for us in the family of God. If we see a need in our church but only speak blessing without doing anything practically to assist them, then our faith has failed. James states it rather bluntly: faith not accompanied by action is dead.
To generously live out our faith may not always be giving of funds but of time and help. Sometimes, what is most needed is a listening ear, your personal presence, or physical help to accomplish tasks that cannot be done otherwise.
James asked a startling question, “Can a faith that has no deeds save them?” Can a faith that supposedly trusts in Jesus not have a lifestyle and a heart to help and serve others as Christ himself did? We will have more to say about this tomorrow.
Question to Consider:
How does your faith show itself in helping others through the generosity of giving, of time, of service, and of prayer?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 1:22, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.