Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Believing Isn't Enough
What if I told you that believing in something isn't enough? That seems a little confrontational right off the bat, but the Bible actually points to this, and I believe it's more of an encouragement than it is something to feel hopeless about.
Today's Verse of the Day comes out of James chapter 2, verse 17. It says, "So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."
The Foundation of Faith
Faith is really good to keep you going. It's the foundation of many things, pillars even. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God—that's good, we need that. We need that belief, especially when the world is spinning around you and it's telling you to believe all these different things. You need to have faith in Jesus to keep you steady.
This scripture is saying there's one more layer to belief. Faith, if it stays here, is no good. I want to take a quick sidestep. Sometimes people will say you have to do A, B, C, D, all of these things to prove your worth to God—if you work your way to Him, then you're good. That is the furthest thing from the Gospel. Nothing that we could do would ever make us right in God's sight. Only one thing does: Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. So all the work is finished—Jesus accomplished that. What we have to do is believe. That's where belief comes in.
When we look at what this is saying, it says that faith should lead to good deeds. If I don't work for my salvation because of Jesus, but deeds still have something to do with it, then how am I supposed to reconcile this? Think of it this way: because we have been saved, we can do good things, but our belief must be the fuel for those good things.
The Apple Tree
Think about a tree. When a tree is planted, it produces fruit, and the fruit is not meant for the tree to keep to itself. I don't know that I've ever seen a tree get selfish over its fruit. It's open—anybody can walk up to an apple tree, pick an apple, and eat it for themselves. An apple tree does not hoard its fruit.
When we think about that picture, let's think about it in the context of our faith. If Jesus has saved us and the work is finished, but we now have the freedom to produce good deeds, then those things should be done for the sake of others. Jesus saved us to be witnesses of our salvation, the freedom that we have received.
What Does That Look Like?
If we say we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we should use that belief to push us into doing good works. What does that mean? What does Jesus call us to do? He says that pure and undefiled religion, the good stuff, is visiting orphans and widows, clothing those without clothing, feeding those without food. It's serving those who need service, ultimately loving them the way that Jesus loves us.
What Is Your Life Producing?
Think about that today. What are you doing in your life right now that is producing good deeds, producing fruit that people can take for themselves? Just like Scripture says, they would taste and see that the Lord is good. What is your life producing? Is it drawing people closer to Jesus?
I pray that today you would be encouraged and challenged to think about how your faith is leading you to produce good deeds.
