“FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” James 2:20

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD" [James 2:20].

True faith is a living faith. The holy Apostle James in his divine epistle states, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but DOES NOT have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled.’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, IF IT DOES NOT HAVE WORKS, IS DEAD. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? "…You see that a man is justified by works, and NOT BY FAITH ONLY." "…FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO." [James 2:14-26].

The holy Apostle James does not teach that we are saved by works, but he does teach that a dead faith, one without works, does not save. This is an early argument against invisible religion, or mental faith, wherein salvation by faith does not require visible works. The faith that saves is a complete faith: not just the mind believing and the verbal confessing, but the whole person trusting in the Living God. Inactive and inert faith does not save. The believer must nurture his faith in God and love for Him through one’s works of mercy. God Himself is the Only One Who saves! Salvation is a gift from Him. The work of salvation belongs entirely to the Almighty God. It is through our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, Who has Divine power to rescue us from the forces of darkness, evil, sin, death, and the devil. It is God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit Who alone provides justification, forgiveness, and new life to sinners who come to Him with faith.

We are "co-workers with God" (synergoi Theou) 1 Corinthians 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). We as "as God’s fellow workers" cooperate with Him to do His Divine will. By this cooperation or synergy with God, we do not mean a working together of equals. Rather we means that He is the Lord, and we His servants are called to participate obediently in His work. It is a life-time of engagement with God. When we come to our Lord Christ as sinners, we have no works to offer to Him, but only faith and repentance. But once we come to Him and receive the gift of salvation, we enter int a sacred covenant to honor Him with good deeds. The holy Apostle Paul says, " For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is NOT your own doing, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD… [We are] created in Christ Jesus for good works" [Ephesians 2:8-10].

The teaching of Holy Scripture (New Testament) is that God’s grace, our free will, and our faith and good works, are intimately connected. The Holy Spirit energizes in us both faith and good works as we thirst for and seek God’s grace. Neither faith nor good works cam be presented as merit before God, but only as return gifts in humility, love, and thanksgiving. Let us recall the divine words of the Holy Apostle James: "Faith by itself, if it has no works is dead… Faith is completed by works… A person is justified by works and not by faith alone" {James 2:17, 22, 24). By free will, faith, and earnest labors, we work together with the grace of God in the awesome gift and mystery of salvation. As the holy Apostle Paul writes: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work His good pleasure" [Philippians 2:12-13]. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are to take hold of what God offers, accepting His grace, and working toward becoming mature in Christ.

Saint Paul writes: "I have been crucified with Christ; IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME AND THE LIFE WHICH I LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME" [Galatians 2:20]. "I have been crucified with Christ" means our sinful "passions and desires [5:24] have been crucified. This crucifixion must be willingly and freely accepted just as Christ freely accepted His death. Living in the flesh is contrasted with living " in the faith", translated as by faith. Just as living in the flesh involves the whole person, of the believer with respect to God.

While "it is no longer I who live" under the dominion of sinful passions and desires. I do live a crucified life in Christ. As we are not saved by works alone, nowhere does the New Testament say we are saved by faith alone. We are saved by faith, but not faith alone. Saint Tikhon of Zandosk speaking on faith writes, "Without living faith and the fear of God it is impossible to live in a godly way. Living faith is inspired in the human heart by contemplation of the word of God and by the Holy Spirit. For this reason we should read and heed the word of God and pray that God Himself ignite the lamp of faith in our heart. The fear of God arises most often from contemplation of the Omnipresence of God and His Omniscience. God IS IN ESSENCE EVERYWHERE PRESENT AND WHEREVER WE MAY BE, HE IS WITH US; AND WHATEVER WEW MAY DO, SAY, THINK, AND UNDERTAKE, WE DO, SAY, THINK, AND UNDERTAKE ALL BEFORE HIS HOLY EYES. He knows our deeds far better than we do ourselves. The fear of God WILL GUARD YOU AND CORRECT YOU EVERYWHERE AND, IN ALL THINGS, AND WILL TURN YOU AWAY FROM EVERY EVIL DEED, AND CONFIRM YOU IN EVERY GOOD DEED. Thus day by day YOU WILL BECOME BETTER.

Keep God, then, before your spiritual eyes, and you will have the fear of God, imitating the Psalmist, "I BEHOLD THE LORD EVER BEFORE ME" [Psalm 15:8]. But what you ought to do will be made clear to you."

Prayer must never be ceased or become a chore. "Prayer," says Saint Tikhon, "consists not only in standing and bowing before God in body, and in reading written prayers, but even without that it is possible to pray IN MIND and SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES, and IN EVERY PLACE. You can do it while walking, sitting, reclining, among people, and in solitude. Raise up your mind and heart to God, and so beg mercy and help from Him. For God is everywhere and in every place and the doors to Him are ALWAYS OPEN, and it is easy to approach Him, not as with man. And we can approach Him WITH FAITH and with our prayer everywhere and at all times, and in every need and circumstance. We can say to Him mentally at any time, "LORD, HAVE MERCY, LORD HELP!" and so on."

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George