Click here to read the Old Paths Journal.
Is Your Faith Running on Empty?
James 2:26
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
Having fuel is very important to the enjoyment of driving a car. When a car has gas, then the car can take you to the places that you want to go. However, when the car is running on empty, the ability of the car to take you where you want to go is limited unless you fill it up with gas. A car without gas does not stop it from being a car, but the car will not be able to function without it.
The verse above is showing us that faith without works is like a car without gas. God said that "...faith without works is dead..." God is not teaching that works are a part of salvation, but He is teaching that without works your faith will seem dead to those who see you. Works has nothing to do with the salvation of your soul, but works plays a big part in whether you will have an impact with your witness. A person will only get saved by putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be their personal Saviour.
However, after you are saved, works is what validates your salvation to the lost world. Works is to faith what the spirit is to the body. Notice that the spirit is what gives life to the body. Yes, the body is still alive without a spirit, but the body only exists without the spirit. Likewise, a person is saved whether or not they have works, but works is what makes your salvation come alive to the lost.
Simply put, faith struggles without works. It is your works that build your faith. It is your works that cause your faith to get stronger. It is your works that show to the world that what you say happened to you is real. The world cannot see what happened on the inside when you got saved, so the only way you can show to the world that you are truly saved is by your works. How often do you hear people tell you that they have seen other people claim to be saved, but they live no different than the lost? That is what this verse is teaching. It is saying that your works build your faith so that others will see your faith by your works. Faith alone is not enough to witness to others. Faith with works is what allows your witness to be strong.
Let me ask you, is your faith running on empty? In other words, is your faith lacking strength because of your lack of works. Christian, certainly God saved you to keep you from going to Hell, but the purpose of leaving you on this Earth after salvation is so that you can be a witness to lead others to Him. If you have no works to build your faith, then your faith will be running on empty and will lack the emphasis it needs when you try to witness to others. I implore you to start working your faith. The more works you have for God, the stronger your faith will become. Likewise, the more works you have, the greater your testimony will be to the lost. Don't be a Christian who runs your faith on empty, but be a Christian who fills your spiritual tank of faith with works. The greater works you have, the greater your faith will be to those who are watching you.