The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Active Faith" Bible Reading: James 2:14-26 for Saturday, 29 October 2016

The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Active Faith" Bible Reading: James 2:14-26 for Saturday, 29 October 2016
James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to prove it? Is such “faith” able to save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, 16 and someone says to him, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving him what he needs, what good does it do? 17 Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.
18 But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of yours without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions! 19 You believe that “God is one”?[James 2:19 Deuteronomy 6:4] Good for you! The demons believe it too — the thought makes them shudder with fear!
20 But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such “faith” apart from actions is barren? 21 Wasn’t Avraham avinu declared righteous because of actions when he offered up his son Yitz’chak on the altar? 22 You see that his faith worked with his actions; by the actions the faith was made complete; 23 and the passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, “Avraham had faith in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.”[James 2:23 Genesis 15:6] He was even called God’s friend.[James 2:23 Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7] 24 You see that a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone.
25 Likewise, wasn’t Rachav the prostitute also declared righteous because of actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route? 26 Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too faith without actions is dead.
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In our Bible verses today, James encourages us to have an active faith. Believing in something is not enough. We need to do something to show that faith.
Abraham had faith in God. But when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Abraham was willing to do that. "So you see that people are made right with God by what they do. They cannot be made right by faith alone" (verse 24).
For a long time, I did not know what active faith was. Then I was challenged to quit my job, leave my pets with family members and move to Deaf Missions to become part of their training program. My faith in God and His plan for my life led me to do something.
Don't be like the people that James was talking about - those people who believe in God and His Word and then do nothing. Ask God to help you put your faith into action today.[BC*]

"My brothers and sisters, if a person claims to have faith but does nothing, that faith is worth nothing. If it is just faith and nothing more - if it doesn't do anything - it is dead."[James 2:14a, 17b]

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me. And thank You for showing me how I can serve You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Deaf Missions
21199 Greenview Road
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503, United States
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