The chicken or the egg

James 2:1-8,14-17

          Many years ago when I was in a small Christian Community (SCC), we prayed and studied Scripture together.  In the course of time it became apparent to me just how much I had to be thankful for. To this day I still take stock of the abundant blessings God has graced me with. One thing that I realized from this SCC was that the more grateful I was, the more compelled I was to offer thanks via good works and involvement using my God given talents and treasure.

            This may be just another version of which came first, the chicken or the egg, but it highlights a very longstanding issue between many churches if not indeed one of the causes of the Reformation. I suppose anything in extremes is bad so when the (Roman) church began selling salvation for good works it was a bit over the top.  The other side of the coin of course is that we are saved simply by faith alone. There are numerous references by Jesus to people in which Jesus proclaimed "your faith has saved you". I argue this side of the coin all the time.

             The test of one's faith though, at least in my estimation, is what you do with that faith. Faith is an invitation that calls to you for response. If you believe, then there should be a positive outpouring of action.  Perhaps that's a fine line but it is not the actions themselves that save you. It is your faith.

         

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.