Is Your Faith Useless?

If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself....Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?
-James 2:15-17, 20 (HCSB)

We've been having a discussion in a Facebook group about faith. Is it enough to say "I have faith in God." Or, is there more to faith than just saying of you belief in God. I think there is more.

James is giving a practical example of faith. Verse 15-16 says, "If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,' but don't give them what the body needs, what good is it?" It's a pretty pointed question to the believers here. Is your faith where your mouth is? Look at his challenge. If you see someone who has needs, (food and clothing in this example) is your faith strong enough to help meet those needs if you are able. For many of us, we could probably meet at least some of that brother or sisters need, but is our faith strong enough to put us into action? I remember many years ago, a friend and I were in line at McDonalds one evening. A man came in, and you could tell by his look that he was homeless. He kind of stood in the back of the restaurant. We both felt God nudging us to help this man out. And we both gave him some money to order dinner. It may have been his only meal. Anyway, he got his food before us, and we watched him as he went and sat down. Less than a minute later, we each received our order and decided we'd sit with this new friend. We searched the restaurant, and he was gone. I've heard that people "entertained angels" and didn't know it. That homeless man may have been just that. James challenges us, and our faith, when he says "but you don't give them what the body needs, what good is it." If my friend and I would have ignored the homeless man that night, what would that have said about our faith? What good is it to proclaim a faith in God, yet do nothing with that faith?

Verse 20 says, "Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?" Faith without works is useless.It's good for nothing. Is your faith proven by your works? Is your works done out of your love for Jesus? Think About It.