James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (17) So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
As we walk through the book of James we see the contrast between hearers and doers; faith and works. One of the confusions many may find from the book of James is the emphasis on works. The call to action and the need to follow-up ones faith with some kind of doing that results in fruit. There are many non-Christian organizations that are really good at meeting the physical and often the emotional needs of people. Their entire reason for existence is to serve those in need. There are food kitchens, mental health facilities, drug and alcohol rehab centers and so many other places one can go to receive help. These are all good for the people who benefit from them and often give the volunteers and workers a way to find meaning in their lives.
As Christians who understand the cost Jesus paid on the cross for our salvation, we should not only be those who are offering assistance to those in need, we should be first in line. James does not imply that our faith apart from works will not save us, he explicitly states that it will not. Christianity is not a faith that sits still. We are to be compelled to not only see the needs of those we encounter, but do whatever we can to meet those needs. What good is it for us to give a greeting to a hungry man without filling his belly. Or to walk by a thirsty man and not provide for his thirst. Living in the area I am in now the winter temperature is often 20-40 degrees below zero. Could I truly encounter a man or woman in my community or in my church without a coat and tell them to be warm and fed and not do what I could to meet their physical needs?
In addition to the physical needs of men and women we encounter, there is a far greater need that the non-Christian organizations can’t meet. Their spiritual needs. I have heard it said, “What good is it to feed a man and leave his soul starving? They will simply enter hell on a full belly!” Faith without works is dead, but works without sharing the hope of Christ is no different from what the world offers. Often the best work for the Lord we can accomplish is to let a person know that their greatest need is salvation. It is not a substitute for what James tells us in these verses, rather, it is an important addition to the message of works.
Prayer
Lord, help me to see and do whatever I can to meet the needs of those around me. Help me to see each situation through your eyes and have the courage to step out and help a brother or sister in need.