A Faith That Serves

In mid-August 2004, Americans engaged in disaster relief.  Ten days prior, a monster hurricane plowed through west Florida. Hurricane “Charley” devastated 25 counties and 225,000 people were stripped of electrical power.  In Charley’s wake, huge trees collapsed, numerous homes imploded, love ones were missing, and 25 individuals died.  Estimations for real estate damaged sored to over seven billion dollars.  However, amid all the chaos, many compassionate Americans rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand. While some responded to the crisis out of pure humanitarian kindness, Christians practice good works habitually as a matter of faith. According to the Scriptures, good works are a vital aspect of the motives, actions, and impact of genuine Christians.

Who can deny the active ministry life of the Lord Jesus Christ? He was a work-horse of a Servant as He executed the Father’s will with complete devotion! He taught, preached, healed the sick, cast out demons, restored sight to the blind, strengthened the limbs of the cripple, and cleansed lepers as an expression of His compassion, power, will, faith, and Messiahship. In addition, He trained His disciples, confronted the false teachers, rebuked the Pharisees, corrected Israel’s misconceptions, established His church, and filled His followers with courageous faith. As God’s supreme High Priest, the Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself, was buried, and rose again the third day as the Scriptures predicted. In doing so, He paid the price for our sins entirely making it possible for us to be justified when we repent placing our faith in Him and His finished work. Still today He serves as the Head of the Church, the Savior of mankind, our Great High Priest, and the believer’s Advocate with the Father. The Lord Jesus is a wonderful Model of service, and each of His followers would be wise to follow His lead.  

First of all, faith stirs compassion deep within motivating Christians to engage in good works. According to  James 2:14-20, compassionate service is expected, and passivity in the face of human deprivation is utterly insufferable. Like an apple tree bears apples, faith stimulates compassionate engagement for the sake of relief (James 2:14-17). Unmistakably, faith is to be demonstrated through Christ honoring endeavors, and not merely expressed in high-sounding religious statements to the needy (James 2:18)! Only dead faith, which is immature, stagnant, and apathetic, does not motivate or produce worthy services. Obviously, dead faith is the extreme opposite of saving faith, which generates wholesome motivations to minister to others for Christ’s sake (James 2:19-20).

Better yet, good works are definite demonstrations of genuine faith (James. 2:21-26). It is one way authentic faith is proven to a watching world. For instance, Abraham proved his faith by his obedient response to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac. His obedience was immediate, confident, and free of any misgivings about the wisdom of God. In the most convincing fashion, his faith illustrated devotion to God above all else (James 2:21-24). In addition, Rahab evidenced faith by receiving, protecting, and directing Joshua’s spies. Though her actions were unpatriotic and betrayed her city, she was completely loyal to the God of Israel. She consciously embraced what she had heard about the God of the Jews who had overthrown mighty Egypt some forty years prior. Her actions portrayed faith as a willingness to assist others in situations of jeopardy and danger (James 2:25). As a result, whether daily or in crises, Christians must demonstrate faith through actions of periodic assistance as needs arise, perpetual involvement because of persistent challenges, and obedience to God pursuing His design for every believer to engage in meaningful tasks that assist and help others (Eph. 2:10).

Furthermore, good works connect faith to others making a relevant and meaningful impact on the lives of those who have no immediate Christian influences. Regarding relational considerations, faith inspires the willingness to trust people, thus establishing a foundation for enduring relationships of mutual service. It is our trust in God that prompts us to engage others even when they are not worthy of our trust. Therefore, we love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, go the second mile with the unworthy, and afford second, third, and fourth chances to the derelict. Why? It is so that we may win their trust and commend our faith in Christ to them. It is a pure act of faith. Ministry wise, faith not only recognizes deprivations, but also creates positive changes to facilitate relief for the disadvantaged. It may take the form of a church rescue mission, a food pantry for the homeless, providing tutoring for underprivileged children in poor neighborhoods, a halfway house to help former inmates transition back into society to become productive members, and a bus ministry that penetrates the worst part of a city to bring the children and adults who live there in contact with the Gospel and the love of Christ. Then with evangelistic goals in mind, faith takes advantage of opportunities to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to non-Christians. This may transpire through weekly visitation and evangelistic outreach efforts, through home Bible study programs, or offering free funeral services to families in the church’s community for the chance to preach the gospel to the family at the funeral. The acts of service could be as simple as shoveling the snow in your neighbors driveway. Why? The aim is to win an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. Clearly, believers can make a most significant impact in the lives of others through good works in the name of our Lord.

Undeniably, good works are an essential facet of Christian faith according to the Scriptures. While we are saved entirely by grace through faith, the kind of faith that embraces salvation also produces good works in the lives of Christ’s followers. Christian service is rooted in faith, demonstrated through faith, and impacts others through faith. Therefore, as authentic believers, forsake immaturity, stagnation, and apathy through meaningful service to Christ by faith. It is incumbent upon Christ’s followers to engage their family, their church, a vital ministry, a social outreach strategy, the Red Cross, or other worthy causes to give living expression to real faith. After all, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).