For the author of this letter and for many theologians who have followed, good works are not what ensure our salvation. Instead, good works are the outflow of our faith. When we receive the gift of grace in our lives, we cannot help but to be more gracious. When we have felt the relief that comes with being forgiven, the more apt we are to offer forgiveness to someone else. When we know what it’s like to be known, accepted, and loved as our truest selves – warts and all – then we tend to be more accepting and loving of others. When we recognize that everything we have comes from the Provider of All that is Good, we are more generous with what we believe is meant to be shared.
What do you believe about the connection between faith and works? In what ways does your faith affect the way you think, speak, and act? How do you respond to vs. 17, where we read, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead”?
Offer a prayer of commitment today, promising to “put feet” on your faith in tangible ways.
