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James 2:14 " what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (Faith without works is dead)
Does the word of God contradict itself? Is it completely reliable, is it completely trustworthy? You better believe it is! And you better believe and know that in no way does it contradict itself whatsoever!! His Holy Word is just that: absolutely holy, absolutely pure, absolutely true - 100 %. So let me give you the insight of a good breakdown of the good word:
With a healthy fear of sounding simplistically ignorant I want to say this, to where I, a simpleton in my own ignorant state of being, can understand it:
Faith without works is dead - but it is some of the hardest work you can and will ever do (living out your faith, that is.) Living out our faith is an internal action with eternal significance to our reaction. It takes place on behalf of one's heart, to react and respond in a manner of "faith." To see the things in your life which take place, the situations or circumstances that you face, and to know that they are all filtered through the hands of the Almighty. Faith without works is dead, it is some of the hardest work you will ever do when faced with trial or faced with struggle, or opposition or obstacles: to know and respond in a faithful manner toward our great God and Savior. Knowing without any doubt in your mind that he is in control and that he is sovereign and that he reigns over the trivial affairs of men. Faith without works is dead, if I say that I'm a believer yet I don't believe he is in control, if I say that I'm a believer yet I don't believe that he knows all things, if I say that I'm a believer yet I don't see things filtered through faithful eyes and a heart full of faith, with a mind that conceives the very work of God; my faith isn't working and it is dead. Faith without works is dead. Simply said: it's an action on one's own heart to see and believe, to see and respond, to praise God and give thanks in everything.
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, not by works. At the moment when your "saving faith" became active, you were such a true believer in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, that you received salvation by His grace in that moment. It is by His grace that you have been saved through faith not by works. You didn't become right with God by helping all the old ladies cross the street or carry their groceries, or help your neighbor when his car broke down or mow his lawn or by taking his garbage cans in for him, or even by when seeing that old folk on the side of the road in need and you helped them. It was by 100% grace, unmerited unearned favor of our great God and Savior that you have been saved. It most definitely didn't have anything to do with any action, better yet outward action on your own behalf. But it had everything to do with an inward reaction; you responded to his grace in a moment of faith and your heart acted upon it, and you looked to him who saves. He is mighty to save, its by grace we been saved through faith, not by works, but faith by itself or "faith without works" is dead, useless. Your heart has to see and believe he is at work, your heart has to beat to a new drum and know that its beat comes from him who created you. I want to exhort and encourage you to start living out your faith, because Faith without works is dead.
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