Bible Reading: Job 27; James 2:8-14.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” – James 2:14 (KJV)
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You need faith to do a lot of things. For example, you need faith to sit on a chair. That is the faith that the chair will not break while you sit on it. You also need faith to enter a plane to fly to a different location as this shows that you believe the plane can take you to your destination. So everyone needs little faith even for basic living.
Beyond this little faith, the bible also talk of great faith like the one exhibited by the Centurion in Matthew 8:8-10, where he requested the Lord Jesus to speak where he was and that he believed that the word will reach his servant where he was and be healed. And truly, his servant was healed! However faith itself alone is not enough to save any man. In fact, the bible tells us that love is greater than faith. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (KJV) says: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” So love is needed more than faith, gift of prophecy or word of knowledge. It is love that makes you think of someone as being better than you. It is love that makes you provide the needs of a neighbour (Luke 10:30-35). Such needs may be physical, financial, spiritual or emotional.
A few years ago, one of my office colleagues went to a Resort in Lekki, Nigeria with her children and saw another old colleague there evangelising and she rushed to greet her only to be told by the colleague that she was not there for socials but the work of God. The lady later narrated the circumstance to me and how she felt so bad as if cold water was poured on her! The evangelising lady just dropped the tract for her and left without any emotion! Do you think the lady or anyone around there would be won to Christ by such an act? Definitely no! Knowing both of them, I know the evangelising lady had faith but such faith cannot save her! Thus James 2:14 (KJV) says: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”
While faith is essential for the Christian race,we all need to have love and exhibit it in our dealings to get truly saved because God is love (1 John 4:8).
Prayer: Father help me to show to everyone around me, love in addition to my faith in God.
Bro Biodun Oyapero