“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”. James 2:26 KJV
In Joshua 2:1-24, the bible talks of Rahab who was a harlot but believed in the God of Israel and decided to protect the two spies that Joshua, the head of the Israelites, had sent to spy the land of Jericho.These two spies could have been killed by the King of Jericho if they were found, but Rahab, at the expense of her life, kept them in her house until she felt it was safe for them to leave.
This good work was counted for Rahab as righteousness and redeemed her soul. Thus, it is not only giving material needs alone that is counted as good works, but also providing a sacrificial service such as security to children of God like Rahab did.
When one also obeys God in doing His will particularly in sacrificial giving, this is counted as righteousness. Thus when Abraham in obedience to the instructions of God decided to sacrifice his only son to God, it was counted as good works. So good works entails helping the poor and giving sacrificially to the things of God among others. Such sacrificial giving covers time, money, pleasure, position, power and even life.
Sometime ago, a testimony was shared about a lady that went to preach in a remote village in Africa and after getting a lot of converts in the village, she decided to go to the next village but was advised otherwise because of wild animals on the road. Suddenly an old man offered to go with the woman to the village. When asked how he would be able to protect the woman when he himself was weak on account of age. He said, he would go ahead of her such that if there was any wild animal that came their way, he would throw himself to it such that the animal would be busy killing and eating his flesh and thus allow the woman to reach the village and share the gospel.
That is the height of a sacrificial giving that can be counted as great works.
Prayer: Father, give me the grace to give sacrificially to your cause in Jesus name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero