Let's talk about the phrase, "Faith without works is dead". We know this statement is a biblical fact as we read it in James 2:14-26. However, I think people really get stuck on the word "works". We can tend to think, "Am I doing enough to prove my faith?" or "Have I done enough good in my life?" This is not what was intended by James. You can do good works or deeds and still have a dead faith. Faith is referred to in the bible as a seed and a seed is intended to produce something. If I have a dead apple tree in my yard and I go to the store to buy apples, that fruit was not a result of the seed planted in my yard. I have apples but they weren't produced by my apple tree.
In the same way, if our works aren't the fruit of our seed of faith, but a result of some sense of need to do good works, our faith could very well be dead. Jesus talks about false prophets in Matthew 7:15-16 and how they will be able to be distinguished by their "fruits". This word fruit (Karpos) means "everything done in true partnership with Christ" and it is the same word "fruit" used when Paul wrote to the Galatians about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. This fruit of the Spirit is the product of our faith.
That word for fruit, Karpos, also translates as "deed" or "action". Are our works the result of our true partnership with Christ? Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit". We need to stop thinking about our works as what we are doing and instead see our works of faith as where the heart behind our action is coming from.
A work or good deed done through the flesh is temporal and it's results can and will only ever be temporal. But the Spirit is eternal and works done through the Spirit are eternal and will have eternal impacts. Therefore, the works of our faith should have eternal impacts!
Mike
