faith and works

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The Protestant Reformation was a time of debate over the core beliefs and structure of the church. The main idea for Martin Luther and those like John Calvin (the father of the Reformed tradition the Presbyterian Church is a part of) is that we are saved by God's grace through faith alone. The Roman Catholic point of view is that our good works are also part of our salvation. This passage from James was very important in supporting the Catholic argument. Of course, like most arguments, both sides overstated their disagreements. Catholics believe faith is important and Protestants believe that faith leads to good works. No matter what tradition we identify with we know that God calls us to live our faith, which is what James is saying.

God bless,
Sam

James 2:14-26

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? ¹⁷So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. ¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. ²³Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? ²⁶For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

Christ's love and our love

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
Today's reading comes from John's first letter. We don't spend a lot of time in John's letters, but they are very rewarding and present a somewhat different perspective from Paul. In this reading John makes the point that we know love by how Jesus loved us. That love is what saves us, not our actions. But when Christ's love makes us right with God, we naturally respond by loving others. So if we don't find ourselves driven to help others, we should pause and reflect on why. Further, love is about real actions, not just pretty words. Our calling is to live love in the world.

Blessings as you follow you calling today,
Sam

1 John 3:14-19

¹⁴We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. ¹⁶We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? ¹⁸Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him.