Actions and Faith

The conversation related to the relationship between actions and faith is more complicated than we sometimes think. Our world has twisted into so many different religions and beliefs that even this simple topic can be confusing.

But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, the Bible is rather clear about God’s view on the connection between actions and faith. Oftentimes it’s not God’s word that makes it confusing, it’s our interpretation.

Proof of Our Faith

Many people are quick to classify themselves as Christians. Some legitimately mean it; others do it for their reputation or family matters. We can’t know the validity of everyone’s words. But we all know that saying something doesn’t mean anything until it is acted upon.

For example, imagine a kid tells you they can do a double backflip. What reason do you have to believe them unless they preform said flip in front of you?

It’s the same with any belief or religion. Would you believe someone that says they’re an atheist if they are constantly in God’s word and share the gospel with everyone they meet? Our actions are the proof of what we say we believe.

Wait…but who cares if people think I’m lying? God knows the truth.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Mathew 5:16.

Yes, God sees what humans cannot. But we aren’t meant to hide. As believers in the one true God, we should be eager for opportunities to share this hope we have. Acting on our faith is a wonderful place to start.

The Act of Believing Vs. Following

“What good is it, my brothers, and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”—James 2:14.

Okay this is where a lot of people get mixed up. It’s also an excellent place to stop and note the importance of context. If all you read is that verse, one of the most important fundamentals of Christianity suddenly doesn’t make sense.

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”—James 2:15-16.

James’ point here is that words don’t mean anything until they are acted upon. Telling someone to “keep warm and well fed” does not give them a blanket and full stomach.

“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”—James 2:18-19.

Ouch. That hurts.

Here’s the ultimate point: lots of people believe…that doesn’t make them followers.

For example, just because I know what YouTube is, doesn’t mean I’m a YouTuber. See how simple that is?

In order to live in faith, we have to live by faith.

Embracing It One Step At a Time

Our faith is what saves us; our deeds are what prove our salvation. That is a critically important difference between our beliefs as Christians and the beliefs of a works-based religion.

As believers our faith and actions need to be working together. Like the blood, heart, and lungs of our body need to work together for us to breathe.

Believing in Jesus should change us. It should make us want to be kinder, more compassionate people. It should make us care about the hurting and worry for the sick.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”—John 15:4.

As we practice proving our faith through our deeds, keep in mind that we need to focus on personal spiritual growth and maturity as well. If we don’t have a strong relationship with God, our ability to love others and our desire to be like Him will not be effective.

The first step to take in a life-changing decision, is simply believing. The second step is the hard part. We aren’t called to be perfect—I think we can all agree that we’d fail within the hour. We’re simply called to love Him so deeply that we want to be more like Him. We should want our actions to impact those around us and our words to be full of God’s hope to a hurting world.