Faith is not just the conviction that certain doctrines are true. The object of faith is a person: Jesus. Down through history Christian theologians have worked hard at formulating doctrines about Jesus and other theological matters to sum up what the Bible teaches us. This is a good and necessary process. But let’s be clear on something: you cannot know God just by knowing the doctrines of theology. You can know about God this way, but you cannot know God himself just by knowing about him. There is only one way to know God: you must let him be your God. You must relinquish your autonomy and entrust your life to him. This will inevitably lead to a completely different kind of life. In fact, if your faith does not change your life then it is not real faith. This is the point that James is making here. “Faith without works” he says, “is dead”. James uses Abraham as an example and in doing so he is not contradicting Paul’s doctrine of ‘salvation by faith alone’. Paul was countering those who thought they had to win God’s approval. God’s favour, however, is given freely to those who are willing to give their lives back to him. The result of a life given back to God is an inevitable change in the way that life is lived. Faith that does not change lives is not real faith. James is countering those who thought that faith is just intellectual assent to an idea. Abraham left his old life and began a new life with God. This changes everything for him. This is real faith.
Ask God to give you opportunities to exercise faith.
Read James 2:14-26
