Faith Without Deeds is Dead

Time to talk about something that everyone knows is true. The media is lying to us.

We've known that politicians have been lying to us for years. It has reached the point that we don't even act surprised when they don't live up to their campaign promises. At least we didn't used to but then along came Covid-19. It should have been a wake-up call when they decided that certain business couldn't be open. Certain jobs weren't "essential". Work from home if you can. That was easy for them to say. Two weeks they said. Nine months later - people are starting to have actual peaceful protests . Because what happened in places such as Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Kenosha and many other were referred to as peaceful protests, should have been another red flag. Basically, we just kept hoping that our government would intervene and fix the problems. But that is not what happened.

It should have been a wake-up call when they started telling churches how they can or where they can worship. How many of us went to church in a tent for most of the summer? Or listened huddled in our homes away from the "world" going to church on the internet, how many are still doing just that? How many are still listening to the media? How many are believing the fear mongering? When I realized that listening to the news was making me feel afraid; I started reading my Bible and I stopped believing the news. That doesn't mean I stopped doing the Lord's work. Throughout this, I have felt led to call Christians to action. We forget how good we have it in America. Before the "planned-demic", most churches were open 6 to 7 days a week. Most churches were actively trying to be a presence in their neighborhoods, trying to serve the community. But with this pandemic many churches went into hiding thinking that having zoom meetings and church on the internet is enough. James tells us this about deed and faith.

James 2: 14-24

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."