Tags
Abraham, action, faith, God, Isaac, James 2:20, James 2:21, James 2:22, James 2:23, righteous
James 2:20-23 Are you so slow? Do you need to be shown that faith without actions has no value at all? What about Abraham, our father? Wasn’t he shown to be righteous through his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? See, his faith was at work along with his actions. In fact, his faith was made complete by his faithful actions. So the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and God regarded him as righteous. What is more, Abraham was called God’s friend.
The proof is in the pudding. James assumes that everyone should know this elementary principle that faith apart from action on that faith is void. He asks if the reader needs proof.
The proof that faith needs to be followed up by action is the example of Abraham. God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son and he was willing to do it. The fact that Abraham and his wife Sarah, were elderly when their son Isaac was conceived and born and that, in human terms, there would be no way possible for them to have another child makes the example of his faith even more amazing.
God promised Abraham that through Isaac’s descendants, He would establish His nation, Israel and God orders him to kill his only child. Abraham prepared himself yet he know God would provide a substitute because he told his servants that accompanied him that he and Isaac would go up the mountain to worship God and would return. That was his faith. The faith that God would provide and he backed up his faith by tying up Isaac, laying him on the altar and raising his knife to kill the boy. It was the combination of faith and action that prompted god to regard him as righteous.
If you say you have faith yet do not step out in action based on that faith, then your faith is void and you are not righteous.