Faith without works is dead and dead faith is useless, good for nothing. Faith is the substance and assurance of things hoped for, the evidence and the conviction of things not seen. Faith is given to us from God and every thing that God is involved with extends eternally. So if someone has faith, works will follow. If someone does not have works, the faith that he believes he has does not work, and is therefore useless.
Works are the results of faith. Faith without results is worth nothing. Thus,
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone, James 2:19-24.
Works are a part of faith; faith is consummated with works. So if someone says they have faith but have no works resulting from faith, their faith is dead and useless. It is like a seed that was planted in rocky places and scorched by the sun, or among thorns and choked out by the thorns, yielding no crop. One might say that faith is a seed that bears fruit. So you see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
God gives us faith. If we cultivate the soil in which that faith is planted, works will spring forth. If we don’t cultivate the soil, that seed of faith will die and become good for nothing. People think that we need only believe that Jesus is the Savior, and we will go to heaven when we die. There is more to it than this, for the word of God says if we are without discipline we are illegitimate children, and not sons, Hebrews 12:8.
One can believe God counts dead faith as righteousness if he chooses, but he would simply be wrong. The faith God counted as righteousness for Abraham was living and active, otherwise it would not have produced works.
Strong’s Concordance
nekros: dead
Original Word: νεκρός, ά, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: nekros
Phonetic Spelling: (nek-ros’)
Definition: dead
Usage: (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse.
HELPS Word-studies
3498 nekrós (an adjective, derived from nekys, “a corpse, a dead body”) – dead; literally, “what lacks life”; dead; (figuratively) not able to respond to impulses, or perform functions (“unable, ineffective, dead, powerless,” L & N, 1, 74.28); unresponsive to life-giving influences (opportunities); inoperative to the things of God.
In Romans 4 Paul is emphasizing that we are not saved by our works. We are saved by faith.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31,
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
31 that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
By God’s own doing… He first gives us faith and then He leads and guides us through life, teaching us discipline, which results in obedience and endurance. If we walk in obedience, we are children of God. For all who are being led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God, Romans 8:14. Works will follow us as we walk in obedience – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, Ephesians 2:10.
Without works we are not following Jesus who set an example for us. Without works we are ignoring Jesus who gave Himself up for us. Without works we are illegitimate children, and not sons. Without works our faith lies dormant, dead and useless. Without works we have no righteousness, for Jesus is our righteousness, and in Jesus we do the works that God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Abraham had faith that produced obedience to the Lord; so also do Christians. So if one says he has faith but has no works, that one is not in Jesus.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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