Good Deeds or Faith Deeds?

"Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: 'Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.' He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone." James 2:21-26

In this world there are a lot of wonderful people who participate in incredible humanitarian efforts. They want to offer help to those suffering, desiring to improve the health and happiness of others. When natural disasters occur, they rush in with aid, providing for immediate needs. Their good deeds are commendable, but is this what James is referencing when he speaking of "good works"?

You can be the kindest, most generous person that ever lived, but that is not the "good works" being described by James. The term good works in this passage is letting God guide our every step as we trust in Him. It is not just admirable actions but footsteps of faith, relying on God and responding in ways that are so far beyond personal effort and capability.

The account of Abraham with Isaac, or Rahab with the spies, are not just fantastic stories of courage and great choices of personal decision. The "good works" were only good because they were "faith steps". Both Abraham and Rahab were shown to be right with God and counted as righteous by demonstrating living faith. Their actions are recorded in scripture because they believed and acted on their belief.

God remembers the times we believe Him, not the times our faith falters. He is not keeping record of failures. He is not tallying the times we lose sight, but the times we choose right! Whenever we make a faith choice to believe God, responding in ways that reveal belief, He sees and acknowledges that we are trusting Him.

For those of you saying, "Well, that was just for Abraham, Rahab and others who were given exceptional faith to do good works." Oh, but wait. I was hoping you would say that (*smile*). In Romans 4:22-24, Paul writes, "And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him..." That needs a WOW! This is not belief that there is one God, (see James 2:19-20), but living, breathing faith that unwaveringly demonstrates itself in good deeds of faith.

Where in our lives are there evidence, not just of good works, but steps of faith? Where have we chosen faith? I mean really chosen faith? Faith that goes beyond the "I can" to "God must". These are the "good works" Jesus' half-brother is referencing. Fear so often is the enemy that keeps us from all the Lord is longing to show us. Today in each of our lives there are invitations to initiatives to trust God, that if embraced, will demonstrate huge faith. Do not look at others and the steps of faith they are taking. We cannot calculate faith steps by comparison. God designs specific steps of faith individually, helping us grow from one degree to the next. He is very aware of our hesitations and our desire to control, but He asks us to jump, not into the air, but into His care. 

When our "good works" are not just good deeds but faith deeds that make God visible to others, He counts us as righteous too. Even now He is uncapping His pen and opening His book of remembrance. I wonder how many volumes our lives could fill with faith stories before He calls us home.