Faith and Works

     Should we as Christians be more concerned about faith or works?  This question was discussed heavily in the Pauline epistles and in other letters, such as James.  People were not sure whether faith or good works were equal or if one was better than the other.  Paul stressed that faith was most important: “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law” (Rom 3:28).  Paul may be saying here that Jesus judges a person by their faith at the end of their life, but disregards the works they may have done.  James had a different view, and he expressed it by saying, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (Jas 2:17).  Paul and James may have disagreed, but faith and works both play pivotal roles in Christian life.

     Paul was right to put a such a strong emphasis on faith.  The first step to believing in Jesus wholeheartedly and living in Jesus as part of the Christian community is having faith that Jesus is the Lord and that He is our loving Father forever Who excitedly waits for us in Heaven.  Faith is needed so that we can spread the good news that Jesus told to others.  Faith is also needed in times of trials, so that we firmly believe Jesus will take care of us even though current tribulations may seem dire.  Faith in time of trials was lived out by Paul, as he was often writing letters from jail cells or being persecuted for his faith in Jesus.  Christians were persecuted for several years by Jews and the Romans, but faith in the Father kept Christianity alive even though many had to become martyrs.  Today, faith is still as crucial as it was in the early years of Christianity.  War, elections, civil matters such as abortion, and several other important events and topics are present today that cannot be settled easily.  Faith that Jesus will steer us in the right direction is the best way to lay the groundwork for solving these problems, just as Paul did when he was writing to nations who may have been hostile against the idea of Christianity.

     James’ point that works are vital to Christianity is also very true.  In fact, you could make an arguement that Jesus spent almost all of his time doing “works” by healing the sick and possessed, visiting and calling upon members of society who were looked down upon, and spreading his Father’s Word to all he came across.  Similarly, Jesus frequently stressed the importance of helping the poor and needy in any possible, because any work done for them is a work done for Jesus.  While Jesus did show the value of works, he was also showing faith in the Father.  Jesus would sometimes wish to be alone in prayer, exhibiting faith in a secluded way.  Other times, Jesus would publicly display his faith by asking the Father for His blessing, and would then perform a miracle.  One example of this public faith is Jesus’ feeding of the five-thousand (Matt 14:13-21).  Jesus set the perfect precedent by using an even balance of faith and works in His mission of carrying out the will of God that we should try to follow.