James 2:21-26, Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. 23 So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
This scripture includes two very different but rich examples of faith. We see Abraham’s story unfold early in Genesis and he is well known for being righteous. Rahab, on the other hand, was a prostitute, and in Joshua 2, we learn that by faith, she hid God’s messengers. As different as their stories are, Abraham and Rahab were both so impactful that they are in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.
Act of Faith
In verse 21, one of my commentaries interprets Abraham’s actions as, “when he offered, that is, when he brought Isaac as an offering, not that he actually offered him.” As an act of faith, not obedience, because he had faith and believed God that the promise God made him would be fulfilled. Sometimes our actions are out of sheer obedience for the Word of God and othertimes it is an act of faith. One of the definitions that I saw for faith this morning, “belief and trust in and loyalty to God”. This is exactly how James is suggesting that we live our lives.
Dear Lord, as we go about our day, let our lives reflect an active belief, trust and loyalty in You. Let’s exhibit our faith out loud today! In Jesus name, Amen
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 2:21–26). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
