You Can Know.

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead" James 2:26

A common thought that has been shared with me is the insecurity some perceive in their Christian life.  Satan has a terrible ability to steer us away from the grace we have been freely given to the failures of our lives.  We often have hurt our relationship with Christ through those actions.

So thankful for the grace of God.  It does not overlook sin, but it shows up when sin is present, with full hope of restoration through repentance.   Grace is not a license to sin, instead a tool used to redirect us back into fellowship and right standing.  Grace allows 2 major things to occur.  In the first sense it allows for the wrath of God to fall on the work of Jesus and not on us.  We call that propitiation.  The second thing that grace accomplished is the release of the Sprit to "guide us to all truth."  It is He who bring conviction and ultimately leads us to recognizing that whatever sin we are trapped in is hindering our forward momentum into the deeper things of God.  We are created for relationship - and God wants that deeply.

He allows us to see a benchmark status of the quality of that relationship through this text. It's important that we do not take away what is not said.  I remember a good friend telling me that she was raised to believe, "If you are not doing more for God today than yesterday that you are backsliding."  This text should draw us to a much different conclusion.  We should see this thought, "If I am not doing works as a result of my faith I need to give careful consideration to the level of love in my heart for Christ."  If I am not doing works as a result of my faith I need to ask Him for greater love. I need the love of Jesus because the things that I do are not done out of obligation but as a result and bi-product of His love alive in me.

I act out of love.  If I do not act, I may not know the level of love that prompts action.  

The above verse points out the error of living loveless.  It's not a momentary act, but a succession of choices that James speaks of here.  It is a disengagement of the spirit man or woman from the Holy Spirit and a rationalization of religion often prompted by a religious spirit.  This is not a healthy spirit, but one who would seek to bind you in a knowledge of God without truly knowing Him.

I conclude this devotion with today's verse that gave me pause:

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

Faith and love require action.  If you have no action, you need faith and love.  To be religious is nothing.  God calls us to relationship.