James Blog 2

“What is good my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, an done of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no woks, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless persons, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” James 2:14-26 (NRSV)
These verses and Hebrews 6:9-10 and Matthew 7:15-20 inspired the following lyrics:

Screen Door

It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, one is your right
It'll take two strong arms to hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show for your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep
Talk about it
But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God and every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart so you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice
Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, baby, it just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide, your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine

I was raised on Rich Mullins music. For the longest time, I did not understand this song. Of course, part of it has to do with the fact that most three and four-year-olds do not learn song lyrics correctly. Only God remembers my original lyrics to this song, and I am sure that He laughs when He thinks of them. Anyway, that really has nothing to do with James.
Where is the balance between faith and works? Galatians states that it was faith that God reckoned as righteousness to Abraham. Here it is works. Of course I definitely understand how both are needed. Works cannot get you into heaven and faith does not make your righteous if you pass by things that need help. Rich Mullins states that “there's a difference you know/ 'tween having faith and playing make believe/ One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep/ Talk about it/ But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship/ Before you claim to walk on water/ Faith without works is like a song you can't sing/ It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.” So I suppose the question is Is my faith making me grow? Because if it isn’t then I do not have genuine faith. Have I taken that leap off of the ship?

WORKS CITED
Mullins, Rich. “Screen Door.” By Rich Mullins. Songs. BMG Songs, Inc. 1987. http://www.kidbrothers.net.