Key verse: James 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Acts 3:1-8
Faith is a salient criterion to pleasing God. It is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. For instance, it is a thing of faith to sit in Haiti and be told you have lodged in a bank account in your name in the United States a whopping sum of US$1billion without you ever stepping into the concerned bank but since a statement of account was printed and confirmed to be so over the phone, it asserts that one is a billionaire already. That is faith. However, for the reality of being a billionaire to come to being, there may be the need to take further steps by proceeding to the location of the bank or any of its branches to ensure proper details and protocols are observed to be able to access the billion for spending. That is work. If however the work is not done, how can one realize the benefit of his faith?
Peter and John met a crippled man at the beautiful gate. They had faith that at the name of Jesus, the crippled will walk again. On the other hand, the cripple did not know what they were about and therefore initially had no faith. When Peter commanded him to rise up and walk, the crippled was just looking askance. Though the faith was in Peter, but it didn’t produce the thing hoped for. Peter needed to work on it for manifestation by pulling the hand of the faithless cripple and that work brought the evidence to bear of things not seen hitherto. The crippled also gained faith when he realized what happened. It was by that faith that he did not return to his begging spot but went first limping, then jumping and praising God. These acts were the works he added to his faith for his faith to find actualization.
Have you also been told some prophesies which appear unreal and therefore are yet to find performance? Are there things you had faith in but appear not to be real? Maybe you need to add works to your faith. If you have been told for instance that the Lord had ordained you to be ruler of your people, you may need to position yourself in a way that will make you discoverable for appointment or election into the position. Not everyone will be like Saul Kish who went into hiding and was yet crowned king.
Pray: Father, help me that I may combine works with my faith for greater kingdom benefit in Jesus name.