Faith Validated! … Hello to my weekend readers. I hope your July 4th holiday was one of celebration as well as some well-needed recreation! For Al and I it was hectic with tons of campers but also a lot of fun with the kids, boats on the lake and the joy of having our wonderful freedoms in the USA.

A few weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation with a retired military chaplain. He has enjoyed retirement but misses his job. I asked him what he missed the most and his reply was interesting. “Well, I feel like I still need to be doing good deeds for the Lord but I also enjoy just the rest and quietness of retirement.” I told him as long as he shared the Lord with others in any capacity the Lord will bless him as well as bless him in his retirement. He said “you think so?” All I could reply was “the bible says so.”

I continued to muse on this conversation about the confusion of faith and works. I dove into my treasure-chest of ideas for devotions; I knew I had one about an artist and after a few hours, I found it! Here it is, and I think it reminds us of what works and faith really means.

The renowned artist Paul Gustave Doré was traveling through Europe and when he came to his first border crossing, he realized he lost his passport. He was concerned because border crossings are very strict. He explained his predicament to the guard hoping the man would recognize him because he was very famous. That didn’t work—the guard told him that many people attempt to cross the border by falsifying their identities. So Doré firmly insisted that he was the man he claimed to be, hoping that would get him through—didn’t work again. Then the guard smiled and said, “OK, I’ll tell you what we are going to do. I will give you a test and if you pass it, I’ll allow you to go through.” Then he handed Doré a pencil and a sheet of paper and told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby (they had heard this conversation). Doré agreed and he did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. And for the peasants? Doré signed the paintings of them and gave it to them for free. (His paintings garnered thousands of dollars.)

In James 2:20;25-26 [Voice] the Apostle states clearly the meaning of both faith and works: “The fact is, faith has to show itself through works performed in faith. If you don’t recognize that, then you’re an empty soul. Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape. Removing action from faith is like removing breath from a body. All you have left is a corpse!”

A corpse? That’s a harsh word, but James was right. In our Christian life, the relationship between faith and works can be a funny thing if not a sticking-point. Some see works as what you have to do to get into heaven. Others say that only our faith in Jesus gets us to heaven. It’s a debate that has gone on for a long time and probably will until eternity comes!

So here is our struggle: 1) When it comes to your standing before God, there is no number of good deeds you can do to find acceptance. Acceptance is by faith alone. 2) However, that same faith must be given substance by one’s works/deeds. Just like Doré, what you do has to validate who you claim to be. My dad would say, “this is a ‘sticky-wicket’ isn’t it?” Indeed!

How do we put together our faith and our works as we live out our faith on this earth? First, we need to stop thinking that our works make us holy. Instead, we should think of them as a confirmation of the reality that we have already been made holy by God! And in that gift of God’s holiness, we have the ability to use our faith in doing good works and deeds, fully knowing that this pleases the Lord.

The battle about faith and works needs to end because it’s confusing. God hates confusion. Instead, God opens our hearts and minds to activate our faith so the works and deeds we should be doing to care for one another gets done. SO—let’s end the confusion and embrace what is important: While faith alone saves, the faith that saves is not alone! AMEN.