Will You Know? James 2:20

James, the “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”, shared with his readers concerning the way “devils believe there is one God” and they “tremble” before Him. His reference was to “faith” without “works” and showing his “belief, trust and reliance” upon God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son “by” his “works” and not in “faith” alone. In chapter two and verse twenty of his letter, James questioned the people within “the twelve tribes scattered abroad” again as he asked them “will you know” where we read:

But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The verse begins, “But will you know, O vain man,...” James began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated, “will you know” or “would you have in mind and intend to get knowledge of, perceive, feel and understand”, “O vain man” which means “O empty, devoid of truth, of no purpose and empty handed person whether male or female”. James questioned people “devoid of truth” who think that “works” are not directly related to a person's “faith”.

The verse continues, “...that faith without works is dead?” James added, “that faith” or “the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ and a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God” “without works” which means “not having business, employment, enterprise and undertakings” “is dead” or “breathed it's last, lifeless, deceased, departed, destitute of life and inanimate”. Once again James questioned his readers concerning “faith” that does not “work” and whether it was valuable and profitable.

When we think through these words of James, we discover how he asked this simple question, “will you know”. It has been stated “before a person learns, he or she must first learn to want to learn”, and James desired to know if they were willing to understand that “faith” without “works” is useless and “vain”. The “empty handed” people to whom James wrote were particularly those who believed their “faith” alone would save them, and James desired to show them how their “works” declared in what or in whom their “faith” was truly placed. We are not to be “vain” in our thinking, and we should be “willing” to know that “belief and trust” in Jesus without corresponding “actions, activities and speech” is worthless and of no value. May the Lord Jesus speak to us through His Holy Spirit concerning these important truths.

Next time James uses “Abraham” as an example for “faith” that “works”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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