It amazes me people try to separate faith from work (or reaction). True faith brings about action. If you believe that falling off of a building will kill you, then you will take precautions so that you don't fall. If you are, let's say, a window washer. You put on your harness/safety strap so that you will be attached to something that you believe will not plummet to the ground. Now I can and do agree that Jesus fulfilled the law. But I will not go as far as to say that He encourages us not to work.
[SUP]14 [/SUP]What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? [SUP]15 [/SUP]If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, [SUP]16 [/SUP]and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? [SUP]17 [/SUP]Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” [SUP]19 [/SUP]You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. [SUP]20 [/SUP]But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? [SUP]21 [/SUP]Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? [SUP]22 [/SUP]You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; [SUP]23 [/SUP]and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. [SUP]24 [/SUP]You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. [SUP]25 [/SUP]In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [SUP]26 [/SUP]For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Yeah, I realize that James has been quoted, but there it is one more time.
The gift is free. The work is due. Not as a means to salvation, but as an expected reaction to it. As parents, my wife and I have went out of our way before to get something for our children. It is very frustrating when they look at it, have a displeased look on their face, and say something like, "Ugh, that's not really what I wanted." One time we bought one of those Hummer cars that kids can drive in the yard (because it was about $100 cheaper than the corvette that they wanted - Hey, I am not rich) and they complained about it. I tell you right now, that made me angry. When Jesus came down, lived on the earth, suffered and died for us and we go, "Ugh, well, thanks", it is not good.