Faith without works is dead, writes the Apostle James in his conciliar letter. These four words reflect the essence of Christian life - to believe in God and trust Him with your life. A person cannot exist without showing himself in action.
Trust, confidence, loyalty
In the life of an Orthodox Christian, these concepts are very closely intertwined. True faith must be supported by fulfilling the commandments and good deeds, and the creation of the second feeds the first.
Faith is generally characterized as accepting something as true without requiring verification. A truly believer in God does not seek evidence of His existence, does not require an obligatory personal meeting with the Creator (“until I see, I will not believe”).
Of course, many people have moments of doubt, even the apostles. One of them, Thomas, said that he would not believe in the resurrection of the Savior until he felt the wounds of Christ with his fingers.
Then he greatly repented of his words and considered it insolence to examine the wounds of Jesus. But the apostle proved his loyalty to God by good deeds - by preaching Christianity in India and martyrdom(he was pierced to death with a spear - according to one version, the Brahmins were angry at the spread of the new religion).
The experience of religious life reveals something to a person that no longer allows him to doubt that God exists. The word “faith” has many cognates: trust, confidence, fidelity. All of them in one way or another relate to a person’s religious life.
Someone comes to a state confidence that God exists. If you treat this not as ordinary knowledge, but as something that a person learns experimentally, then you can reach trust. A person begins to understand what the essence of the life of an Orthodox person is, why study the Holy Scriptures and live according to the Gospel, that only the Lord knows exactly what will be best for a person.
The next step can be called loyalty to God. This is a state when a person not only accepts and understands everything, but also tries to improve himself spiritually. He tries to live according to the commandments, to beware of sin, so as not to be separated from God.
If you are faithful to God, then you have nothing in common with the prince of darkness. You try to testify to this with every thought, word, and deed.
Feeds on good deeds
It turns out that the Apostle James was right: faith without works is dead. As long as a person is alive, he will show his activity in one way or another. Generally speaking, accept or reject thoughts, talk with others, plan, set goals and move towards them.
You can be an unbeliever and be violently active. You can do acts of mercy, help those in need—acts that are truly good. But if a person does it on his own and for his own sake, then he may fall for the devil’s favorite trick - vanity and pride. This is why true virtues are primarily attributed to believers as those who are guided in life by God's will.
The faith of an Orthodox Christian is strengthened by studying Holy Scripture and fulfillment of the commandments. How can one be faithful to Christ and not accept His words and the example shown to each of us? How can you not pray? How not to believe in Holy Trinity and eternal life? How not to help those in need? How not to do good deeds? How not to show love, patience, mercy to people?
Accordingly, how can one not go to church and not begin the Sacraments, if this brings one closer to God and helps restore the connection broken due to sin?
This is not an easy task at all. In earthly life you cannot work for a year or two and then reap the benefits for years. Like, he spent a year as a true believer, prayed, went to church, repented regularly, practiced virtues, helped the poor, the beggars, the outcast - in a word, lived according to the Gospel, and then took a “vacation.” Yes, I believe in God, but why do all these actions if He is in my soul?
What a terrible misconception! Once you accept this thought, it will be very difficult to break out of your “vacation”. Following your virtues, your faith will also suffer, since it is manifested in actions.
***
The Apostle James truly says: faith without works is dead. These are the two wings on which a person rises to eternal life. As long as they are there, you can climb up. If you injure one, the other will certainly suffer as well. But if you cut off one thing, the person will fall.
Yuri asksAnswered by Viktor Belousov, 06/07/2013
Yuri asks:“I have been receiving your newsletter for many years. I was confused by one thesis in it, that the Lord’s forgiveness can only be earned through faith, regardless of good deeds. How then can we understand the ancient saying that faith without works is dead? Or Jesus’ answer at the judgment of God: I "I was hungry and you didn't feed me, I was thirsty and you didn't give me water? Please explain this. Best regards, Yuri."
Hello, Yuri
As I understand it, we're talking about about the following thesis: “Sola fide is the doctrine that forgiveness can be obtained only by faith, without regard to good works and deeds. Protestants do not devalue good works, but they deny their value as a source or condition of the salvation of the soul, considering them the inevitable fruits of faith and evidence of forgiveness. "
Firstly, this is how Martin Luther formulated the idea of righteousness by faith, so for a deeper understanding it makes sense to turn to his works.
Secondly, what prompted this formulation? Luther was a priest who observed a strange phenomenon - people who lived wicked lives (formally all were members of the Church in Medieval Europe) could receive "forgiveness of sins" on behalf of the "Church" for a payment (purchase of an indulgence). Also, a similar situation took place during the Crusades - villagers and knights were promised forgiveness of sins (and wealth) if they went to reconquer Jerusalem. Today a similar scheme works - people live as they want, then build temples “for the atonement of sins” and do not change their lives.
What was the idea behind this? Because you do a “good” deed, God will forgive you your bad deeds. In the Gospel we do not see such a picture.
1) Jesus forgave all people who turned to Him, regardless of their merits.
2) He focused on the faith in Him, which was shown by tax collectors, harlots, pagans... And on the unbelief of those who formally fulfilled the requirements of God's Law - the Pharisees, scribes, members of the Sanhedrin.
Formally, the Pharisees were the “good people.” But sinners, because of faith, repented and became “even better people.” Like, for example, the tax collector Zacchaeus decided not only to repay everyone’s debts and the damage caused, but decided to cover it several times over for each victim.
Indeed, righteous works are indicators of our faith, as James talks about. But sometimes a person does formally beautiful things, but in the depths of his heart remains pride, conceit and other sins that are not so obvious.
This is a paradox. On the one hand, works are not enough, on the other hand, works are needed to confirm faith. The solution is in the goal.
The goal is to grow in faith in Christ Jesus. It is Christ in us who does the works. The goal is not to glorify oneself with good deeds, but to glorify God.
If the goal is to do more things to earn salvation (by compensating for sins), then this is a false goal, which was the basis of Pharisaism.
God's blessings,
Victor
Read more on the topic "Salvation":
How do you understand this apostolic phrase? Probably like this: faith in itself, “in the soul,” means nothing. O it, if not expressed in specific Christian actions. This is true, but there is one more nuance. Faith without works is dead not only in the sense that it is of little value, but in the sense that it dies. Literally. And gradually, and therefore imperceptibly. I'll tell you how it happens.
In general, before, when I thought about faith and works, I rather imagined the formula “ora et labora” - pray and work. Like, you need faith, expressed in some kind of prayer, and deeds of faith: helping your neighbors.
But when the neophyte fervor passed, it turned out that, in addition to “big” things, prayer and reading spiritual literature are now also about work. If earlier you simply liked reading the evening rule, the Psalter and the Gospel and did not pose any difficulty, then gradually there was “less time”, attention began to slip away, heaviness appeared.
But, considering prayer as an exercise of faith, you think: “Well, obedience is higher than prayer and fasting, and my obedience is children.” And: “The main thing is a personal, heartfelt feeling for God, an internal memory of Him, and not exactly 15 minutes in front of the icons.” At first, both the first and second are true, and the priest supports him during confession.
In addition, I had a sobering experience of communicating with super-strict families, where everything was very correct and according to the Charter, but where, over time, the children began to develop serious neuroses, the family was engulfed in crisis... I thought about it and decided that it was dangerous to go too far. .
So, having greatly reduced the rule and weakened the fasts, at first you converse a lot and sincerely with the Lord in your thoughts, you rejoice and give thanks a lot in little things, while the formal side of religious life gradually dissolves more and more, relying only on attending Sunday services and short prayers with kids. One day you even forget to open the Gospel. Then again, and again.
You forget to open the Gospel, then again, and again... - and suddenly you realize: you haven’t remembered God even once during the day!
And one day, standing at the stove, you suddenly realize that you haven’t said a word to God since the morning. I didn’t remember about Him (although I had already edited two entire educational texts in an Orthodox newspaper).
But it still seems that delusions like “God-in-the-soul” are not about you, because you still go to church, confess and receive communion. Well, yes, the evening rule is either childish, or even “great Athos” (this is such a joke about “one bow to the ground in the whole bed”). Well, yes, you hardly open the Gospel. I used to remember entire pages, but now I’ve even forgotten some of the plots. Well, this is just “no time”, this is a temporary phenomenon...
And then, after a while, you suddenly catch a glimpse of a strange, frowning aunt in the mirror... Yourself? Oh really?! Is it time to buy an anti-wrinkle cream? And you remember: “He who has peace in his heart has a brighter face.” And you realize that you walk around all day with your jaw tightly closed and your brows furrowed. Because what’s in the heart?
It turns out that a long time ago the former lightness of consciousness disappeared somewhere: “I work with God!”, that is, “Lord, help us, we will break through,” with which you lived in the most different conditions easy and generally joyful. But a bunch of new, stupid and petty worries have appeared, which in all seriousness make you worry, worry, and lash out at the children (“They’re distracting!”).
You can spend hours scrolling in your head about summer shoes for your children, about the color of the walls for renovation, and some essentially minor “irregularities” in the behavior of your household members. You have a lot of and sometimes even “productive” internal conversations – but not with God, but exclusively with yourself. And it turns out that everything oppresses you, tires you, scares you... Because you somehow imperceptibly lost your bird's eye view - the height of faith. And you swarm in the earthly dust of third-rate cares and in fears, about which it is said: “There you were afraid of fear, where there was no fear” (Ps. 13: 5). After all, your faith in practice is dead.
No, you still believe in the existence of God and in all the points of the Creed. But he died experience faith: a warm feeling of His Goodness and omnipresence, His direct participation in your life.
Dies experience faith: a warm feeling of the Goodness of God, the direct participation of the Lord in your life
Faith in paralysis to God. It turns out that she is not even dying from a lack of large-scale and tangible causes, such as charity. It slowly and imperceptibly melts away without being nourished by small deeds of faith: overcoming laziness to refresh the memory of the word of God, reading prayer and something more serious on spiritual topics than O sts in the Orthodox group.
Now I’m not talking about crises and upheavals - special trials in which a person can “close himself” from God for a long time, and this is still a different story. I'm talking about the everyday, routine melting of spiritual experience, which goes unnoticed, but can take you far.
In the everyday life of a Christian there are, apparently, two extreme points of amplitude: neophyte enthusiasm and post-neophyte nihilism. The first point gives the experience of burning faith, and often the experience of real miracles, tangible help from God, the experience of inspired work. The second – gives knowledge of one’s imperfection and therefore condescension towards one’s neighbors, teaches one to no longer wave the saber of “righteous reproof” and gets rid of “not like others.”
But I went a little too far, flew out of the amplitude - and rolled to God knows where. Not long ago, in one closed Orthodox group, the wife of a former rural priest told scary story. Her husband somehow gradually reduced the service to incredible levels (it’s a village, there are few parishioners, “there’s no point in standing”), then he canceled the fasts at home, gave up reading and got carried away with games... And so, gradually, imperceptibly, he became an unbeliever. At all.
So our task, starting from both poles (both neophyte and post-neophyte), nevertheless comes, like a braking pendulum, to some kind of golden mean. Well, or at least swing somewhere around the middle. This is when you already understand that “the rule is for man, not man for the rule” - but you also already know that since this very rule has been established for man, it means that it is very useful to use it, even if not completely and with reasoning.
Faith without works is dead
Faith without works is dead
The primary source is the Bible. In the New Testament, in the Epistle of the Apostle James (chapter 2, v. 26), it is said: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.”
Allegorically: faith is equivalent to unbelief if a person who calls himself a believer does not translate his faith into real deeds. From the diary of the writer Mikhail Prishvin: “Faith without works is dead, and faith without the love of evil is, it seems, the basis of the greatest atrocities.”
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
See what “Faith without works is dead” in other dictionaries:
Wed. Without the oil of good deeds, the candle of faith goes out. Georgy Konisky, Archbishop. Belor. (1718 1795). Collection of op. 1835. Wed. You believe that there is one God, you do well, and the demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know that faith without works is dead? Jacob. 2, 14 20; 26...
Faith without works is dead. Wed. Without the oil of good deeds, the candle of faith goes out. Georgy Konisky, Archbishop. Belor. (1718 1795). Collection of Op. 1835. Wed. You believe that there is one God, you do well, and the demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know that faith...
Faith will move a mountain from its place (foreigner) faith is strong Wed. You say you have faith, said the deacon, what kind of faith is this? But I have a priest who believes so much that when he goes to a field to ask for rain during a drought, he takes with him a rain umbrella and leather... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
Faith- one of the three basic Christian virtues. The Apostle Paul said the following: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:1-6). However, with faith there must be... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
Faith moves mountains. Faith will move a mountain from its place (inc.) faith is strong. Wed. You say you have faith, said the deacon, what kind of faith is this? But I have an uncle, a priest, who believes that when in a drought he goes into a field to ask for rain, then... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
Faith- one of the main Christian virtues; in philosophy - the mode of human spirituality; in psychology - a type of spiritual need that lifts a person above earthly objective and therefore transitory needs. Faith is expressed as a person’s ability... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)
One of the three main Christian virtues. According to app. Paul, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:1, 6). But good deeds must be inseparable from faith, otherwise faith is without works... ... Bible. Dilapidated and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Biblical encyclopedia arch. Nikifor.
Women confidence, conviction, firm consciousness, concept of something, especially about higher, immaterial, spiritual objects; | belief; the absence of any doubt or hesitation about the existence and essence of God; unconditional recognition of the truths revealed by God; ... Dictionary Dahl
FAITH- one of the main phenomena of human life. By its nature, V. is divided into religions. and non-religious. “Everything that is done in the world, even by people alien to the Church, is done by faith... very many human deeds are based on faith; and this is not alone... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
Faith from works
26.07.2015
(revelation)
This is what the Holy Spirit says!
So, My people, I greatly desire to warn you of your error, which will last times a decisive role in your standing and salvation! About the fact that you understand this passage of Scripture incorrectly and rather superficially:
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
(James 2:26)
For it is precisely on good deeds of charity that he who comes in his name will sit! We are not talking about works of mercy or virtues here, as such, but about works of faith! For works of faith are something completely different from your virtues, people!
20 But do you want to know, O unfounded man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)
For your good works of mercy are only an addition to the true works of faith. For faith alone, without works of faith, is not enough to walk the path of great victories with God!
19 You believe that God is one: you do well; and the demons believe and tremble. 20 But do you want to know, O unfounded man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19-20)
By works of faith, patriarchs and individuals achieved miracles, because they believed and acted by faith. For their faith was carried out in the things they hoped for, and in their confidence in the things they did not see!
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did righteousness, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strengthened from weakness, were strong in war, drove out foreign armies; 35 wives received their dead raised again; (Heb. 11:33-35)
So Abraham believed that God was able to revive Isaac, for He promised a future in him.
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the word of the Scripture was fulfilled: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:21-23)
So Rahab the harlot by works of faith found salvation not only for herself, but also for her entire family:
25 In like manner, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the spies and sent them away another way? (James 2:25)
And many others brought miracles from heaven by works of faith because they believed and acted by faith. For without faith it is impossible to please God!
17 Likewise, if faith does not have works, it is dead in itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, but I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith without my works. (James 2:17-18)
So, what you need, people of God, is to show your faith by your works!
24 Do you see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone? (James 2:24)
Don’t you know and don’t you know that Satan chose world charity as a cover for his black evil? And with this false foundation of his virtues and false mercy, he deceives all nations! But you, My children, why do you so quickly deviate towards the good works of the devil and believe in his goodness? Don't you know that he was originally a crafty liar and thief? So shouldn't you, My people, look for his true goals where there is deceit, cunning and guile? For the foundation of his virtues, mercy and charity stands on great evil! And this is a network for the people to devour and destroy as many people of the earth as possible!
22 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Mark 13:22)
For it is precisely demonic faith without works of faith that will destroy many of My people! Because to be tempted by the mercy and virtues of the devil and man! But if virtues do not come from the will of God, then they come from the devil!
Likewise, you, My people, often fall into the same snare and begin to build your foundation on your good works of mercy. Being not sent by Me, you go and without asking My will, you do it! So are you really faithful to Me if you choose your own and not Mine?
24 By faith Moses, when he came of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter (Heb. 11:24)
So, beware, My people, that the devil does not deceive you with what you think is good! For Satan is incapable of good and all his virtues have the basis of evil!
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
17 But the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
Amen!
The Scripture Word used in this revelation is:
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's wrath, for he stood firm as if he had seen the invisible One.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the shedding of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.
29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, which the Egyptians attempted and were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after a seven-day march.
31 By faith Rahab the harlot, having received the spies in peace (and leading them another way), did not perish with the unbelievers.
32 And what else will I say? I do not have enough time to tell about Gideon, about Barak, about Samson and Jephthah, about David, Samuel and (other) prophets,
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did righteousness, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 they quenched the power of fire, they escaped the edge of the sword, they were strengthened from weakness, they were strong in war, they drove away the regiments of strangers;
35 wives received their dead raised again; others were tortured without accepting liberation in order to receive a better resurrection;
36 others experienced insults and beatings, as well as chains and prison,
37 were stoned, sawn apart, tortured, died by the sword, wandered in sheepskins and goatskins, suffering disadvantages, sorrows, and bitterness;
38 Those of whom the whole world was not worthy wandered through deserts and mountains, through caves and gorges of the earth.
39 And all these, which testified in faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 because God has provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.
(Hebrews 11:27-40)
