What Does “Faith Without Works is Dead” Even Mean?

Growing up Catholic, I was convinced I just had to be a good enough girl and that would get me to heaven.  But I always wondered how “good” I had to be. 

How would I know if I was good enough throughout my whole life?  I just had to hope my good deeds were enough?  Understanding the relationship between faith and good works can be tricky!  Do you ever wonder what “faith without works is dead” even means?

If you’ve wondered this yourself, stick around because this post will explain how to engage in works because you have faith instead of to “get ahead” by leaning into your faith.  Leaning in will allow you to have a richer, deeper walk with God.

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The World’s View of Good Works

The world seems to tell us a few things about good works like: 

• Do good works so good things come back around to you. Karma, karma, karma.
• Do good things just for the purpose of getting ahead.

These views are selfish ones.  It’s all about me, me, me here.

• Do good things just for the sake of paying it forward because it feels good.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing good things to pay it forward.  That’s actually a wonderful way to live! 

Small acts of kindness make both you and the other person feel so good, and they make you feel a wonderful sense of gratitude!  But this shouldn’t be the only reason you do good works in terms of faith and Christianity.  There’s more to it than that!

• Good works alone get you to heaven.

We know from the bible that this isn’t the case.  And this would be a scary way to live, too!  I spent my childhood living under this “rule” and it’s nerve-wracking to not ever know if you’re doing enough to please God.

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The Biblical View of Good Works

Faith and works go hand in hand in Christianity.

Simply put, Christians focus on salvation as the path to heaven.  Works have nothing to do with getting to heaven, however, works come into play as you live out your faith as a Christian.  

As Christians, we desire to do good works because of the faith we have.  Because of the work Jesus did on the cross for us, and because we live to bring glory to Him.

| Related reading: Tired of Life’s Pressure? How to Surrender to God

Check out this bible study that will give you a better understanding of how God works and the redemption story.

James 2:14-26 Discusses the Relationship Between Faith and Works

In case you don’t have a bible handy, or the You Version Bible app on your phone, here are the verses:

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that?

17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Let’s Break Down Those Verses

I’ve bolded the sections I want to chat about in more detail.

Verses 15-17 highlight that an offer without actions is meaningless.  The same goes for our faith.  Faith doesn’t mean much if we don’t do anything with it. 

We could have all the faith in the world, but if we stayed in our house our entire life doing nothing, we wouldn’t be exercising our faith in any way or planting seeds of faith for others.

Verse 18 phrases it well: “I will show you my faith BY my works.”  Works are how we display our faith.  Works are how we act on our faith.

In verse 21, we are reminded of how Abraham showed his faith.  He acted on it by doing a really hard thing that God asked him to do. 

What’s the point of believing in something and doing nothing about it.  That’s like believing that exercising will help you get fit, but never exercising and still expecting that your belief will help you get fit!  

Verse 22 is what seals the deal for me.  “… faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works…”  Faith by itself ends up being passive.  It’s the works that make it active.  Faith comes to fruition through works.  It’s embodied through works.

The end of this passage, verse 26, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” shows that faith and works go hand in hand.  This verse is telling us that faith alone, with no works, doesn’t mean a whole lot.  It’s only one piece of the puzzle.  Faith requires works to be full and complete.

(Here’s a pretty bible with room on the sides of the pages to take notes in case you don’t have one!)

How to Incorporate Works into Your Faith

If you’re feeling like, “Oh no, I don’t do any good works, am I a bad person?” let me stop you right there.  You’re not a bad person or a bad Christian.  

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What even are “good works?”

Why do we “have” to do them?

The goal is to desire to live in a way that pleases God because you love Him and because of your faith.  To live in an upstanding, honorable life with actions to match because you have faith, not because you want to get ahead or you want good things to come back around to you.

It’s kind of like your actions (good works) are a natural result of your faith.  

So how do you engage in good works because you have faith?

You lean into your faith.

How do you lean into your faith?

Glad you asked, friend!

How to Lean into Your Faith

It’s totally acceptable to call out to God in prayer and ask Him to help you desire Him.

That’s a very real struggle I have.  Sometimes I want to lean in and be all in with my faith, but I don’t have a hunger for God.  So I go to prayer and ask for that desire!

(Here’s a great 52-week prayer journal to help you build the practice of prayer into your daily life.)

Related reading: 3 Misconceptions about Prayer SHATTERED + 3 Tips for More Meaningful Prayer

Leaning into your faith looks like simply being genuine and all in.  If you don’t pray, start!  If your bible is collecting dust on that bookshelf in the corner, crack it open (or start with a devotional on the Bible app).  Make a playlist of your favorite worship songs and start singing along or turn on a Christian radio station on your way home.  

Lean in by being active in your faith.  Start considering God, thinking about Him, living in a way that makes Him smile.  Your faith shouldn’t be passive.

Related reading: How to Use a Faith Journal to Track your Journey of Faith

What Should Good Works Look Like?

I’m not talking about opening up a homeless shelter or donating all your possessions.

What I’m talking about is living your life daily with actions that honor God.  Good works could mean serving at church in a ministry that has meaning for you, cooking a meal for a family who just lost a loved one, being kind to your coworker, or helping a friend.

Good works in short are about service.  It’s about serving others.

Colossians 3:23-24 says, 
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

So serve in a way that you can, in a way that honors your strengths.  If you’re really good at caregiving, your service could be in the nursery at church instead of leading a lesson.  If your strength is leadership, consider serving by leading a ministry or group instead of nursery duty.

Hebrews 13:16 says,
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

In addition to service, generosity is another way to incorporate good works with your faith.  Simply give of what you have.

1 Corinthians 16:14 says, 
“Let all that you do be done in love.”

At the end of the day, engage in good works because you want to and because of your faith, and do that simply through love. 

Love others and love God. (More on that here.)

Let’s Bring it Home

If you were feeling like you didn’t understand the relationship between faith and works, or the phrase, “faith without works is dead”, or the reason for doing good works in the first place, I hope you have some more clarity now.  

I hope you are clearer on how to engage in works because you have faith instead of to “get ahead”.  Know that by leaning into your faith, you’ll have a richer, deeper walk with God.

Related Reading:

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