James 2:14-26
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
2 Peter 1:5-9
Adding Goodness to our Faith
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Acts 10:37-38
Jesus Went Around Doing Goodness
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
St. James was a man of action...Growing up with his Brother Jesus, James would have seen many great things...St. James would first hand seen many things Jesus had done in His life and considered how his Brother had lived His life...So when St. James writes how faith and deeds are related, He has the background of his Brother in memory...St. James tells us to add deeds to our faith...This Saint saw faith and our deeds working together in our lives...He saw how one's faith and one's actions should work together, and one's faith is made complete by what he did and does...And St. James saw this in the scripture when, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend...You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone...In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?...As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."...I am sure St. James saw this many times in His Brother's life...
St. Peter tells us to also add things to our faith...The first thing he teaches us is to add goodness to our faith, along with some other positive traits...He says, "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love...For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ."...
Jesus was also a Man of Action...He traveled around with so much faith in God and was doing goodness in and around Israel...St. Peter said this about Jesus, "You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him."...Jesus was a Man of faith, and went around doing good to others...He healed many, did many miracles for the good of the people...Jesus had the greatest faith of any man...Jesus took His LOVE for others, put it into goodness and into action and deeds, and healed many who were with Him and who came to Him for help...