WORKS PERFECTS FAITH
Wednesday – February 18, 2026
Video link: https://youtu.be/vdSJSBNv54g
Greetings dear ones and welcome to our ongoing study of the Book of James. I will once again continue with the study of faith and the fact that faith does not stand alone. Perhaps you will recall that in earlier studies we established that faith, love, and doing (works) are inseparable. Now, to our text for today.
James 2:21-26 (KJV)
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
As we meditate on this Scripture again today, we see that Abraham was justified, made righteous, by what he did in response to the command of God and his belief in God, his trust of God. Moving in response to a command of God is love of God. Love is the power of faith. Believing the command, trusting God, is faith. Doing the command, doing what we believe perfects faith which is powered of love. Doing the Word and love are one and the same. God called Abraham righteous. Remember there are two aspects of righteousness. One is being in a condition acceptable to the Father. Following that, righteousness is right doing. We see here that full commitment to God in the “Old Testament” caused God to call one righteous.
When God called one righteous, they were in right standing accompanied by right doing. They were not born again, did not have eternal life, were not inhabited by the Holy Spirit nor one spirit with God but none the less in a protected status. However the blessing of God was at work in their lives, they went to the Bosom of Abraham pending the coming of the Messiah (Jesus), they had priests and prophets in their lives to direct them in the ways of God, and to do the annual blood sacrifice covering their sin. I’m not going to pursue this further for the religious tradition devils will be crazy.
Not doing what the Bible commands in the natural is like knowing what is in the Employee Handbook at work but not doing it. How well will that work for you in the workplace? Well, it doesn’t work in the Kingdom of God either.
What about the phrase “Abraham our father” in verse twenty-one? One might exclaim, “I thought God the Father was our Father”! Of course, God the Father is the father of all. A father is the one who gives rise to a thing. We hear that in our language today when we say things like Henry Ford is the father of the automobile industry or Willis Carrier is the father of air conditioning. Abraham and Isaac are pivotal in the coming of Messiah. It started in Genesis chapter twelve.
Genesis 12:3 (KJV)
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
And culminated in Genesis chapter twenty-two.
Genesis 22:16-18 (KJV)
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Thank you father Abraham.
TAKE HOME:
- Believing and doing which is love caused God to call them righteous even in the “Old Testament”.
- Believing God and doing His will perfects faith and brings the Power of God to bear.
- Abraham is the father of us all, no Abraham no Church.
Lord willing, I will resume right here tomorrow. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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