Hereby Perceive We
James 2: 15, 16
Believer, God did not merely say to you, "depart in peace," he gave his only begotten Son. The Faithful One did not merely say he believed the Father and loved his brethren, but when the fullness of time was come the righteousness of his faith was manifest through his work: he counted it all joy, visiting his helpless children in our affliction; he endured the trial of his faith unto death, even the death of the cross; he asked his Father in perfect faith; he sanctified himself, sanctifying his brethren through the truth; he clothed his people in his righteousness, gave us life in him and continues to feed us with the Bread of life. Had God our Savior merely promised and not worked the work, it would have been no profit in declaring before the world that God is righteous and faithful. And it would have been, no profit in the salvation of his elect (1 John 3:16.) Even so faith which we profess, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. It profits neither the one who claims to believe nor anyone else.