Gods Sabbath

C HAPTER 6

Faith Without Works is Dead T he Scriptures teach, “faith without works is dead.” James 2:20 (NKJV). Therefore we would conclude that faith with works is alive. But the experience of Israel at Kadesh Barnea appears to con tradict this reasoning. They came there with a faith so strong that they had no doubts about taking possession of the promised land. They were completely confident that they would soon be in Canaan. As a witness to their faith, the people enthusiastically added to it extensive and diligent works with the sure expecta tion that this combination would obtain the promised inherit ance for them. We would imagine, then, that their faith would live and not die, but this was not the case. When the spies returned with their negative report, Israel’s faith turned to wicked unbelief (see Numbers 14:1–4). The confidence of the wilderness wander ers that the desert would soon be exchanged for the land flowing with milk and honey, was replaced by gloomy certainty that it would not. In their case, faith with works turned out to be dead. Another such example is found in the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples of Christ and the people who witnessed the miracle had faith enough to make Christ king at that very moment (see John 6:15), thereby adding works to their

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