Can there be a difference between a person who says that they believe in Jesus Christ and a person who exercises faith in Jesus Christ? James offered an important distinction that true faith in Jesus Christ is reflected not just in what a person thinks or says, but also in what they do. This lesson will allow you to examine how you can more fully exercise faith in Jesus Christ through righteous actions.
Receiving blessings—like lighting a fire
Are you seeking a blessing or an answer to prayer from Heavenly Father? It may help to compare the process of seeking these blessings to starting a fire in order to receive light and heat from it.
What steps would you take to build a fire?
How important is the action of lighting a match?
Read the following statement by Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to learn how receiving blessings is like lighting a fire. You can also watch “Abound with Blessings,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 1:02 to 3:27.
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Official portrait of Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, January 2016.
Let us liken heavenly blessings to a massive pile of wood. … [It] contains an enormous amount of fuel, capable of producing light and heat for days. …
For the energy in the woodpile to be released, the match needs to be struck and the kindling lit. The kindling will quickly catch fire and cause the larger pieces of wood to burn. …
Striking the match and lighting the kindling are small actions that enable the potential energy of the wood to be released. Until the match is struck, nothing happens, regardless of the size of the woodpile. …
In a similar way, most blessings that God desires to give us require action on our part—action based on our faith in Jesus Christ. … The required action, though, is always tiny when compared to the blessings we ultimately receive.
What insights do you gain from Elder Renlund’s analogy?
What do you think it means to act “based on our faith in Jesus Christ”?
Ponder the following questions:
In what ways do you have faith in Jesus Christ? What actions do you take because of this faith?
What answers and other blessings have you received from God as you have exercised faith in Jesus Christ? Are there additional ways you feel the Lord would like you to act in faith? Why?
Pray for Heavenly Father to guide you as you seek answers to these questions during your study.
Faith in Jesus Christ
James used another analogy to teach us the importance of acting with faith in Jesus Christ.
Read James 2:14–16, and try to imagine what you would think if you witnessed this situation. (The word “naked” in verse 15 means poorly clothed.)
What do you learn from James’s analogy?
Read James 2:17–18, 26 (see also James 1:22) and look for a truth that James illustrated through this analogy.
James 2:17–18 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider marking doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so you can locate them easily.
How would you summarize what James taught?
One way of stating the truth James taught is that true faith in Jesus Christ requires righteous action.
1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
Why do you think Jesus Christ wants us to put our faith into action?
How might remembering the Savior Jesus Christ and His goodness motivate us to act on our beliefs?
Examples of acting in faith
It can be inspiring to think of examples of those who act on their faith in Jesus Christ. Read James 2:21–25, and identify examples of those in the Old Testament who acted with faith.
2. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
Who can you think of, whether from your life or from the scriptures, who illustrates putting faith in Jesus Christ into action? What do you learn from this example?
What is one way Jesus Christ is an example of righteous works? How do our righteous acts help us become more like Him?
Unlocking blessings through faith-inspired actions
President Russell M. Nelson gave the following challenge with regards to our faith and our actions:
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Official portrait of President Russell M. Nelson taken January 2018
To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception. Increasing your faith and trust in Him takes effort. …
…What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.
What are steps you could take to act on your impressions?
Take a minute to begin to act on your impressions. For example, depending on what you feel you should do, you might send a text, offer a prayer, put a reminder in your calendar, or plan what you will do next.
Optional: Want to Learn More?
Did James’s teachings about faith and works oppose Paul’s teachings?
In the context of James 2:14, James used the term works differently than the way the Apostle Paul had used it. When Paul used the term works, he primarily referred to the works of the law of Moses (see Romans 3:27–31 and Galatians 2:15–16). When James used the term works, he referred to acts of devotion or works of righteousness.
Faith without works is dead, but what about works without faith?
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles official portrait. 2020.
True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to righteous action. … Action alone is not faith in the Savior, but acting in accordance with correct principles is a central component of faith.
(David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 95)
