讓人看見你的信心
雅各書二章14至26節
14我的弟兄們，若有人說自己有信心，卻沒有行為，有甚麼益處呢？這信心能救他麼？
15若是弟兄或是姐妹，赤身露體，又缺了日用的飲食；
16你們中間有人對他們說：「平平安安的去罷！願你們穿得暖，吃得飽」；卻不給他們身體所需用的，這有甚麼益處呢？
17這樣，信心若沒有行為就是死的。
18必有人說：「你有信心，我有行為；你將你沒有行為的信心指給我看，我便藉著我的行為，將我的信心指給你看。」
19你信神只有一位，你信的不錯；鬼魔也信，卻是戰驚。
20虛浮的人哪，你願意知道沒有行為的信心是死的麼？
21我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕把他兒子以撒獻在壇上，豈不是因行為稱義麼？
22可見，信心是與他的行為並行，而且信心因著行為才得成全。
23這就應驗經上所說：「亞伯拉罕信神，這就算為他的義。」他又得稱為神的朋友。
24這樣看來，人稱義是因著行為，不是單因著信。
25妓女喇合接待使者，又放他們從別的路上出去，不也是一樣因行為稱義麼？
26身體沒有靈魂是死的，信心沒有行為也是死的。
信息分享
有些人認為，這段經文是教導人要靠行善來賺取救恩；然而，這絕非雅各的原意。他只是要指出，我們若說自己相信基督，那麼，我們就要在所行的事上，把這種信心活出來。雅各在書信中一再談及信心，由一開始的落在百般試煉中，以至無論是貧窮或富足，及至該做或不該做某些事情，雅各都認為最重要是信心。
信心最首要的表現，當然是相信唯獨耶穌基督是我們的救主。然後，雅各便敦促我們要凡事順服基督，藉此證明我們對基督的信心。你說你有信心，那麼，你就要將它活出來。當別人看見你凡事遵行神的吩咐而行，以及看見你對別人的關心，他們就看見你的信心了。
雅各舉了兩個舊約的事例，來說明甚麼是信心的表現。亞伯拉罕對神大有信心，從他對神完全順服的表現，我們便看見他的信心。至於喇合，她又如何證明她的信心呢？喇合因為相信以色列的神，才是又真又活的神，所以，當約書亞派兩名探子來到耶利哥城窺探的時候，喇合便讓他們藏在她那裡，又幫助他們逃命，以致那兩名探子都看見她真的對神有信心。
因此，雅各在此教導信徒，不要空談信心，反之，卻要以行動來活出信心。面對這個教訓，我們必須認真地自我檢視：我們自稱是基督徒，我們說我們對神有信心；然而，別人能否在我們的日常生活中，看見我們對神的信心呢？回想最近，我們有哪方面的表現，能見證我們的信心呢？別人是否只聽見我們談論信心，卻看不見我們有任何信心的表現？
信心當然是最首要的；然而，我們若真有信心的話，就自然會在所行的事上表現出來。
LET OTHERS SEE YOUR FAITH
James 2:14-26
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, ” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God.You do well.Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Message
This passage has made some people say we have to work for our salvation. But that is not what James means. He is simply that if you have faith in Christ, it will be seen in the things you do for him. James repeatedly speaks about our faith in Christ and he always puts that first. Whether he is talking about testings or being rich or poor or about anything we should or should not do, faith comes first.
Faith in Jesus Christ alone as our Saviour is first, James says 'now prove your faith in Christ by doing those things Christ would have you do. Let others see your faith. You say you have faith. Then show it by the way you live, the way you obey God and the way you care for others.'
James uses two illustrations from the Old Testament to show what he means. Abraham had great faith in God and he showed it by being obedient. Rahab had faith in God and showed it by taking care of the two men Joshua had sent to look around Jericho. She was convinced that the God of Israel was the true and living God. She wanted to show that fact to those who were his representatives. That was letting others see her faith.
Faith in action is what James is speaking about. The up-to-date question that comes out of this passage for us today is this: We say we are Christians. We say we have faith. Does the world around us see that faith in action? What have we done recently in the name of Christ that would show we are what we say we are? Can other Christians see our faith or do they only hear what we say about it?
Faith comes first. But if we have faith it should show day by day in the things we do for Christ.