Faith Working By Love

Jas 2:14-17, What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 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? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 1 John 3:17&18, But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Gal 5:6, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. Faith works by love. So, if you have the love of God in you, your faith will be working the good works that the Lord is leading you to do by His Spirit. When you see a person in need, you will ask the Father, “What do you want me to do?”, and He will lead you by His spirit to minister to that person. If you just feel sorry for someone, or for a certain cause, and you give money, or do something to help that God is not leading you to do, it is not love, and it may end up making things worse for that person, or you may end up being robbed of resources that God wants you to use for someone or something else. So you have compassion and you do good works, but only according to what the Lord is leading you

to do. Many times, as Jesus walked along, He had compassion on people in need and He ministered to them, but it was always as He saw His Father doing. He said , I only do what I see my Father doing. He said, It’s the Father in Me doing the works. The Father loves people so much that He sent His beloved Son Jesus to die for us on that brutal Cross, and only He knows what a person really needs, as He is working in their life to bring them to His Son and deliver them and change their heart, and conform them to the image of His Son so that they may glorify Him and be blessed throughout all eternity. He is the one who chooses to have mercy on a person or to harden them, and all His ways are true and just. So, you see, it is not really love for a person if we feel sorry for them and do what we think they need, and not seek the Lord first for His guidance. If we follow the Lord, then it will be a blessing. Jesus walked past the lame man who was set at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple to ask for alms, probably many times as He was entering the Temple. When He saw the man, I am sure He felt compassion for him, but I am also sure that it was not the Father’s will for Jesus to heal him then, because it was His will to save over 3000 people later on by healing that man through Peter and John, and having Peter preach boldly to them in the name of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. Peter wasn't ready yet. The Holy Spirit had not been poured out yet. So, if the Lord tells you “No”, when you want to help someone, just pray for them and trust that the Father’s will is for their good. God is able to bring people across your path for you to help, and He will show you what to do as you trust Him. If you’re not helping anyone, then you probably need to check your heart to see if you have any faith and love in there. If you have faith, and the love of God in you, you will be doing good works. The Lord will be leading you. If you really love Him, then you only want to do what He wants you to do, and if you really have love and compassion for other people then you will only want to do His will for them, and when He shows you, you will do so cheerfully, with faith and love. Jas 4:17, Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.