You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? James 2:20 (NIV)

A courtroom is one of the places we each hope to avoid in life. We neither want to be on the jury nor on the witness stand. Least of all we want to be the prosecuted. The news is full of stories about people giving evidence. Television legal dramas have the badgered witness on the stand being beaten down by crafty attorneys. Yes, let us skip over the courtroom scene and toss out that word evidence in the verse.

Verse 17 states, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (KJV)

A three-legged stool is more useful and stable than an one-legged stool. Oh, what about two legs? It can’t be a stool without at least three legs, there has to be a minimum of three legs. The third leg after works and faith is love. The three make up the stool.

The evidence of faith is works and love. The evidence of works is faith and love. The evidence of love is faith and works. (Whoops – there is that word evidence again.) In other words the proof that you are a child of God, saved and going to Heaven, is your faith is active as you work for God, God’s people and even those who don’t know Jesus as Lord or Savior. You can’t do anything for God without loving Him and His kingdom.

It is all a very tidy package. Let us do the work of faith for our Father and our Savior we love. Let us set aside our selfish desires and wants and serve the Lord. Amen!