If We Don’t Aid the Needy, We Lose Our Salvation by Dylan Stewart
James 2:14-26 is often used to show how works of obedience are required for salvation. This passage absolutely proves the point that faith alone cannot save – in fact, it is just a "dead" faith – but this passage also proves how individual Christians must be busy helping those in need.
James 2:15-16 reads, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” As we see, faith without works, and specifically in this context works of helping those in need, will not profit us anything. We must be busy helping the needy. Consider the following passages that teach the same thing:
“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).
"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away" (Matthew 5:42).
“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?” (1 John 3:17).
"He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise‘" (Luke 3:11).
"They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do" (Galatians 2:10).
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me’" (Matthew 25:41-43).
We ought to be busy doing all that we can to aid the needy. Remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37? Remember what Jesus said in v.37? “You go, and do likewise.” Are we doing “likewise?” I certainly hope so because the Bible conclusively teaches that our salvation is dependent on doing so.
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