jefamily

I thought this story was a good illustration of faith and works. 

I once heard the following beautiful illustration of faith and works: a ferryman painted “Faith” in large letters on one of this oars, and on the other he painted, “Works.” When someone asked why, he answered by putting the “Faith” oar in the boat and rowing hard with the “Works” oar. The boat turned round and round and got nowhere at all.

Next he put the “Works” oar in the boat and rowed with just the “Faith” oar. The effect was the same: the boat turned round and round, but it went nowhere. He then put both oars, “Faith” and “Works,” into the water, one on each side, and pulled on them together. The boat advanced rapidly straight ahead.

“So it is in serving God,” the ferryman said. “We must use both faith and works. Either one alone is useless.”…………..”Signs of the Times”

James 2: 14-20; 22,24,26

14: What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?

15: If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16: And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17: Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18: Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20: But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

22:…..and by works was faith made perfect?

24: Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.