Where’s the beef? ∙∙
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” James 2:18
James 2:17-20
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
“Where’s the beef?” emerged as a famous catchphrase in the United States and Canada in 1984, serving as a memorable slogan for Wendy’s, a fast-food chain.
In the original commercial, three elderly ladies visit the “Home of the Big Bun,” a fictional competitor of Wendy’s. Clara Peller received a burger with an oversized bun. The other two ladies poked at it, exchanging bemused comments, “It certainly is a big bun. It’s a very big bun. It’s a big fluffy bun. It’s a very big fluffy bun.”
However, upon lifting the bun, they discover a comically minuscule hamburger with cheese and a pickle, leading Peller to angrily exclaim, “Where’s the beef?”
This iconic phrase transcended the commercial realm, making its way into various forms of media, including television shows, films, and magazines. During the 1984 presidential primaries, Walter Mondale, a Democratic candidate, used this phrase to criticize his rival Gary Hart’s policies’ perceived lack of substance.
As time passed, “Where’s the beef?” became a flexible expression questioning the credibility or significance of ideas, events, or products.
Throughout the centuries, theologians and individuals have discussed the correlation between faith and works. If we claim to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, how can we be sure we have been saved? Is our faith genuine and sufficient? Where is the evidence to support our beliefs? Where’s the beef?
REFLECT & PRAY
“For James, ‘faith alone’ means a bogus kind of faith, mere intellectual agreement without a genuine personal trust in Christ that bears fruit in one’s life” (ESV notes).
Father, thank You for providing salvation by faith alone. Encourage and strengthen me to live out the fruit of my faith.
INSIGHT
The apostle Paul unequivocally stated that salvation comes by grace through faith, and it is not the result of any effort on our part.
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NLT]
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 [NAS]
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so no one may boast.
Salvation is the Father’s gracious response to our faith in and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Before Christ’s birth, life, and death, the children of the King believed in the Father’s promises in the Old Testament. One of the most notable examples of this faith is found in Abraham.
Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.
The Father made promises, and Abraham believed them. When Abraham accepted the Father’s promises, he became a child of the King (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6). However, how did he demonstrate his faith was genuine?
When asked to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, Abraham displayed the genuineness of his faith by preparing to obey the seemingly over-the-top, incomprehensible command. However, just as he was on the brink of carrying out the Father’s request, an angelic messenger intervened and prevented him from doing so
Genesis 22:12 He said, “Don’t lay a hand on the boy! “Do not hurt him in any way, for now, I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
Abraham’s works, good deeds, efforts, and willingness to carry out the Father’s command demonstrated that his faith was real.
Works are the outward demonstration of the inner reality of faith.
But there is more. The Father provides an inner awareness through the work of the Holy Spirit to confirm that our faith is genuine and that we are His children.
Romans 8:16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
The mere verbal profession of faith is insufficient; true faith is validated by actions and the inner confirmation provided by the indwelling Spirit.
James 2:20-24
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.
24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
James asserts that a person’s faith in God is rendered useless and ineffective without good works. The Greek word translated as useless or vain is argos. Argos literally means without work, thus ineffectual, useless, unproductive, unprofitable, worthless (cf. Matthew 20:3-6).
A Christian who ceases to live by faith daily is like an organ of the body that has lost its function. Just as a lifeless organ serves no purpose, it is useless; dead faith is also useless. James then elaborated on what he meant by “useless” in verses James 2:21-23, emphasizing that his concern was with the futility of faith that is not accompanied by works, rather than the absence of faith without works (James 1:26; 2:14, 16, 20) (Constable).
Our actions do not justify us before the Father. Instead, they demonstrate and serve as evidence of our righteousness in His eyes.
Genuine, impactful, and transformative faith is often referred to as dynamic faith.
Yet, there is a crucial aspect to consider.
The quality of faith is intrinsically linked to the object of its trust. While an individual in the wilderness may have faith in a stone idol to provide aid, the efficacy of their faith remains limited. The pivotal question lies not solely in one’s belief but in the object or entity one trusts. We are not saved by faith in faith but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word.
Dynamic faith is based on God’s Word and involves the entire person. Dead faith affects only the intellect, while demonic faith affects the mind and emotions. Dynamic faith, on the other hand, involves the will (Wiersbe).
Genuine saving faith involves all aspects of an individual. The mind comprehends the truth, the heart longs for the truth, and the will executes based on the truth. The men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 were not just listeners but also doers of the Word. They demonstrated their obedience to God’s commands by taking action upon hearing His voice.
“Faith is not believing in spite of evidence; faith is obeying in spite of consequence” (Wiersbe).
Genuine faith that brings salvation results in action. Dynamic faith transcends mere intellectual reflection or emotional distress; it motivates obedience from the will. This obedience is not a one-time occurrence but a continuous journey throughout life, manifesting in tangible works (Wiersbe).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯3-07-3
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 