We live our lives as if we need God’s grace plus our works of the Law to receive from God. For an example, we believe that God will not protect us or provide for us because we did not pray enough in the morning, we were angry when someone did something we do not approve, we missed a church service, we did not give enough money at church, etc.

The question to ask ourselves now that we live under the new covenant is: since when did God’s promises become conditional to our performance against a standard of the Law and not only believing the promises because Jesus has made us qualify for them (Romans 8:32, Galatians 3:13-14)? Have we gone back to the old covenant where God was bound by the agreement He made with Israel such that He could not bless them until they carefully followed His commandments (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)?

God promised to “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah, and to never remember their sins” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 10:14-18). God can treat us better than we deserve because Jesus fulfilled the Law by keeping it perfectly on our behalf. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ He has made you qualify for all God’s favour because He paid the prize for your sins, (past, present, and future) – Hebrews 10:10&14.

Therefore, do not disqualify yourself from receiving the grace of God because you think that you have to do something to qualify for it. We start our relationship with God by faith and continue living in it by faith in what Jesus accomplished for us; not by doing works of the Law (Romans 1:17).

Don’t approach God expecting to get what you deserve, approach Him expecting to get what Jesus provided for you through His finished work.

RECEIVE GOD’S UNEARNED FAVOUR FOR YOU BECAUSE JESUS PAID FOR IT!

When we read the context where the phrase “faith without works is dead” is taken from we see that it implies that you believe God has already answered your prayer such that when He instructs you to do something to show (release) your faith you do it without hesitation.

Put differently, this does not mean that you choose to do something that will force/bind God to respond to your need (James 2:14-26).

This phrase is speaking of CORRESPONDING/MATCHING/AGREEING/CONFORMING action; not action to cause God to move on your behalf. Faith believes that God has already blessed you; you just have to receive the blessing (Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:2).

To understand this phrase well we should answer the following questions: When was Abraham declared righteous?

It was after he believed God’s promise to give him descendants as many as the stars (Genesis 15:5&6). His actions did not make him acceptable before God, his belief did that for him. His action, he did many years later, simply revealed what he believed.

The second example James gives about Rahab must make this point very clear.

Rahab believed God’s supremacy when she first heard about what God was doing for the Israelites. The action that proved her faith was her doing what she could to save the Israelites that were spying the land. If she did not believe in God’s ability to give Canaan to Israel she would not have hidden the spies. Hiding the spies is a corresponding action; it shows that she believed what she heard about God and was willing to do whatever it takes to be treated favourably by the God who had shown His supremacy.

Don’t try to impress God by your actions, believe His promise and act as you are prompted by the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:6).