You have likely heard of “Doubting Thomas” sometime in your life.  Thomas was a disciple of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who did not have faith in the Lord’s resurrection.  The following is the account that has earned Thomas his reputation: “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29).

     The Apostle Paul penned the following to the saints in Corinth: “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:6-8).  Paul’s point is that faith is not based upon what we see with our eyes.  He believes in the resurrection because faith is knowing something is true without seeing that which you believe in.  Faith is not blind.  Faith is based upon the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).   Faith is a subject matter that few really understand.  Many in our present world think that they have faith in God, but their actions show otherwise.

     When Paul wrote Titus he said the following of the Cretians: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16).  People of all ages have always had the problem of saying and doing not.  People try to confess their faith in the Lord, while at the same time they are turning their backs to Him.  That is not faith!  Faith provokes men to do good works.

     The Bible is full of examples that prove faith moves men to obedience.  Noah for example was warned of a flood and told to build the ark when rain had never descended from the heavens.  “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).  While God does not directly speak to men today, He does speak to us through His word.  We have the inspired word of God to fully equip us unto all good works (II Timothy 3:16-17).

     The Hebrew penman concluded what we know as the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews by writing these words: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:32-40).  With the New Testament written and the full plan of God revealed, we have so much more motivation than they of old who suffered greatly for the Lord.  We have no excuses for dead faith.  For faith without works is exactly that – DEAD.

     We know that faith produces action.  Therefore, we can conclude that where there is no action in the life of a person in spiritual matters, there is no faith.  The words we will now examine from the Epistle of James serves as concrete evidence to the aforementioned statements: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 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?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  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.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:14-26).

     James concluded, through inspiration, that faith without works is dead.  There is no confusion in that statement.  Those who walk in this life claiming faith that will guide them to eternal life, without actions to back that up, have no true faith.  Faith without works does not save us.  That is the point that James makes from verse fourteen of chapter two through the end of that great chapter in the Bible.  Those today who say and act differently are lost!

     We have seen clearly through our studies that faith and works cannot be separated.  Faith produces works and our works will be judged by the Lord as we stand before Him on the Judgment Day (II Corinthians 5:10).  The Hebrew writer said: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  “Doubting Thomas” would have moved to the Lord had he truly believed in the resurrected Christ.  We too would move with more assurance and accomplish greater tasks in our spiritual lives if we would believe wholly in our Lord through the studies of His word.

     When doubting, we need to spend time studying the word of God as we receive our faith through the word of God (Romans 10:17).  Many Christians allow their faith to continually weaken because they do not spend much time solidifying their faith through studies in the word of God.  Faith is not blind.  We can see and know the Lord through the word of God.

     We must all know that we cannot wait until the Lord comes again to get our lives right.  We cannot wait to see Him to believe in Him.  When Jesus comes He will judge us (I Timothy 4:1).  Those who are lacking in faith will be turned away from eternal life and be sent to eternal damnation (Matthew 7:21-23; 25:31-46).  We need to be different than Thomas.  We need to be blessed because we have not seen but have believed and have been fully persuaded of those things that are written!