The Proof is in the Froth

James 2:26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Faith without deeds is dead. This is a verse that confuses many people. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “It is by grace we are saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves – it is a gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” But today’s verse states that faith without deeds is dead. How do these two verses fit together?

When we first moved to the Midwest from the East coast I was very disappointed at the lack of good, fresh bread. Kroger packaged deals just did not measure up with the fresh daily-made bagels, chewy Italian loaves, and crisp French baguettes that were plentiful in our small New Jersey town. So I decided that the best thing to do was to start making my own bread.

It is a real time consuming process getting the water to the right temperature, mixing in the yeast and other ingredients with a dough hook, and waiting patiently for the bread to rise. It is imperative that your yeast is fresh and alive. One way to make sure that your bread will grow the way it should is to proof the yeast.

Once you mix the warm water with the yeast, sugar, salt, and oil, you let the mixture sit for five minutes in a warm place. If the yeast is active and alive, the mixture will froth and seem to grow. That is your sign that the yeast is good and the bread will rise and turn out right. If nothing happens then you know your yeast is dead.

We are saved by grace through faith. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, but true faith always acts on what it believes. The proof that our faith is alive and real is seen by our obedience to God. In other words, the proof of our faith is in the actions it produces.

When I make bread I have faith that it will rise like it is supposed to do, but only after I have proofed the yeast. That assures me that the yeast is active. In the same way our deeds prove that our faith is real.

The way to obtain eternal salvation is by faith alone. But is your faith dead or alive? Put it to the test because the proof is in the froth.

Love,

Mama