DCLM Daily Manna 15 January 2026 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Faith With Works
TOPIC: Faith With Works (DCLM Daily Manna 15 January 2026)
KEY VERSE: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
TEXT: James 2:14-26 (KJV)
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?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 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.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
MESSAGE:
An incident in the life of John Wesley illustrates a cardinal truth. An associate of Wesley, Samuel Bradburn, was highly respected by his friends and used by God as an effective preacher. On one occasion he was in rather desperate financial need. When Wesley learned of his circumstances, he sent him a five-pound note (then worth about $10) with the following letter:
“Dear Sammy: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.’” Yours affectionately, John Wesley’.” Bradburn’s reply was prompt. “Rev. and Dear Sir: I have often been struck with the beauty of the passage of Scripture quoted in your letter, but I must confess that I never saw such a useful expository note on it before.”
This is certainly the voice of true, living and dynamic faith in the heart. James, in our text, practically drives home the unprofitability of faith without works and exemplifies it with the illustration of a poor brother or sister whom the rich folk merely wished well without any tangible alleviation or palliative to the sufferer. James condemned this and described that kind of faith without works as dead. Indisputably, our faith must be centred in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in His inerrant Word. Such faith will inevitably result in a changed life and good works, as well as a sound and growing confidence in the deity of Christ, His substitutionary death and bodily resurrection, and the assurance of one’s personal salvation.
That is the faith that saves. It, however, never abides alone. It must be lived out. Beyond believing, faith also “behaves”. Faith works. A workless faith is a worthless faith. The works and actions of Abraham and Rahab both articulate and screamed the faith in their hearts to the highest heavens.
And to you too, the Holy Spirit through James, purposed to prompt you to recognise and accept your need for a living, active faith and to challenge you to test your own faith by the basic criterion that “faith without works is worthless”. A saving faith is a working faith, proving its vitality by its production of works. Beware, lest your faith be dead.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Faith has works without which it is fake
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Acts 3-4
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
