James 2: Faith Alive in Action

Neville's Inner Vision

Faith is not an opinion you hold about God, but a state of consciousness you inhabit. When you declare you have faith yet neglect the needs of a fellow traveler—whether naked or destitute—the inner law replies that faith unaccompanied by corresponding acts is inert, dead, a mere thought. The James passage asks you to notice that the one who says, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled' while withholding the necessary supply is denying the very movement of your I AM. In Neville's terms, you are not testing God, you are testing your own inner reality. If you feel the urge to give, you are already abundant; your imagination can supply the form and the fullness. The 'brother or sister' is your inner state craving nourishment, and your act of response is the aligning of consciousness with its natural sufficiency. When you enact mercy in imagination and life, you awaken the energy that creates; you become the living expression of the faith you profess.