So what kind of good works specifically can we expect to see from those with true faith according to such an interpretation?
As rusra02 rightly said, Abraham's
"faith worked along with his works and by his works his faith was perfected". What 'works' did Abraham do...what was he noted for?
He was
obedient to his God in everything he told him to do...unquestioningly...unhesitatingly.
Imagine yourself, an older man living a comfortable lifestyle in a prosperous city and being told to pull up stakes and leave family and friends for a destination unknown, dwelling in tents for the foreseeable future and not knowing why or where you would end up. Abraham did so without questioning.
Abraham was also promised a reward for his outstanding faith....his family line would produce a seed that would become the savior of the world. The man remained childless until well into his 80's, and his wife was concerned that there would never be offspring from her beloved husband. So she offered her maidservant Hagar to him as a surrogate to produce an heir. Ishmael was an only child for quite some time but when Ishmael was about 14, sure to his promise, God miraculously produced a son for Abraham through his wife Sarah. We can only imagine how precious this boy was to him in his old age. With God's permission, Hagar and Ishmael had been sent away and when Isaac was about 25 years old Abraham was asked to do the unthinkable....to sacrifice his precious son. I can't imagine what was going through Abraham's mind but without a murmur, he took Isaac and journeyed to Mt Moriah and built an alter in order to carry out Jehovah's command. It wasn't until he raised the knife to do the deed that the angel stopped him. We all know that God provided an alternate sacrifice...it was not only a monumentally difficult test, but it also went further to demonstrate something about God and the offering of his own precious son.
The willingness on Abraham's part to sacrifice his son pictured God's willingness to do likewise....and also the willingness on the part of his son, who could have easily resisted his aged father, shows Christ's willingness to be the sacrifice. The faith demonstrated by both Abraham and Isaac was remarkable.
Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac, and the man that had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up [his] only-begotten [son], although it had been said to him: “What will be called ‘your seed’ will be through Isaac.” But he reckoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; and from there he did receive him also in an illustrative way."
Abraham's faith was in the resurrection. He was so trusting of his God, that he would not hesitate to carry out even things that made no sense to him at the time. But the great faith of this man moved him to actions that led to him being given a designation that no other human being on earth has even been given. He came to be called
"Jehovah's friend". (James 2:23)
So what does that mean for us? Exactly the same. We have the word of God to tell us exactly what God requires of us today. It isn't always easy and it leads to a life of persecution and opposition from the world in general. (John 15:19, 20) It means being a witness for Jesus Christ and announcing the good news of God's kingdom to all who will listen.
Like the days of Noah, people would rather ridicule and scorn, but Christ's true followers are faithful to the assignment, which must be carried out in all the world before the promised end of this present age. (Matt 24:14; 37-39)
How many people are willing to go outside their comfort zone and actually become the kind of man God asked Abraham to be?...or the kind of preachers that Christ taught his disciples to be?
You can't have the faith without the works. Either one on their own is useless.
It is as James says...
"Show me your faith apart from the works, and I shall show you my faith by my works."
Makes sense to me.