Understanding Faith Without Works in Recovery
“Faith without works is dead.” Alcoholics Anonymous (pp. 14, 76, 88).
This statement matters because it appears three times in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. In fact, faith without works in recovery has deep roots in both AA wisdom and Scripture. Before AA literature existed, AA co-founder Dr. Bob Smith often pointed people to the “Good Book,” the King James Version of the Holy Bible, for answers to their problems. In particular, early AA pioneers used the Book of James as a primary guide, and many AA principles closely reflect its teachings.
Against that background, the Book of James makes the meaning especially clear:
“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead… Show me your faith apart from your works… For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.” — James 2:17, 18, 26
James challenges a faith that exists only in words—such as saying, “I have faith”—without showing it through acts of love and mercy. Therefore, such faith remains empty. Faith that produces no action dies, while genuine faith reveals itself through what it does.
In recovery, then, this scripture speaks plainly: without action, faith dies.
Believing Verses Faith
In my article Setting Aside Reason for Faith, I described the difference between believing in God and having faith in God. At first, I understood belief as recognizing that my Higher Power existed. Reason showed me that God is real; however, reason has its limits.
In recovery, however, faith must become more than belief; it must shape daily action.
Active Faith in Recovery
We see the difference between active and passive recovery in those who take responsibility for their sobriety and those who depend on others to carry them. Some people suit up, show up, and do the daily work needed to stay sober one day at a time. By contrast, others simply attend meetings to get by, and they often struggle to maintain sobriety. Some remain, some leave, and sadly, some lose their battle with the disease. As the saying reminds us, “faith without works is dead.”
Because this topic deserves further discussion, I’ll continue it in an upcoming article.
Reflection: Where do you see faith without works in recovery in your own life, and what action can you take today to let your faith become visible?