FAITH WORKS!
James 2:14-26
Introduction: Martin Luther, one of the fathers of the protestant
reformation, perceived such a tension between Paul’s doctrine of justification
by faith alone and James’ treatment of the necessity of works to demonstrate
the reality of our faith, that for a time he called it “an epistle of straw”
and argued that James should be excluded from the New Testament! Over time,
however, orthodox Christianity has recognized that the so-called conflict
between James and Paul is no conflict at all.
Calvin rightly said, “Faith alone justifies, but the faith that
justifies is not alone.”
The key to understanding what Paul and
James, two pastors and theologians of the early church, are saying is to
recognize an important principle of interpretation: The letters of the New
Testament are in fact letters, they were written at particular moments
in the history of the early church to a specific audience to address problems that
were being faced in those churches. Paul,
a converted Pharisee, was writing in many cases to confront a tendency towards legalism
and the idea that certain external actions were necessary for someone to come
to God. His answer was no, we are saved by grace through faith alone, we can do
nothing to add to or complete our justification (by which Paul means our legal
standing before God, we are declared righteous because of Jesus). That message
was necessary to counteract a group that originated in the Jerusalem church that
we refer to as “judaizers.” They were arguing that certain works of the Law
such as circumcision were necessary in addition to authentic faith in order to
be saved. Paul said “no”, we are declared righteous through faith alone. It
seems as though the Jewish believers of the diaspora to whom James was writing
may have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction, making it sound
like all someone had to do was say
they believed and they were surely redeemed. James is saying no, genuine saving
faith will show itself by changing the conduct and life of the true
believer. We are not saved by faith plus
works, but rather by grace through faith unto
good works. Therefore “Paul and James are not toe-to-toe fighting with each
other, but are standing back-to-back defending the Gospel against attackers
coming from different directions” (Dr. John MacArthur).
We have all encountered those who will
affirm much of what we say about God when it is evident that they are not born
again believers. In fact most people, if you ask them, “Do you believe in God?”
will respond “Of course I do!” But not every kind of “faith” is genuine saving
faith. Remember that James’ thesis so far seems to be that authentic faith,
saving faith, is something that can be seen in a life that is changed: it shows
itself by rejoicing in the Lord even in the midst of trials knowing that God is
working for our good and for His glory. It is apparent in that rather than
blaming God for the temptations we struggle with it looks to Him for strength
to overcome. It eagerly hears the Word and is committed to receiving it and
obeying what it says. It doesn’t “pre-judge” people based on mere externals,
but values all equally and reflects the heart of God in desiring all to come to
repentance and faith. This paragraph addresses the fundamental idea that
undergirds all of these issues: Genuine faith involves the head, the heart
and the hands. Simply put…
The Big Idea: True saving faith will show itself by good works.
I. First of
all, we see that authentic faith will show itself by actions (2:14-17).
The
passage begins in v.14, “What good is it,
my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that
faith save him?” The wording here is crucial. James doesn’t introduce this
subject by saying “What if someone believes and doesn’t have works…”
Rather, he asks “What good is it if someone says he has faith…” This is
their claim, but it is a mere empty profession, it is clearly not saving faith.
Some of the English translations get at the idea, “Can that faith save
him?” or “Can such a faith save him?” Most unsaved people that I have
talked with have the opposite tendency to base any hope of heaven on good works.
When we talk about salvation by grace through faith it is not uncommon for some
confusion to arise: “You mean all I have to do is say I believe and I am
saved?” The answer to that question must
be “NO!” That is not the gospel. It’s not that we have to simply “say”
we believe. We have to actually believe, recognizing who Jesus is, and
trusting in what he did for us in his death and resurrection. That kind of
faith, through God’s amazing grace, will result in a transformed life. Paul
said in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through
faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that
no one may boast. 10 For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Salvation by
grace through faith alone is unto good works. Faith alone saves,
but the faith that saves is not alone!
James next gets specific with a hypothetical illustration in v.15,16, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and
lacking in daily food, 16 and
one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving
them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” The example here
is telling. First he refers to a needy “brother or sister.” The use of both the
masculine and feminine is unusual since “brethren” in Greek is inclusive of
both. It may be that there were more women, especially widows, that were needy
and perhaps still being overlooked, and James wanted to highlight that need.
Notice the shallow response: “Go in
peace, be warmed and filled.” See a need and say, “I wish you well.” Maybe
even, “I’ll pray for you.” But then turn your back and go your way. That is not
a response of faith. James’ point, it
seems, is that such a response is empty, its useless, it does not make a
difference to the person in need and it does not demonstrate anything real in
the shallow “well wisher”.
The language in v.17 is direct: “So
also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” That kind of
faith, that never makes a difference in our life is “dead faith.” It is devoid
of life. It is like the Pharisees who Jesus called “white-washed tombs full of
dead men’s bones.” True saving faith will show itself by good works.
II. Saving
faith is more than affirming right doctrine (2:18,19).
Faith that
saves shows itself in our actions- “But someone will say, "You [some in the churches to whom James
is writing] have faith and I [James] have works." [But I say] Show me your faith apart from your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works” (v.18). To claim to believe is
one thing, but James says that genuine saving faith involves the head and the
heart, and will inevitably motivate our hands and our feet.
It is more
than mere intellectual assent to doctrinal truths- “You believe that God is one; you do well.
Even the demons believe- and shudder!” (v.19). James is alluding to the Shema, the great
declaration of faith of Judaism in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one [or, “The Lord is our God,
the Lord alone!].” Great, you are a monotheist and affirm that the one true God
exists? Wonderful! [I think there is a little sarcasm here!] Even the demons
believe that, and they tremble! This is
an intellectual assent to certain theological truths. The devil himself knows
who God is, he understands the deity of Christ and his substitutionary atonement,
and he has no question about his resurrection from the dead. We have all kinds
of evidence in the Bible of demons having right doctrine…
They had right Christology. While the Jews were trying to figure out who Jesus
was, we read in Mark
3:11 “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell
down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." Likewise in Luke 4:41 “And demons also came out of
many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would
not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” They
affirmed the deity of Jesus!
They also had an understanding of
eschatology, at least that a day of judgment was coming. We read in Matthew
8:29 “And behold, they cried out, ‘What
have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before
the time?’"
All of that knowledge of truth is not
“Saving faith.” In fact those truths cause Satan to tremble. Only genuine
believers not only affirm the truth, but rest in the truth, put their hope in
the truth. And so true saving faith will show itself by good works.
III. Genuine
faith will show itself by our works: Two examples of faith revealed through
works (2:20-26). “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person,
that faith apart from works is useless?” (v.20).
First,
Abraham (James 2:21-24; see Gen 22:1-12). “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when
he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and
faith was completed by his works; 23
and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted
to him as righteousness’- and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is
justified by works and not by faith alone.” Everyone loves
Abraham! Both Paul and James (as well as the writer of Hebrews) used him as an
example of authentic faith. Interestingly, Paul used him as an example of
salvation by grace through faith alone, and James used him to prove that true
faith, authentic trust in Christ “works.” There is no disagreement however. You
see Abraham “believed God” in Genesis 15. He took Him at His word. But in
Genesis 22 he was put to an awful test, and he acted on the basis of his faith.
His faith was vindicated, and so in that sense he was “justified” by works.
The next
example is about as different as you could imagine, Rahab (James 2:25,26; see
Joshua 2:9-12). V.25 “And
in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she
received the messengers and sent them out by another way?” It is
interesting that James mentions not only Rahab, but her profession: “Rahab the prostitute.”
This is typical of the Bible. Heroes of faith are presented as fallen humans
with all of their problems and weaknesses. The point is that she trusted
God, put her hope in Him, and was saved. She demonstrated her faith by
protecting the spys.
Side point: Do you feel you are too far
from God for there to be any hope? Does
the enemy whisper in your ear that you have gone too far, that there is no hope
for a sinner like you? The truth is, there is no other hope. David himself was
an adulterer and a murderer and he repented and is now known as “a man after
God’s own heart.” That is grace. God’s unmerited favor. The point James is
making: Rahab believed the God who is, she believed that He would deliver those
who trust in Him. And she acted on the basis of that faith.
That
brings us to the last verse in James 2, “For
as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is
dead.” Stated positively: “FAITH WORKS!” Living faith will be accompanied
by a transformed life.
What is God saying to me in this
passage? Jesus warned “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” That seems to imply that some people may be
deceiving themselves about whether or not they really belong to Him. Authentic
faith, saving faith, works. It works because it believes who Jesus is, and
trusts in Him as our only hope of salvation. Then He changes us from the inside
out. True saving faith will show itself by good works. Remember Paul in
Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God. Not
as the result of works, that no man may boast. For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God before ordained that we
should walk in them.”
What would God have me to do in response to
this passage? I think there has to
come moments in the life of every believer that we pause and examine our hearts
and consider the “evidence” that God is working in us. It is not up to me to
examine the fruit in your life, but each of us should at least once in a while
“take inventory.” Have you believed in Him? Is your life different since you
first believed? I don’t think the point is to start doing so we can have
assurance. I think the point is to seek God, to confess our need to Him, to
long for His presence and to desire his glory. To realize we are lost and
helpless and can do nothing to save ourselves. To trust in Him whole heartedly
and to affirm that He is Lord of my life. I have decided to follow Jesus. We
are not called to be converts, we are called to be Christ followers,
disciples. If we cast all of our hope on
Him, He will receive us, and He will initiate a process of transforming us.
FAITH WORKS. Trust Him, and see! AMEN.
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