Anyone is welcome. I am not in the debate....
James. 2 :14-26
Faith and Works
14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
In
James 2:14, we read of one who
says/claims (key word) he has faith but has no works (to
evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a
bare profession of faith. So, when James asks, "Can
that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. So, James
does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to
show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (
James 2:18) and
demonstrate that the faith claimed (
James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. Simple!
15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
What kind of faith is
that? James 2:14 - can
that faith save him?
Bare profession of faith and not genuine faith. We
show our faith by our works. Faith is the root of salvation (Ephesians 2:5-8) and works are the fruit. (Ephesians 2:10) No fruit at all would
demonstrate there is no root. Hence,
dead faith, being by itself which is a spurious faith.
19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
Here we read that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they
do not believe in/have faith in/trust in/reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, they
do not believe in/on the Lord Jesus Christ (
Acts 16:31)
and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.
20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Now "faith without works is dead" does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith or that we are saved by works. That would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree, and the fruit is the source of life in the tree. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works
demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely
says-claims they have faith, but
lack resulting evidential works, then they
demonstrate that they have an
empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (
James 2:14) Simple!
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Notice closely that James does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God accounting Abraham as righteous. The
accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in
Genesis 15:6, (also see
Romans 4:2-3)
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to account him as righteous, but it
showed or manifested the genuineness of his faith. (
James 2:18) That is the "sense" in which Abraham was "justified by works." (
James 2:21) He was
shown to be righteous.
22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, to complete like love in
1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on the merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in
Genesis 15:6.
23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.
The scripture was
fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was
accounted as righteous based on his faith (
Genesis 15:6)
not his works (
Romans 4:2-3)
many years before he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.
24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James is not using the word "justified" in
James 2:24 to mean "accounted as righteous" but is
shown to be righteous. James is discussing the
evidence of faith (
says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works -
James 2:14-18) and
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (
Romans 4:2-3) Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.
Greek word for justified "dikaioo" means:
1. to render righteous or such he ought to be
2.
to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
3. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
You see that a man is justified (shown to be righteous) by works and not by an
empty profession of faith/dead faith that
remains alone "barren of works." (
James 2:14)
*Fits the context.
In
Matthew 12:37, we read - "For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This is because our words (and our works) reveal the condition of our hearts. Words/works are
evidence for, or against a man being in a state of righteousness.
God is said to have been
justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist (
Luke 7:29). This act pronounced or declared God to be righteous. It did not make him righteous. The basis or ground for the pronouncement was the fact that God IS righteous. *Notice that the NIV reads,
"acknowledged that God's way was right.." The ESV reads,
"they declared God just.." That is the "sense" in which God was "justified." He was
shown to be righteous.
Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
justified/vindicated/shown to be right by her deeds.
25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
In
James 2:25, Rahab believed in the Lord with authentic faith (
Joshua 2:9-13), requested "kindness" (2:12), received the promise of kindness (2:14), and hung out the "scarlet line" (2:21), as the
demonstration of her faith. She
showed that her faith in God was not a dead faith by her works, just as all genuine believers show theirs. (
James 2:18)
26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
The comparison of the human spirit and faith converge around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body
exhibits no indication of life, so fruitless faith
exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. (
Ephesians 2:5-10)
So, to sum it up: Man is saved through faith and not by works (
Romans 4:5-6;
Ephesians 2:8,
9;
Titus 3:5;
2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is
evidenced by works. (
James 2:14-24)
*Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works. (
Romans 3:24-28)
It is through faith "in Jesus Christ alone" (and not based on the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (
Romans 4:5-6;
5:1;
5:9); yet the faith that justifies does not remain alone (unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine. (
James 2:14-24) *Perfect Harmony*
