Saved by Grace

James says, “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

Did you know Martin Luther had a problem with this section of Scripture for quite a long time during his younger years? He was so overwhelmed with justification by faith alone that it was cloudy to him why James would say that we are justified by faith and works. It has to do with our duty as a result of being in covenant with God. Our duty? Why do we have to “do” something if Christ finished everything on the cross? Didn’t Christ say, “It is finished?”

James says that faith without works is dead. He tells us that true faith must have works to show itself to be real, and that in the eyes of men, faith must be accompanied by works. Men must not only hear our lips speak about our commitment to God, such as when people say, “I’m a Christian,” but our works must be seen as well to show a change really took place. Those works show forth true faith, but they never create true faith. You can’t rest in outwardly telling people that you are a Christian simply by what you say. You must show forth accompanying signs that such faith is actually real faith, faith given to you by the Lord Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It shows, in this way, that the Spirit of the living God resides in you because new hearts work in delight for God.

Works never save; rather, those works justify the faith people have been exercising due to Christ’s power in saving them and making them new creatures. Like Abraham, we see faith working. There is no contradiction between James and Paul, nor between the Christian belief in justification by faith alone, and what James teaches, that works come along side of faith to demonstrate that a person actually is justified, and that men can see that. Sanctification, then, takes a whole new turn here since it is not simply something a Christian does in private. True faith will show itself in the works of the Christian being accomplished in the sight of God and in the sight of the Church. James uses the illustration of Abraham, the father of our faith, demonstrating that we see his faith as active and not passive in offering up Isaac before God, on God’s command (Gen. 22). Such a faith in working itself out by the Spirit of God is a justifying faith which is accompanied by works.

Faith which is not accompanied by works is false faith. It is what hypocrites and heathen do to be seen by others in their statements but not seen in as works in their lives which remain unchanged. We are justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. It is a faith that is linked intrinsically to works. And if there are no works, then James tells us, it is a dead faith. It is simply not saving faith.

James says, “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

Did you know Martin Luther had a problem with this section of Scripture for quite a long time during his younger years? He was so overwhelmed with justification by faith alone that it was cloudy to him why James would say that we are justified by faith and works. It has to do with our duty as a result of being in covenant with God. Our duty? Why do we have to “do” something if Christ finished everything on the cross? Didn’t Christ say, “It is finished?”

James says that faith without works is dead. He tells us that true faith must have works to show itself to be real, and that in the eyes of men, faith must be accompanied by works. Men must not only hear our lips speak about our commitment to God, such as when people say, “I’m a Christian,” but our works must be seen as well to show a change really took place. Those works show forth true faith, but they never create true faith. You can’t rest in outwardly telling people that you are a Christian simply by what you say. You must show forth accompanying signs that such faith is actually real faith, faith given to you by the Lord Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It shows, in this way, that the Spirit of the living God resides in you because new hearts work in delight for God.

Works never save; rather, those works justify the faith people have been exercising due to Christ’s power in saving them and making them new creatures. Like Abraham, we see faith working. There is no contradiction between James and Paul, nor between the Christian belief in justification by faith alone, and what James teaches, that works come along side of faith to demonstrate that a person actually is justified, and that men can see that. Sanctification, then, takes a whole new turn here since it is not simply something a Christian does in private. True faith will show itself in the works of the Christian being accomplished in the sight of God and in the sight of the Church. James uses the illustration of Abraham, the father of our faith, demonstrating that we see his faith as active and not passive in offering up Isaac before God, on God’s command (Gen. 22). Such a faith in working itself out by the Spirit of God is a justifying faith which is accompanied by works.

Faith which is not accompanied by works is false faith. It is what hypocrites and heathen do to be seen by others in their statements but not seen in as works in their lives which remain unchanged. We are justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. It is a faith that is linked intrinsically to works. And if there are no works, then James tells us, it is a dead faith. It is simply not saving faith.