Search the Scriptures

The Sacrifice of Isaac by Andrea Mantegna 15th c




James 2:14-26 ESV

14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16and 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? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23and 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. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And 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? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Reflection:

Empty faith is: Words without action, profession without performance.
True faith is revealed when it is put in action.
Mission and social charity works must accompany each other, especially when ministering to the poor and needy. We must take care of the whole person - body, mind and soul.
The examples of Abraham and Rehab show that faith is obedience in action, not in words. Interestingly they should be mentioned side by side, one is a great patriarch to both the Jews and the Muslims, father of faith to the Christians, and the other was a prostitute – one among many in the hall of fame for their faith. (Hebrews 11)Both are regarded as righteous on account of thier obedient faith.
The relation between faith and work is just like that of the body and spirit, without the spirit the body is dead, likewise without work our faith is dead and useless.
How does my faith differ from that of the demons’?
Demons’ ‘faith’ does not result in good deeds. My faith in Christ should result in good deeds with pure motives, seeking to please God in gratitude to His saving grace and to show to whom we now belong. We can do good deeds without faith, but we cannot have true faith without good deeds.
Demons may promote good deeds as long as they can convince us that good deeds alone will result in our salvation or promote us to the next level or a better next life. They would want us to think that God can accept us on account of our good deeds apart from our faith, that they somehow will cancel our debt of sins. It is in their nature (fallen nature) to contradict God.

Paul says we can be saved by faith apart from work – i.e. not by obeying the law.
James says we cannot be saved by faith that is not accompanied by good works. (Unless we die right after we believe – like one of the thieves on Jesus’ side on the cross. Well, he did reprimand the other unbelieving thief if you can call that faith in action.)
There is no contradiction between Paul and James. Good work is not the reason but the result of our salvation - that which is by grace through faith in Christ alone.