Faith That Works

Feature 2 – October 2010 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Faith That WORKS

We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. – Romans 3:28 NASB Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. –  James 2:17

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. – Romans 4:5 What use is it ... if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? – James 2:14

Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:1 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. – James 2:24
Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. – James 2:26

In all of Scripture there are probably no two authors who appear to contradict each other more than James and Paul. In reference to the crucial doctrine of salvation, one seems to be saying that there is nothing a person can do to merit salvation, while the other seems to be saying that a person’s good deeds do play a part in salvation. This is a significant difference! The fact that Paul says justification is by faith alone, without works, and James says justification is by faith with works, certainly seems to be an unresolvable conflict. This apparent contradiction was significant enough for Martin Luther to give James lower status in the canon of Scripture. Some scholars believe Luther’s position on James has been overstated, but he did refer to it as “a right strawy epistle.”

But how can this be? Both Paul and James were inspired by God, who is the ultimate author of both Romans and James, and God does not contradict Himself. Scripture must interpret Scripture. Are James and Paul now in heaven reconciling their differences? Or is there a way to harmonize their writings, because as the Word of God they cannot be contradictory?

What Paul And James Don’t Say
To begin harmonizing these Scriptures, we should observe what these inspired writers do not say, as compared to what they do say. James does not say that good works can save a person, nor does he say that justification results from some kind of mixture, like 50% faith and 50% works. What he does say is that faith without works is dead. And he does indicate that good works are definitely associated with saving faith.

Paul does not say that any kind of faith saves, nor does he say that saving faith doesn’t result in good works! What he does say is that a person is justified by faith, not by works. And he does indicate that works are not the basis of salvation. Already we see that the writings of James and Paul are not on a collision course. Although they at first appear to be completely contradictory, they are really not opposite statements, nor are they in logical contradiction to each other. In order to clearly understand the teachings of each, we need to examine what they say more closely.

Perspective Is Important
Question: What looks like a square and a triangle at the same time? Quick wrong answer: Nothing, because such a thing is impossible. Thoughtful right answer: A pyramid, because viewed from the side, from ground level, it looks like a triangle, but viewed from above, from the air, it looks like a square.

This illustration helps us better understand the statements of Paul and James. When they write about saving faith, they’re not contradicting each other, they are just looking at faith from different perspectives. Paul is looking at faith from above – from the divine perspective. God knows the quality of a person’s faith without having to see the results. To God, the quality of a person’s faith is not determined by nor dependent upon good works. James, on the other hand, is looking at faith from the ground level, from the human perspective. We cannot see the heart as God can, but we can see the results in the life of a person who claims to have faith. True faith will prove its profession by good works. In other words, the perspective from which saving faith is viewed can determine how faith is defined. It may appear on the surface that the two definitions of faith contradict. But if, from God’s perspective, the faith that saves is a faith apart from works, while, from man’s perspective, that faith results in good works which people can see, then there is bound to be a “perspective difference” in the description of saving faith.

Abraham As An Example
The fact that both James and Paul used Abraham as an example is significant to harmonizing these texts. As a part of their argument, both authors quote Genesis 15:6 – “Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” It is critical to see how each author uses this Scripture in his argument. Paul’s point is that Abraham was declared righteous by God even before he was circumcised (a work of obedience) and long before the Law was given. In other words, there is nothing Abraham did to earn his salvation. He just believed God! “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’” (Rom. 4:2-3).

James’ point, on the other hand, is that Abraham’s faith was perfected, or proved, by his works. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and 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” (Jas. 2:21-23). But notice that James does not say that Abraham’s works of faith resulted in God’s declaration of His righteousness. The declaration was made in Genesis 15:6, about 30 years before his work of faith, the offering up of Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. That’s why James says that “the Scripture was fulfilled which says ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’” (2:24).

So there really is no contradiction between James and Paul. Abraham’s works were essential, not because they had some kind of intrinsic merit to justify him, but because they proved the genuineness of his faith. In the minds of both Paul and James, Abraham was justified in God’s sight long before any works of righteousness were performed.

More From Paul
When considering what Paul says about the relationship between faith and works, bear in mind what he wrote in his other epistles. For example, in Galatians 5:6 he wrote, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.” “Faith working through love” sounds a lot like James, doesn’t it? Paul was not opposed to good works. It’s just that they must be seen for what they are – evidence of saving faith, not the essence of it. When we rightly quote Ephesians 2:8-9 as a proof text against the false teaching of salvation by works, let’s not forget that Paul also wrote in the very next verse: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Paul is not against good works! The purpose of his treatise to the Romans was to annihilate any idea that a person might be justified on the basis of meritorious works. Mankind can do absolutely nothing to merit favor with God. We are saved “by grace through faith” alone.

More From James
When considering what James says about the relationship between faith and works, there is another important point to keep in mind. The works that James presents as examples from the lives of Abraham (2:21-23) and Rahab (2:25) are anything but good works. Apart from faith, these works were attempted homicide (Abraham) and treason (Rahab)! These works are a far cry from what we normally consider good works, such as helping the homeless and promoting peace. These “works of faith” of Abraham and Rahab were not meritorious good works because, apart from faith, they would certainly not qualify as good works at all! So James is not arguing that the works of Abraham and Rahab added to their faith. His point is that the works of Abraham and Rahab proved that their faith was genuine – a result of already existing faith.

It is also very important to notice how James begins his discussion of faith and works: “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (Jas. 2:14). In other words, anyone can say he/she has faith, but such a profession may be words only. Can that kind of faith save a person? The answer is a resounding “No!” A faith that gives mere intellectual assent is no better than the belief of demons, as James goes on to say (2:19). Certainly that kind of faith cannot save. It is a counterfeit faith. Well then, what kind of faith can save a person? James says it is a faith that shows itself to be genuine by works of obedience. The works themselves do not participate in the process of justification, but they are evidence of the kind of faith which is necessary for justification. The heroes of faith of Hebrews 11 did not just say they had faith, and they did not just have a belief about God in their heads. Their faith involved their hearts as well as their heads, and evidenced itself by “works of faith.” Those works did not save them, but they gave solid evidence of their true and saving faith.

An Approach For Evangelism
The different approaches taken by Paul and James to the faith/works question is a good way to evangelize and counsel some individuals today. For those who think that they must earn their way to heaven or that they are not good enough for heaven, we could share the truth of Romans, that salvation is apart from works. On the other hand, if certain loose-living individuals think that they’re on their way to heaven because they “went forward” or “raised their hand” or “signed a card” at an evangelistic crusade when they were young, we should share the truth of James with them. Faith which does not manifest itself in an obedient lifestyle should be questioned, because faith apart from works is not genuine, but dead.

So Paul and James do not contradict each other. As inspired writers, their statements must be in harmony, and we’ve seen that they do harmonize. Justification is not by works, but by faith alone! But justification is not by faith which is alone. Saving faith is not a dead, cerebral, inactive faith. True saving faith is a faith that results in a life of obedient works! Saving faith is a faith that works.

By David R. Reid