Is there any more important question we need to have the right answer for than
that? Does the book of James contradict other
Scriptures where it says “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone. Ephesians 2:8-9, for example, says that we
are saved by grace through faith and not of works. In Romans 3:20 we read that by the works of
the Law no one will be justified, and Galatians 2:16 tells us that a person is
not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul cites Abraham as the showcase example of a person being justified by faith and not by works of the Law (which had not even been given yet) because he believed God when He promised to make of him a great nation. His belief alone was counted to him as righteousness in God’s sight (Genesis 15:6). In Romans 4:1-5, Paul quotes this Old Testatment passage and adds, “Now to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.”
However, James uses the same example, quoting the very same passage to conclude, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” (James 2:21). Those who wish to relegate the Bible to a book of myths love to find apparent contradictions like this to discredit its reliability, otherwise they would be compelled to take it more seriously. But is this really a contradiction, or is there a problem with our interpretation? If we truly believe the Bible to be God’s Word, we stand under its authority. If not, we make ourselves judges of the Word and everyone becomes his own authority.
It has been said the Bible is its own best commentary. That means we should use related scripture passages to shed light on a passage that we want to understand, but we must also be careful to look at the full context of each passage when we compare. In this case I believe the key to solving the apparent dilemma is found in the verses around James 2:21.
In verse 18 he writes, “But 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.’” The operative word here is “show”. You and I cannot see another person’s faith directly. Now, God looks on the heart and actually “sees” faith, but we can only observe what a person does. Therefore, we know about Abraham’s faith only through his actions.
In verse 22, James says, “You see that faith was working with his [Abraham’s] works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.” Again, in verse 24 he concludes, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” This time the related operative word is “see”. We can only see the works, not the faith alone. Thus, when we see a person’s works we see the evidence of his faith, which we cannot see.
Two further points of clarification... Where Paul has written about justification, the context is consistently that of being justified before God. It is God who declares a person to be righteous (justified) on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ alone. In the James passage, however, the context is that of being seen as justified in the sight of men. He is not addressing works as a means of salvation but as the results of authentic faith observable to a watching world.
The second point is that true faith will be always be accompanied by confirming works, not like the demons that believe and tremble but have no good works. Such “faith” is dead and not faith at all.
The bottom line: If we truly have saving faith in Jesus Christ, our lives will evidence that faith through good works that can be clearly seen by others. Conversely, if they do not show good works, we should examine ourselves to be sure our faith is truly a conviction of the heart and not merely a mental assent to the truth of the Gospel.
The apostle Paul cites Abraham as the showcase example of a person being justified by faith and not by works of the Law (which had not even been given yet) because he believed God when He promised to make of him a great nation. His belief alone was counted to him as righteousness in God’s sight (Genesis 15:6). In Romans 4:1-5, Paul quotes this Old Testatment passage and adds, “Now to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.”
However, James uses the same example, quoting the very same passage to conclude, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” (James 2:21). Those who wish to relegate the Bible to a book of myths love to find apparent contradictions like this to discredit its reliability, otherwise they would be compelled to take it more seriously. But is this really a contradiction, or is there a problem with our interpretation? If we truly believe the Bible to be God’s Word, we stand under its authority. If not, we make ourselves judges of the Word and everyone becomes his own authority.
It has been said the Bible is its own best commentary. That means we should use related scripture passages to shed light on a passage that we want to understand, but we must also be careful to look at the full context of each passage when we compare. In this case I believe the key to solving the apparent dilemma is found in the verses around James 2:21.
In verse 18 he writes, “But 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.’” The operative word here is “show”. You and I cannot see another person’s faith directly. Now, God looks on the heart and actually “sees” faith, but we can only observe what a person does. Therefore, we know about Abraham’s faith only through his actions.
In verse 22, James says, “You see that faith was working with his [Abraham’s] works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.” Again, in verse 24 he concludes, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” This time the related operative word is “see”. We can only see the works, not the faith alone. Thus, when we see a person’s works we see the evidence of his faith, which we cannot see.
Two further points of clarification... Where Paul has written about justification, the context is consistently that of being justified before God. It is God who declares a person to be righteous (justified) on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ alone. In the James passage, however, the context is that of being seen as justified in the sight of men. He is not addressing works as a means of salvation but as the results of authentic faith observable to a watching world.
The second point is that true faith will be always be accompanied by confirming works, not like the demons that believe and tremble but have no good works. Such “faith” is dead and not faith at all.
The bottom line: If we truly have saving faith in Jesus Christ, our lives will evidence that faith through good works that can be clearly seen by others. Conversely, if they do not show good works, we should examine ourselves to be sure our faith is truly a conviction of the heart and not merely a mental assent to the truth of the Gospel.
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