James: A Faith That Works, pt. 1

Over the centuries, humankind has passed along a lot of wisdom from generation to generation through truisms or proverbs. But many of these “words to the wise,” while they seem to contradict each other, are both true, such as:   

• “Look before you leap” and “He who hesitates is lost.”
• “Better to be safe than sorry” and “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

While we can easily overlook the apparent contradiction of proverbs by saying their interpretation depends on the context, the tension can be much harder to overlook when it’s in an area as fundamental as the doctrine of salvation.

For example, Paul writes in Romans 3:28, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”

But in James 2:24 we read: “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

At first blush, these statements seem to be quite contradictory.  But rather than contradict one another, the teachings of Paul and James actually complement one another.

PAUL  /   JAMES

• Stresses the root of salvation  / Stresses the fruit of salvation
• Works are not in order to / Works are because of
• Focuses on God’s declaration  / Focuses on our validation
• We are saved by faith alone!  /  The faith that saves is never alone!

Paul wanted to get people out of the “performance plan” – a faulty theology that believed if they fulfilled enough religious rituals and kept enough of the rules that God would sort of weigh the good versus the bad and judge them accordingly. 

But the “performance plan” simply doesn’t hold water. Our sinfulness is SO profound and God’s standards have been SO mocked that no amount of doing rituals or obeying rules after the fact can erase that.

God’s Word is very clear on this: “The soul that sins shall die.” “The wages of sin is death.”

This is why Jesus voluntarily stepped up on our behalf. Though totally sinless, He incurred our judgment, paid our penalty, and died in our place.

This act opened the door of salvation for us, but only if we respond to God’s offer of grace and by faith embrace Jesus as our Savior.

James’ audience was facing a different challenge. Though they had heard the gospel message and even responded to it, their lives had not changed. There was no evidence of the transformational power of Jesus.

How many times, when pressed about their faith, do people say, “I believe in God!”  But James says, “Good for you. So do the demons. They believe and tremble.”

The fact is no one believes in God more than Satan and his demons. But they aren’t part of God’s family. Why? Because belief that doesn’t result in repentance is worthless.   

While we are in fact saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone. Genuine faith not only should but will produce the fruit of good works. 

When that fruit, over time, isn’t seen...when there is no change in values, attitudes, or behaviors... when there are no “good works” then, according to James, you need do some serious soul-searching.             

 

Text: James 2:14-19 

Originally recorded on March 21, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN