December 12th~Faith and Works

James 1:1-3:18

We began the book of James, which is a lot like drinking from a fire hydrant. Every sentence of his letter is loaded with wise counsel, like the Proverbs. We could spend several months unpacking it all; and, yet, I have the task of summarizing it in a day. Therefore, I am going to focus on what I believe is the heart of the book, that faith without works is dead (2:14-26).

Now, I realize that stating that principle may cause confusion. Does James mean to say that we are saved by our works? Is he insinuating somehow that without works we can lose our salvation? Paul wrote that we are saved by faith alone. Is James now saying that we must have faith plus works? As you can see, we must be careful here not to wander off into error.

The key to understanding the entire passage is in the first verse. “Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone” (v.14). James does not say that these people have genuine saving faith, but, rather, he says that they claim to have faith. Anyone can simply claim to have faith but that does not mean that they truly have faith. So then, how are we supposed to be able to tell if someone has saving faith? Their actions.

James is not suggesting that works are a means to earn salvation; rather, he is saying that works are a means of evidence for one’s salvation. For one to say that he has faith (or that he is a Christian) and, yet, to have no evidence in his life of his salvation, is a sign that his “faith” is not saving faith. To claim justification (right standing with God) apart from sanctification (conforming to the image of Christ) is a nullification of the claim. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone, but that faith will not remain alone; it will produce good works.

Daily Reflection

What Christ has done in your life internally (making you a new creature) should be evident in your life externally. To say that you love people and yet demonstrate no compassion for those in need is to live in a way that contradicts your claim (v.15, 16). Do you know anyone who claims to be a Christian but whose life gives no evidence of his claim? Could others say the same about you?

Now, take what you know in the plain teaching of Scripture and make sense of James’ examples of Abraham and Rahab (v.21-26). “So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so faith is dead without good deeds” (v.24, 26). What is James saying here?

Could a person be in Christ, having rightstanding with God and eternal life secured in Him, and still not exhibit visible evidence in his life of this transformation? Explain your answer.

“Don’t hide your light under a basket! Put it on a stand and let your good deeds shine out for all to see...” (Matthew 5:15, 16).

BiAY.org | Day 346 — 19 Days to Go