Scripture Reference: James 2:14-26

The Scriptural Argument – Continued. James now observes that faith and actions (deeds or works) can’t be separated. Faith which is only in the mind is not yet complete; faith starts there, but doesn’t finish there. It becomes complete when it results in a decision of the will and is carried out in action. In this Paul and James agree. Paul is against “works” in Romans 4 and Galatians 3-4 but only so much that the works he is against are “works of the law,” which are those ritual actions such as circumcision, dietary rules and sabbath-keeping which marked out a Jew from a non-Jew. People did not have to become Jews to be counted right with God. Yet when it comes to righteous deeds, Paul does not believe that one will go to heaven without them, as he points out in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21. That is because for Paul faith is not mere belief in orthodox doctrines, as it was for James’ imaginary opponent, but commitment and obedience to Christ. In the eyes of the various Apostles, commitment always does something, it obeys. That is precisely just what James is saying here, faith becomes true faith or complete when it is joined in obedience to Christ.

Now James quotes Genesis 15:6 and sees it fulfilled in Genesis 22. Paul, in Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6, also quotes Genesis 15:6, but Paul is interested in pointing out that God made this statement before Abraham was circumcised. James wants us to know that Abraham’s later actions showed that God’s declaration that he was righteous was accurate. Abraham did indeed live his faith and was in fact righteous. To this James adds a paraphrase of either 2 Chronicles 20:7 or Isaiah 41:8, Abraham was God’s friend. Friends must agree together, and by obeying God all his life, Abraham showed himself a true friend, one who lived in harmony with God.

A person, then, is justified by what he does and not just by faith alone. Paul uses the term “justified” to mean God’s declaration that a sinner has been acquitted. This was a new meaning for the term. James uses the word in its original sense (the one found in the Greek Old Testament), that a person is declared to be just or righteous. This declaration, he argues, does not come about because of what is unseen in a person’s heart, but because of what is seen in a person’s deeds. In essence, James is stating that a person’s hidden faith, is manifested in their deeds or works.

James now turns to a second scriptural passage, the story of Rahab in Joshua 2. This prostitute had heard about God’s deeds and believed in them in her heart. But that was not enough to save her. It may well be that many other people in Jericho believed the same things. Rahab, however, acted on what she believed by protecting the Hebrew spies. Because her faith translated into action, she was delivered. In Jewish eyes she was considered the mother of all who turned to Judaism from paganism, the first example of a convert.

The Conclusion. James’s summary is short, clear and straight to the point. Faith without deeds (or works) is like a corpse, a body without the spirit or breath of life. Such a thing is dead, useless, fit only to be buried. Such a faith will not and cannot save a person. True saving faith is belief which results in works or deeds demonstrating obedience to God. Faith with works results in demonstrating a God who is alive in each of us.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV © 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
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