By Kyle Beshears
Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
With Works
James 2:14–26
Dead Faith (14–17)
“Wait a minute,” you might have just said to yourself. “I thought we were saved by faith alone absent works.” After all, the Apostle Paul was adamant that “a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rom. 3:28). How do we square away this seeming contradiction between James and Paul? The answer lies all the way back in the first verse of the first chapter of the Book of James.
This letter was written to a specific group of people: “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad (James 1:1),” i.e., Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus spread throughout the Roman Empire. They struggled with how works related to their new-found faith in Christ, presuming a grace of forgiveness without the good works that follow. Paul, on the other hand, often wrote about works-based righteousness, a “Jesus plus” forgiveness and maintenance of salvation.
Paul and James were not at odds with one another as rivals; rather, they stood back-to-back, fighting different heresies as brothers. While Paul combated works-righteousness, James challenged inactive faith. The one thing that unites them both is belief in Christ as our reason, source and power for good works. James warns that a faith that doesn’t move is like a body that doesn’t move — it’s dead.
Working Faith (18–19)
So, what does active faith look like? “Perhaps,” thought James’ readers, “there is a kind of faith that saves even if we fail to act with good works.” Obviously that’s not the case and James says as much. After all what good is a faith based solely on a knowledge of God without the motivation to pursue after Him in word and deed?
As a reality check James points out the obvious — demons have that same kind of faith and they’re certainly not saved. In fact Satan knows God well, much better than we can ever know Him on this side of eternity. Knowledge doesn’t save us. Our faith in Christ alone for salvation saves us and our knowledge follows.
The difference between us and the enemy is obedience; he will not obey God but by the power of the Holy Spirit we can obey God. Our faith cannot be separated from our living, lest we more closely resemble God’s enemies than His sons and daughters.
Saving Faith (20–26)
Again it seems like James and Paul are at odds but as we saw earlier that’s simply not the case. Instead, James is demonstrating to the Jewish believers that the forefather of their nation, Abraham, exhibited a faith that worked.
James casts our minds back to the story of Abraham who first believed God, which “was counted to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6; James 2:22−23), and then worked out of that faith (Gen. 22; James 2:21). What if Abraham believed without acting? Where would the story have gone?
James brings up a second example, perhaps for those Gentiles listening in to the conversation who have so far excused themselves from the instruction. Rahab, a Gentile prostitute, demonstrated the same kind of active faith that saves.
She believed in God and what He was doing. Using His name she confessed to the people, “I know that the Lord has given you this land” (Josh. 2:9).
Her faith motivated her to act, saving two spies in Jericho and securing a victory for Israel. What if Rahab believed without acting? Where would the story have gone?
Reflecting on this passage in James we ought to ask the same questions of our own faith. Do I believe without acting? If so, where does the story end?
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