Faith and Works Part 2

Journey through James:2:20-26

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”⁠—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. — James 2:20-26

Faith without works is not genuine faith. This is the point that James is making. Abraham had genuine faith when he believed God’s promises. The genuineness of his faith was shown when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac. That action showed that Abraham had complete faith and trust in God. Paul makes it very clear that Abraham was not saved by his works:

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.— Romans 4:2-4

Abraham did not earn his salvation through his works. James is showing us that Abraham showed the genuineness of his faith through his works. Abraham’s actions showed that his faith was in God and not in himself or his works. Abraham was not willing to sacrifice Isaac because he thought that might earn him good standing with God; rather, he was willing to offer Isaac because he had complete faith in God.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.— Hebrews 11:17-19

Rahab also demonstrated her faith by the actions she took to protect the spies. By protecting the spies she showed that her faith was genuine. She was not just saying the right things, she backed her words up with action. She did not earn her salvation by a heroic deed. Through faith in God, she took courageous action which led to saving her life and the lives of her family members. 

James is not saying that we can earn our salvation through hard work and valiant effort. However, he is saying that some claim to have faith yet their actions and lifestyle remain unchanged. Too often in our culture, the message is preached that God loves you as you are and stops there. This gives the implication that God loves us in our sin and we don’t need to change because He already loves us. The gospel tells us that God loved us and sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. But He did not send His Son to die so that we could keep living the same sin-stained life. Jesus died so that we could have true life in Him. True faith in Christ will lead to radical change and new priorities. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.— 2 Corinthians 5:17