Faith & Works

[Chad]

James 2:14-26

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

14Dear 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. 15Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.

18Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

19Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 20Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

21Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did--by his actions. 23And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called "the friend of God." 24So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions--when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

James calls a person "foolish" for seperating faith and works. He uses the faith and obedience of Abraham's near sacrifice of his son Isaac as an example. Faith and works go hand in hand. Faith produces work and works makes faith perfect (mature / complete). Ultimately faith and works is trust in GOD through love and obedience.

 

[DanV]

That post, above, was so complete that I thought I would repeat most of it with a different slant.

Paul's doctrine of Justification by Faith, and James' doctrine of Justification by Works, are suppplementary, not contradictory. Neither was opposing the teaching of the other.

Paul preached Faith as the basis of justification before God, but insisted that it must issue in the right kind of Life. James was writing to those who had accepted the doctrine of Justification by Faith but were not Living Right, telling them that such Fairth was No Faith at all.

Let's judge for ourselves. Is Faith Without Works Dead?

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe there is only one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteouness." And he was called the friend of God.

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - James 2:14-26.

God Bless