Call to Commitment

 

James 2:14-26

 

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

15. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 

16. and one of you says 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? 

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

18. 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. 

19. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 

20. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 

22. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 

23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." And he was called the friend of God. 

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

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

 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

 An ineffective faith. Let every critic of James, no matter who he may be, examine carefully his teaching, and he will see that his doctrine is very constructive and positive concerning faith. He does confront an ineffectual faith, unable to save, but also presents a true faith. We could say that James shows that works are the fruit of true faith. Speaking of faith without works, I notice that the English Standard Version, the American Standard Version and the Amplified Bible, add the word that to faith in verse 14, asking the question, “Can that faith save him?” These translations would indicate that there are different kinds of faith and we will learn that they come from different sources. 

 

 Particularly, the apostle refers to the faith that is not moved to help the “naked and destitute,” among brothers and sisters in verses 15 and 16. Does it do any good to pronounce a word of faith without lending a hand to help them? There are doctrines, which claim that pronouncing a word of faith is enough to alleviate the need. James contradicts that teaching and actually ridicules the “faith” that speaks without action. Do we need to be reminded that his is the word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit?

 Have you heard an illustration stating that we all have faith? For instance, we all need and have faith, in order to sit in a chair. You place your faith in the chair. Then, I have heard, that when you board an airplane, sit down, and buckle your seatbelt, you are exercising faith in the plane and the pilot and, I suppose, that is totally true. But this example describes a natural, human faith and here is where the illustration goes awry… We are told to exercise that same faith in Christ and depend on Him to get us to our heavenly destination.

 Can that faith, inherent in human beings, save? I will submit that it cannot, and anyone depending on his faith to get to heaven is standing on shaky ground. Remember, when the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith and Jesus replied that they needed the faith of a grain of mustard seed (Lk.17:5,6)? Was that, or was that not, a correction, regarding their request? It seems to be an obvious correction. They are asking for a greater measure of faith, and Jesus speaks of faith like a very tiny mustard seed. They do not need more faith, but a different kind of faith.

 Having made that point, I am obligated to continue and define the faith that saves. Paul teaches in Romans 10:17 that faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. In every version that I have seen in English, the translators insert the word comes … “faith comes by hearing.” That suggests that saving faith is not inherent in the human being, but it comes to him. The source of faith is the word of God, but another factor comes into play, before the seeker can experience the faith that is in the word. That factor is hearing.

 Just as there are different kinds of faith with different sources for each kind, we already learned in chapter 1 that there are different ways to hear. We mentioned that Jesus said, according to Luke 8:18, “Take heed how you hear.” Jesus showed that some do not have that capacity, so that they hear in vain. Jesus said to the multitudes, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Most of them did not have those kinds of ears, for Jesus told his disciples, who gathered around Him, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that… ‘hearing they may hear and not understand’” (Mk.4:9-12). Without ears to hear, saving faith, found in the word, was not attained.

James challenges the person who claims to have faith, but has nothing to show for it. We do not read that this one is particularly sinful, but only that he is totally unproductive. Is a lack of productivity a sin and a serious offense to God? Jesus told the parable of three servants who received talents from their lord, with which to work, while he went on a journey. We will only tell the fate of the third, who hid his talent. When his lord came, he still had the talent… he did not lose it, but the lord said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant… You ought to have (at least) deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest… Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt.25:14-30). Hell is a huge garbage pit for all that is unprofitable to God.

A dead faith. True faith is not for our selfish desires, but is the only means, by which we can carry out God’s purposes. Read Hebrews 11 to see how the people in the Old Testament moved His plan forward by faith. Human faith is as dead toward God, as is the sinner in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). That faith died along with Adam, and cannot produce for God (17, 1 Co.15:12).

An invisible faith. True faith is alive and productive; the one who has it, does not only claim it, he demonstrates to the world that there is faith within. The seed of faith is invisible, but it germinates and sprouts above ground, producing visible works and revealing its unseen source (18).

A diabolical faith. To challenge the one, who thinks he has faith, because he believes that God exists, James brings up another source of faith. It is active in the kingdom of darkness. There are no atheistic or agnostic demons.There is not a demon in hell, which does not know and recognize that there is a God. The degree of their faith is so intense that they tremble (19)! They recognized Christ, when He walked on earth, although the people did not: “In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!" (Lk.4:34). They know Him, they even know His work on the cross, but they do not submit to Him. Jesus does not need the testimony of demons and commanded him to be still (Lk.4:35).

  Paul also was grieved by the testimony of demons: “… A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us… This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her" (Ac.16:16-18).

A sterile faith. James sees that it is foolish to think, that divine faith can exist without works. He repeats in verse 20, what he already said in verse 17, that only dead faith does not work. Nothing is said in this book, recommending the Jewish works of the law, nor the dead works of the religionist. The Jews’ attempts to keep the law were ineffective, because they were not founded in faith, and the efforts by the religious are dead works, resulting from dead faith. They are vain, because they strive within the realm of human possibilities and never accomplish the works of God.

 Examples are very helpful in giving us understanding. Sometimes teaching leaves us short of a comprehension of spiritual truth, until an example is given. An internal light comes on and instantly, we understand. The two examples that James gives at the end of his lesson, have been very helpful to me… the accounts of Abraham and Rahab.

 Could we ask the question, concerning Abraham in verse 21, another way?  Was Abraham performing a good work, “which God prepared beforehand that (he) should walk in” (Eph.2:10), when he offered Isaac on the altar? This is something far beyond random attempts of Christians to look for something constructive to do, because they know that they are required to do good works. No, this “good work” was part of God’s pre-ordained purpose for Abraham’s life. It was a mighty work, ordered by God, followed by Abraham’s obedience, demonstrating, prophetically, the Father’s work in giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin.

 Some find this account of Abraham and Isaac abhorrent; I see it as one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. Here is a man, who loved God, more than his only son, and out of that love, he took him to Mount Moriah. He got up early to obey the Lord and considered the task before him, an act of worship (see Ge.22:3,5). This story is part of the inspired revelation of the divine purpose that we read throughout the Old Testament.

A perfected faith. A living, vibrant faith sprang from his love… “faith was working together with his works” (22). True faith and living works always come in one package… never one without the other. The perfection in this verse speaks of completeness; faith is not complete or perfect, until works make it visible. Faith gives birth to works, and works perfect or complete faith. 

 Now, the promise to Abraham was fulfilled and complete, and by his obedience, he manifested his love relationship with God… “he was called the friend of God” (23-24). Read this carefully: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (He.11:17-19).

 John Wesley explains very clearly both James and Paul’s viewpoints on faith and works: ““You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” - St. Paul, on the other hand, declares, "A man is justified by faith," and not by works, Rom 3:28. And yet there is no contradiction between the apostles: because, they do not speak of the same faith: St. Paul speaking of living faith; St. James here, of dead faith. They do not speak of the same works: St. Paul speaking of works antecedent to faith; St. James, of works subsequent to it.”

A merciful, living faith. In Rahab, we have a clear example of a work “prepared beforehand by God” through the life of this Jericho harlot. God gave to a pagan woman, raised in idolatry, an opportunity to be part of the plan of the God of Israel. He revealed Himself to her and separated her from her fellow citizens. All in Jericho feared, when they heard of Israel’s miraculous feats against their enemies, but she feared with faith. Two Israelite spies came to her door and she helped them, risking her life in doing so. Rahab had them swear by their God, that they would be merciful to her and her household, thereby showing that she knew Him as a God of mercy. As with Abraham, her ‘good work’ was a ministry and a fulfillment of God’s purpose for her life (25). 

These examples show what is meant by ‘good works,’ as they relate to a Christian. They are “prepared beforehand by God,” and are not carnal, human efforts to try to please Him. They are gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Co.3:12), performed under the anointing of the Holy Spirit that build the Kingdom of God. I repeat, true faith and living works come in a package. James compares them to a united body and soul, and the body, without the soul, cannot survive (26).