Sermon on James and Faith
In the English language, there are many different applications of the word “work”. My children just finished some lovely artwork. I like hamburgers with “the works”. It’s almost the 4th of July, and I’m looking foreword to both a day of from work, and also lighting off some fireworks. Not all work is the same, yet we all understand what is meant in the above examples. The key to our understanding is the context in which the word is used.
Are there different levels and types of faith? I submit that faith in the tooth fairy is different than faith in Jesus Christ. Each believer is at a different point in their walk of faith. To each believer is given a measure of faith. Not all faith is the same.
However, when James writes in his epistle about work and faith, we tend to error in that we assign a certain meaning to both of the key words. Many tend to assign the word “work” in the writing of James the same meaning as the writing of Paul. In respect to the word faith, we often tend to lump all types of faith into this one particular instance. These errors are common, and when we go down this path we miss the point of James entirely.
It is commonly held that there are three components to faith. The first component is knowledge, or understanding what the object of faith is. Somehow our culture has approved of faith in a generic sense, especially if we make no demands on that faith and discuss it no further. When one says “I have faith” we are to nod our heads in approval, as if the matter is sealed, and move on to another subject. But if I ask you if you have faith in the doctrine of impeccability, before you commit yourself to it, you would ask me “what is that?” To really have faith in something, one needs to understand the object of that faith, or in other words, be able to answer the question, “faith in what?”.
The second component of faith is ascent, or agreement. Now that we know what the specific object of faith is in question, we have to make a judgment upon it. Is it true or not? This can be largely an intellectual exercise. There are many who believe that Jesus was born, spoke profound things, and died on the cross. Many even agree that he rose from the grave. But as we will see, if our faith only goes this far it has fallen short of it’s goal.
The third component of faith is trust and reliance upon the object of our faith. To put it in material terms, I trust that my car will get me to work in the morning, and I rely upon it. I walk out of the house expecting that when I turn the key, the engine will start and the car will take me to work. If I didn’t trust and rely upon my car, I’d allow an extra hour just in case it didn’t start, and maybe I’d be able to fix it. Or if I really didn’t trust my car, I’d call a taxi before even putting the key into the ignition. But every morning, I trust and rely upon my car, that when I need it, it will do what I need it to do. Without this third component of trust and reliance, faith is incomplete.
The key to understanding the second chapter of James is this: what is the context of faith and works that James talks about? James 2:14 starts the literary unit. Note that James is bringing up a particular example of faith. The important thing to note is that this particular man claims to have faith. Does that mean that his faith is a complete faith in Christ? In verse 19, James notes that even the demons believe that there is one God. Yet we would not claim to have a faith on an equal footing as that of demons. The faith of this particular man, about which James writes, is an incomplete faith.
The faith of demons only has two of the three components of faith. They understand the content of the Bible. The demons have knowledge about God. They have seen him face to face. Demons can see the spiritual with their own eyes. James states that they believe what they see and know about God. Yet there is one component of faith that is lacking. The demons to not trust and rely upon God. And when James is relating to faith in this literary unit, he is referring to just such a faith which is lacking in trust and reliance upon Jesus.
James asks if someone who is not moved to have compassion to share with those who lack basic needs, if that person has a faith which saves. This is a good question. If a faith is powerful enough to transfer someone from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, does that faith not have the power to spur a little compassion and compel that person to share a loaf of bread? James begins to provide two pictures of faith. As we can see from the upcoming context about the faith of demons, the person described here is not lacking works but is lacking a real faith. The faith that lacks trust and reliance upon Jesus also will lack works. It is implied that the faith that saves comes in the same package as the one in which good works are evidenced.
Many have given James the unofficial role of protector of the doctrine of salvation by works. This is an error in interpretation. In 2:5 he writes, “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” Admittedly the context is that James is scolding those who would show preferential treatment to one over another just because of their economic status. But anyone must agree that James is at least giving a firm nod to the doctrine of justification by faith. Note that the poor did not work for the kingdom, but were promised the kingdom. Faith and love are the only prerequisites that one can derive from this passage. How then could James turn around and deny what he says here, and in the same chapter?
When James uses the word “works”, or ergon in the Greek, there is a much different sense from that of Paul. The word has several shades of meaning, and context is the key as to which shade the author is using. Paul almost always uses “works” in the negative sense, namely that of doing something to try to gain or maintain a state of justification before God. James uses “works” in the positive sense, as a manifestation of a true faith which God has given. The “works” is a manifestation of faith; if there is no faith, there are no works which would be acceptable to God.
The other contrast between James and Paul is that Paul often refers to works of the Law. In contrast, James uses Abraham as one of his examples. Of course Abraham lived before Moses and before the revelation of the Law. Therefore, James could not have been referring to any aspect of the Law, but was instead referring to the manifestation of a God given faith.
In verse 18 James makes an interesting point about faith manifesting itself. Faith is indeed visible, but the results of faith are not. Acts of faith reveal the faith that God has placed inside of us. The point needs to be made here that faith is a virtue from God. Ephesians 2:10 is one of many scripture references that teach us that faith is from God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
James is not comfortable in dealing with the abstract for very long. He is practical. He wants to know the use of something, or in other words, “what good is it?” He would be a hard person to buy a birthday present for. He’d want a tool- unwrapped, no card. “What good is a card?”, he would say. This is in contrast to Paul, who is comfortable in the abstract, and is happy to follow rabbit trails of logic and theology.
In respect to faith, James is much happier with the visible and tangible affect of faith. Imagine if John 3:16 only said “God so loved the world.” This would be a nice sentiment, but it would be shallow and not very believable when life is not going well. However, when God proved His love by sending His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for sinners, His love is demonstrated objectively and clearly. The act revealed the spiritual reality. In the same way, the acts of the faithful man reveal the spiritual reality of that faith that God has placed there.
This reality is truly for our individual benefit. God does not need to test us. He is able to judge the heart and know what is inside. Technically he knew what was inside from the beginning of the world. We also do not need to perform deeds of faith to prove anything to others or impress them. Great acts of faith can encourage, but because they spring from the faith God has given, all the glory belongs to Him. The results of our faith are to reveal what God, through His sovereign will, has placed within us.
James gives several examples of great faith being manifested. Abraham believed that God would give him an heir, even though, according to the book of Hebrews, he was “as good as dead”. God answered Abraham by a miracle. Then he told Abraham to kill the very miracle which God provided. “He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” (Hebrews 11:18) Abraham acted out of faith and believed that if he did indeed kill Isaac, that God could raise him again. What faith! And how would we have known the faith that God gave Abraham, if it was not displayed through it’s results and recorded for our sake?
Rahab the Harlot was justified the same way that Abraham was. I’m sure that this did not score many points with James primarily Jewish-Christian audience. Rahab lived within a walled city, yet she was more afraid of the power of God than she was secure in the brick and mortar of the city. Rahab recounted God’s great acts of drying up the Red Sea and defeating the kings of the Amorites. She declared that “the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below”. (Joshua 2:11b) Based on her faith in the LORD to overthrow her city, Rahab asked for her life. In the manner of the Old Testament, she was redeemed. Her faith was given evidence through her actions.
In both of these examples, we can imagine what Abraham and Rahab would have done if they did not have faith. Abraham would have gone out of his way to protect Isaac if he were acting out of fear rather than faith. Rahab would have turned the spies in if she had any confidence that the walls and the army of Jericho would have protected her. But through faith she put her confidence in the LORD.
At last we come to the verse that has made James famous. “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” When the context of this verse is considered, it is clear that James is not discounting faith, but he is warning against the false variety of it.
The important contextual points are: 1) James has given a “nod” to salvation by faith in verse 2:5. 2) James is presenting the person who “says” he has faith. This faith falls incomplete, lacking trust and reliance on Jesus, and mirrors the faith that even the demons have (v. 2:19). 3) The works are not works of the law, but are the proof/manifestation of faith. Faith originates with God, and in the manifestation of this faith, all the glory belongs to God alone.
In can now clearly be seen that James does not diminish faith in any way. In fact it could be said that by discerning between true and false faith, James upholds and protects the Biblical model of faith. True faith is given by God and is revealed as it is manifested in the life of the one who has received that faith. There is also a false faith, which does not trust or rely upon God, and this faith is not manifested. The true faith from God is a saving faith, the other is not. James asks a question of a particular man in 2:14, “what good is this man’s faith?” He answers his own question in verse 2:24, “You see that a person is justified by what he does [manifestation of a saving faith] and not by [saying that he has] faith alone.
There can be no conflict in the Bible. There are areas of tension, grey areas, and periods before and after convenents and promises. Yet there can be no polar opposites. The Bible cannot say we are saved by faith through grace at one point, and then say that we are not saved by faith but by works in another. The clear teaching of the rest of Scripture is that we are saved through faith, by the Grace of God.
Paul is very clear to say that it is grace by which we are saved. Some try to define grace, or xariti, as the supernatural enabling by God for us to keep the Law, and therefore be saved. This enabling is one definition of grace. But Paul is very clear to spell out what aspect of grace he is talking about. “Not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) We are saved by the unmerited favor of God.
There is no other mechanism for being saved other than by grace through faith. Once saved we do not convert to a system of being saved by works. The word seswsmenoi is in the perfect tense, meaning it took place in the past but the affect remains today. In other words, I was saved by grace through faith, and today we are being saved by grace through faith.
James calls the bluff of the man who says “I have faith”, but has no manifestation of faith. Many people today say that they have faith and deceive themselves into thinking that they are “covered” spiritually because of their empty profession. The faith that saves, the real faith from God, manifests itself in our lives.
Growing in faith is key to the Christian life. Learning to make more decisions by faith is a sign of growing in faith. We will be challenged in life, but how will we respond. Will we make decisions based on anger, bitterness, fear, or faith? Think back to decisions that you made. Why did you make that particular one? How many can you trace back and say, “I did that because of faith”?
Do you lack works of faith? Then do not manufacture good works, as if you had faith. Good works alone won’t get you to heaven. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6a) Pray to God for a true faith, one that includes trusting and relying on Jesus Christ for your salvation and in your life decisions.
Remember that we are always dependent upon the grace of God, by the vehicle of faith, for our salvation. This gift is not because of any other factor besides the grace and mercy of God, and His sovereign choice. Salvation is never due to our selves. Keeping this relationship clear keeps Jesus as our Lord and Savior, rather than our selves.
Also be clear that we are not saved to enjoy a “free ride”. Just because we are saved does not mean that the world will fall into place as if by magic. There is plenty of work to do, so do it! There is no room for sloth in the kingdom of God. After the great discourse of being saved by grace through faith, Paul is quick to add that God has prepared good works for us to do. So lets do them!
