Doing good works is a very controversial topic among Christians, because they are either overemphasized or underemphasized. It’s hard to find the balance, but the scriptures are the best help, if we’ll listen to them instead of blindly accepting the prejudices of men. There are several factors to consider. On the one hand belief in Jesus is a work.
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29b ESV)
Consensus
The Protestant Reformation emphasized a difference of opinion between Catholics and Protestants on this issue. Yet, if we look closely, there may not be as much difference as we assume.
The Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Faith shown by works has ever been the doctrine of the Catholic Church”. Calvin wrote, “It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone”. Luther is reputed to have written, “We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith.” An Eastern Orthodox comment is, “Rather than separate faith and works, Jesus closely united the two as being definitive to Christian life. That’s the undeniable implication of His great discourse we call ‘Sermon on the Mount.’ ”
Faith without Works
James was inspired to write that saving faith is alway accompanied by some kind of good works such as helping the needy.
“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 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? 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 that there is 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 righteousness.’ 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 NKJV)
Does James contradict the other apostles or complement them? Seemingly contradictory comments in the Bible are two facets of the same jewel. There are no contradictions in scripture.
Salvation & Reward
There is also a difference between salvation and reward. We are saved by faith, but our reward in eternity is lesser or greater, measured by our good works here and now.
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matthew 16:27 KJV)
Should a Christian ignore good works?
“but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:35 WEB)
“... I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.” (Acts 26:20 HCSB)
The Law
Are good works the same as works of the law, obeying the letter of all 613 commandments in the Old Testament? Is there a difference between good works and works of the law?
“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.” (Romans 3:27 NLT)
Is there a kind of righteousness apart from works of the law?
“David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6 NIV).
What about the works of the law?
“yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 ESV)
Righteous by Faith
What is righteousness for the Christian?
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference” (Romans 3:21-22 NKJV)
“So what are we going to say? Gentiles who weren’t striving for righteousness achieved righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith.” (Romans 9:30 CEB)
Living Faith
What then was James talking about? Was it that a fruit of saving faith is good works? Was it that a living faith is alive with good works? How else can we explain the day of judgment?
“I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.” (Revelation 20:12 WEB)
How can we harmonize all these views about faith and works? Can we say that faith without works is dead because good works done with a pure motive are evidence of our participation in salvation and not the cause of it? Maybe this is where Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants agree.
Will you have a change of heart and mind, turning from sin to God, and have faith in Jesus, a living faith alive with good works? You decide!
