Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…
A Faith That Works
James 2:14-26 EVS
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
23and 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.
24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25And 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?
26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
II Corinthians 5:17
7Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
The value and the truth of the Biblical doctrine of justification needs no apology or defense. The fact that must be recognized is that it is not the only truth about our salvation, and it does not stand alone. But having said the above I would certainly agree with George Sayles Bishop, “Better bad works on these grounds (true faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ) than good works on any other.”
A fair look at James 2:14-26 tells us the one who is justified has faith. This faith is a result of regeneration. The new creature who has faith has the bondage of sin broken and has a new character that loves God and His Law. This new character is always there in the believer and it is always active, objective, and visible.
There is no Biblical salvation in which forgiveness of sin exists in isolation. Justification is always and only by faith without the work of the Law. This faith is a result of the new creation, II Cor. 5:17. And in the same instant he believes and is justified he has a new disposition which is the law-keeper of James, I Peter and I John.
Justification must always be defined as without the works of the Law, and it is only the “new creation” who believes. The “new creation” of II Cor. 5:17 is James’ subject in 2:14-26. Just as justification is in this life invisible, the “new creation” is in this life without contradiction visible.
Abraham’s faith was in God’s promise. His sacrifice of Isaac was the certain consequence of his faith. It was a visible demonstration of supreme love for God. Rahab’s faith in God led her to rescue the Hebrew spies. Her act of sacrifice was the visible demonstration of her love for her neighbor.
In both instances their faith became visible by their obedience to the law of God. Abraham’s faith was no more or no different when he sacrificed the ram God provided. But to all history following it was more certain because of the trial he faced. Cf James 1:3, 12.
