In chapter two up to verse 17, James has made the simple argument that we must pay attention to how we respond to the tests of our faith. We must take these tests seriously and set our mind to passing them. Passing a test is an opportunity to do good deeds or good works. In fact, we must set our minds on the goal of living a Christian life that produces good works of faith. By serving in our gift, we seek ways to spread the Gospel and glorify God in all that we do.
James then argues we must be dedicated to this path because we are to be judged accordingly. This judgment is one of works and not a judgment for sin. But, it still brings the possibility of a bad outcome. If we do not show works of mercy, then we should not expect our Judge to show mercy to us. Instead, we will receive a harsh judgment because that will be the outcome for a believer who lives a life absent of good works.
In verse 17, James makes his point clear--if our faith does not yield good works to the glory of God, it is a useless faith. It is useless for others who are in need of our works of charity and service. It is useless to ourselves because our eternal reward is based upon works done in faith. If we arrive at the judgment moment without works, we will come through the judgment moment empty-handed.
Most importantly, a faith absent of works is useless to God. As Jesus says, "Let your light shine before men in a such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). The light is symbol for our faith in the Gospel, and Jesus told us to let our faith shine in such a way that the world sees our good works and glorified God.
As I reflected on this part of James's letter, I was forced to confront my own assumptions I have made about my own life and about Scripture itself. I wondered if I was pleasing the LORD in my works. Is He pleased in my prayer life or in the way in which I spend my money? Is He pleased in the way in which I spend my free time? I found myself asking more and more about what will the LORD say to me on my judgment day about these things.
In terms of Scripture, I found myself taking a second look at a number of passages where Jesus or the New Testament writers tell us to take the judgment seat moment seriously. Paul, for example, describes the judgment seat of Christ in this way:
“Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
Paul says our ambition should be pleasing to Christ, knowing we will be judged by Him and rewarded accordingly. A bad judgment is the result of a Christian who lives a life without striving to please His master--a life lived without fearing the LORD. Paul adds, there can be a bad outcome to that judgment.
Paul begins his next thought..."Knowing the fear of the Lord". Have you ever wondered why Paul was so tireless in his efforts to spread the Gospel? Why did Paul place himself in harms way and endure such misery? And why did he do it so willingly? He says he did it because he knew the fear of the Lord. He let his fear, respect, awe and desire to please His Lord drive him to a life of good works.
3. (James 2:18-19) A living faith cannot be separated from works
But some may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
But some may well say: James, guided by the Holy Spirit, anticipated what some might argue to refute his concerns. James anticipated that some might try to counter his argument and claim that Christians do not need to worry about such things. James speaks as if he were an objector. This verse and many of the verses which follow are often misunderstood among many Christians.
To clear things up, let's ask the question, "How would someone object to James's teaching?” For example, would someone try to contradict James by proposing that it is perfectly OK to have faith but no works? Would anyone ever argue this point? Arguing that faith without works is a perfectly acceptable option for a Christian does not even make sense. So this was not an argument in which James was worried.
Instead, James worried about the opposite argument. He is worried that someone might argue that there is no such thing as a believer who has faith without works. Said another way, James worried that someone might argue that every true believer must produce works. Therefore, a faith that produces no works would not be a true faith. We most likely have heard this teaching sometime during our lives as Christians. James poses this same argument in verse 18.
An objector might say, "You say James that a man may have faith by itself, but can that man show me his faith without his works? The answer is no. How can you show faith without works? You cannot since faith itself is invisible. A believer can only show faith by works. Therefore, a true faith must have works. And if a faith has no works, then it is not a true faith." So, the objector is suggesting that James is worried about something that does not need to be worried about. True faith will always produce works. So, why spend time worrying about people who lack works since they are not believers in the first place.
James wanted to raise this question because he knew that it was a thought in the church, both then and now. And James makes the counter argument to dispel it and to challenge it.
You believe that God is one. You do well: James refutes this argument so powerfully that it will immediately quell anyone who might argue otherwise. James makes an example of the demon realm to disprove the objector's assumption that a sure belief will automatically produce behavior consistent with that belief.
James asks do you believe God is one? He is referring to the Jewish Shema. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The Shema is the fundamental article of faith of Jews and Christians. Both groups believe that if one professes God to be one, that person must have a saving faith. But now James wants the reader to consider whether a strong belief must always result in behavior consistent with that belief. Or, is it possible to have a strong belief and yet still act in ways which were inconsistent with that belief?
To prove his point, James uses an example--the demon world. Demons are fallen angels. They were once in heaven serving God. They know the goodness of God. They understand His power.
The demons also believe, and shudder: James points out that these demons also believe God is one. The "demons" are the unclean spirits of the Gospel. They are not shut up in a dark prison-house. Rather, they are out and about possessing and tormenting men. As such, they too acknowledge the unity and sovereignty of God. But that believe led only to the "shudder" of terror when the Divine name was mentioned whilst they were being excised. (See Matthew 8:29, Mark 9:20 and Mark 9:26.) James does not say that the demons believe in the Gospel. Rather, the demons know that God exists; they know that He is the only true God. They have this knowledge from firsthand experience. It does not require faith on their part. They have seen God. They know He is real. They know that He has real power. They also know that He will be their judge. They know that He will hold them accountable for their sin in rebelling against Him. You see proof of their belief and understanding in the Gospels when Jesus encounters a legion of demons.
"Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, 'What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.' For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' And he said, 'Legion'; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss." (Luke 8:28-31)
Things to note: the demons immediately recognize Jesus. They know Him to be Lord. They call Him by name. They anticipate that Jesus will cast them into the abyss. The demons know all these things. Their belief is 100% sure. They have no doubt about what their future holds. And yet, James says their belief only produces a shudder.
Shudder: A better translation of the Greek would be to quiver in fear. James is saying that these demons are so certain of their coming judgment that they are quivering in fear. Yet, their belief in God did not stop them from rebelling against Him. Their belief did not bring them to repentance. In fact, they continue to rebel day after day.
So, to the objector who says that a true faith will always result in works consistent with that faith, James asks you to consider the demons. Demons know the same thing you know. In a sense, demons have even a better understanding of God than we do. And yet, they are not living a life of good works for God. Should we assume that a believer's belief in God will always compel him to produce good works? The obvious answer is no. There must be a conscious decision to follow that faith with behavior.
Some might argue that Christians are different than the demons because we have the Spirit. And the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ensures we are brought to good works. However, Scripture never makes that promise. It does promise us that the Spirit is a deposit and a guarantee of our future inheritance in Christ. Scripture also teaches clearly that the degree of our inheritance is in our control and not assured. If we are not careful, Paul says in Ephesians 4:30 that a believer can grieve the Spirit. ("Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.")
Others might point to Ephesians 2:10 where Paul says we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Is Paul teaching that a believer's good works are inevitable because God has ordained them to happen? No, Paul is teaching that the course of our works has been established by God, not the inevitability of us following that course. God has already decided what works we are to accomplish to please Him. We cannot decide for ourselves what works please God. But the question remains will I serve Him in those works or do other things that please myself instead?
James warns that it is possible for a Christian to act like the demons. We can know the truth about Jesus, yet, we can still find ways to sin against Him and not live a life pleasing to Him.
If we hold the view that true faith always produces works, we risk making two serious doctrinal errors.
First, this thinking neutralizes the power of James's teaching in chapter two. Slowly but surely, we begin to let ourselves off the very hook James is trying to set in our hearts. Why worry so much about passing tests or serving the needs of our hungry and poor brothers and sisters? What happens to our sense of urgency? Why would we ever need to re-evaluate our lives and question our decisions? Will we not just rest in the confidence that our faith will naturally produce good works? Like a plane on autopilot, we can take in the scenery knowing that we will get to our destination one way or another. This is exactly the kind of complacency James is working to end.
The second problem with this error is even more troubling. Making works a necessary demonstration of saving faith moves us perilously close to a Gospel of works. We suggest to believers that there is something we must do to ensure our salvation. Fortunately, James makes it clear that he is not arguing for such a view by using two Scripture examples.
4. (James 2:20-24) Abraham as an example of living faith
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Faith without works is useless: James will now use Scripture to demonstrate what he has already said about the character of a living faith, showing that a faith that is not accompanied with works is a dead faith that cannot save. James states that the faith is useless--not absent, false or fake. It is just of no use to anyone.
Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac: As confusing as this verse can be to some Bible students, the proper interpretation is fairly easy. It rests on the understanding of the word justified. The words always means righteous; it does not mean to make someone righteous. In Genesis 15, God declared Abraham to be righteous on the basis of his faith. ("Then he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" Genesis 15:6.) In Genesis 22, Abraham was declared to be righteous by his works. In Genesis 15, it was God's judgment that Abraham be counted as righteous. But in Genesis 22, it was Abraham's turn to make that declaration himself through his own actions. And his obedient actions had the effect of declaring the same things that were already true from God's perspective. James is not saying that Abraham was more righteous by his actions. It is just that his actions become his testimony about his faith.
Faith was perfected: The Greek word for perfected is teleloo, which means brought to its intended end or reaching of a goal. In other words, Abraham's faith had accomplished the work that God had purposed for Abraham's life. And as a result of Abraham's good work, God's earlier declaration of Abraham's righteousness was fulfilled.
Scripture was fulfilled: The Greek word for fulfilled is pleroo, which means to bring to an end or to make complete. Abraham had brought to completion the work God began in declaring Abraham righteous by faith.
5. (James 2:25-26) Rahab as an example of living faith
In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Rahab: Rahab was the prostitute who believed in the testimony of the Jews concerning God's plans to destroy her hometown of Jericho. When Joshua sent spies into the land, she hid them from the king of Jericho. Her kindness to those messengers was a meaningful act of mercy to men she should have seen as enemies. Because she acted on her faith, the spies assured her that she would be saved when the city was to be destroyed. She could have remained silent. She still would have believed the God of Israel. But, if she had not acted on that faith to protect the spies, then she would have lost her earthly life in the invasion.
James's point is there are benefits for God's glory when we act on our faith and perform works. There are personal benefits when we act on our faith and do the works that our faith requires. In Rahab's case, the reward was her life was spared when Israel defeated Jericho. Moreover, her name was preserved in Scripture. She was the mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Thus, Rahab acquired an extremely important lineage, the lineage leading to Jesus.
James is very kind in ending his examples with Rahab. If he had ended with his example of Abraham, perhaps we would have wondered if this goal was out of reach for us. Only men of Abraham's stature could obtain such a testimony. But then there is Rahab--a harlot. If she could act on her faith in a simple way, taking in strangers to her home, perhaps we can do the same.
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead: As much as you can have a body with no life, so you can have a faith with no life...and a faith without works is a dead faith, unable to save. Notice James does not deny that it is faith. Rather, he simply indicated that it is not the right kind of faith. The faith is not living. We can think of faith like an apple tree. Where is the life of the tree? Is it in the root? It is in the roots and underneath in the bark of the tree trunk. Although the tree displays apples in season, the life of the tree is not in the apples. But, if the tree is alive, it will produce apples.
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