Look at our text Scriptures again. Wow,
what an apparent contradiction? Are we saved by faith alone, by works, or by
both? This debate has been going on for the past 2,000 years since the Word of
God was completed in 96 AD. Legendary father (and
heretic) of the
Reformation Movement, Martin Luther, rejected the book of James because he could
not reconcile the teachings of Paul in Romans with the seemingly contradictory
teachings of James.“ ”
In particular, the Epistle of James has caused quite theological stir, rubbing the cat's fur the wrong way, going against the grain, swimming upstream, taking an unpopular position. Satan is a master deceiver (Matthew 7:15; 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15), the father of all liars (John 8:44). Biblically, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is called a “free grace” view of the gospel. Yet,
he Protestant reformer Martin Luther denied it was the work of an apostle and
termed it an "epistle of straw"[10] as compared to some other books in the New
Testament, not least because of the conflict he thought it raised with Paul on
the doctrine of justification (see below).
Many scholars consider the epistle to be written in the late 1st or early 2nd
centuries. Among the reasons for this are: the author introduces himself merely
as "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ", without invoking any special
family relationship to Jesus. The cultured Greek language of the Epistle, it is
contended, could not have been written by a Jerusalemite Jew. Some scholars
argue for a primitive version of the letter composed by James and then later
polished by another writer. The epistle was only gradually accepted into the
(non-Jewish) canon of the New Testament.
Some see parallels between James and 1 Peter, 1 Clement, and the Shepherd of
Hermas and take this to reflect the socio-economic situation Christians were
dealing with in the late 1st or early 2nd century. It thus could have been
written anywhere in the Empire where Christians spoke Greek. There are some
scholars who argued for Syria.[12]
...
This passage has been cited in Christian theological debates, especially
regarding the doctrine of justification. Gaius Marius Victorinus (4th century)
associated James's teaching on works with the heretical Symmachian sect,
followers of Symmachus the Ebionite, and openly questioned whether James's
teachings were heretical. This passage has also been contrasted with the
teachings of Paul on justification; indeed, some scholars believe that this
passage is a response to Paul,[15] One issue in the debate is the meaning of the
Greek word δικαιόω (dikaiόο) ‘render righteous or such as he ought to be’.[16]
with some among the participants taking the view that James is responding to a
misunderstanding of Paul.[17]
Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy argue that this passage disproves the
doctrine of justification by faith alone (or sola fide),[18][19] whereas the
early and many modern Protestants continue to believe that Catholic and Orthodox
interpretations do not fully understand the meaning of the term
"justification"[20] and resolve James' and Paul's apparent conflict regarding
faith and works in alternate ways from the Catholics and Orthodox. The debate
over justification remains unsettled. (See also Biblical law in Christianity and
New Perspective on Paul.)
SOURCE: Epistle of James - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
d
J Vernon McGee - Thru the Bible Commentary
James 2:14
GOD TESTS FAITH BY GOOD WORKS
In
verses Jas_1:14-26 James shows that God tests faith by good works. There are
those who say that we have in this section a contradiction to the writings of
Paul, because Paul made it abundantly clear that faith alone could save you. We
have his clear statement in Gal_2:16—"Knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified"
(italics mine).
I have divided this section up as follows: (1) The interpretation of faith (v.
Hab_1:14); (2) the identification of faith (vv. Jas_1:15-20); and (3) the
illustration of faith (vv. Jas_1:21-26).
First we have the interpretation of faith. When we understand the definition of
faith as it is used by Paul and James in the context of their writings, we can
see that Paul and James are in perfect agreement, that they are discussing the
same subject from different viewpoints.
Paul says that a man is not saved by the works or the deeds of the Law. In
Rom_3:28 he writes, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law." In Galatians, as we have noted, Paul says that a
man is justified not by works but by faith in Christ Jesus. How then are we
going to reconcile Paul and James? As someone has said, "Paul and James do not
stand face to face, fighting against each other, but they stand back to back,
fighting opposite foes." In that day there were those who were saying that you
had to perform the works of the Law (the Mosaic Law), that you had to come by
the Law, in order to be saved. Paul answered that by saying that the works of
the Law will not save you and that only faith in Christ can save you. Both Paul
and James, therefore, are defending the citadel of faith. To see that, we need
to understand the use of their terminology. Paul says that saving faith—a faith
which is genuine and real—will transform a person's life. Paul said of himself,
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Php_3:7). A
real revolution took place in his life when he came to Christ. In 1Co_15:1-2
Paul wrote, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye
are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have
believed in vain;" that is, unless it was just an empty faith (italics mine).
Now let us look at what James has to say—
James is not talking about the works of the Law. He simply says that the faith
which saves you will produce works, works of faith. The faith that James is
talking about here is professing faith, that which is phony and counterfeit.
Paul refers to the same idea when he says in
1Co_15:2, "… unless ye have believed in vain." Paul also wrote, "Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith …" (2Co_13:5).
One of the greatest dangers for us preachers of the gospel is that we like to
see people converted, and we are willing to accept a brazen and flippant yes
from some individual who says, "Yes, I'll trust Jesus." However, it might be
just an impertinent, impudent, and insolent nod of the head; it is so easy today
to be as phony as a three-dollar bill.
The story is told that the Devil had a meeting with his demons to decide how to
persuade men that God was nonexistent. Since they themselves believed in His
existence, they wondered just how to do it. One demon suggested that they tell
people Jesus Christ never really existed and that men should not believe such
fiction. Another demon suggested that they persuade men that death ends all and
there is no need to worry about life after death. Finally, the most intelligent
demon suggested that they tell everyone that there is a God, that there is Jesus
Christ, and that believing in Him saves, but all you have to do is profess faith
in Christ and then go on living in sin as you used to. They decided to use this
tactic, and it is the tactic the Devil uses even today.
Paul and James are in perfect harmony in their teaching. When Paul speaks of
works, it is works of the Law. He says in
Rom_3:20, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." He is saying in effect,
"Yes, the Law is a mirror—it reveals you are a sinner—but it cannot save you;
the works of the Law cannot save you at all." James also says that you have to
have something more than just the works of the Law. He wrote, "For whosoever
shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (v.
Hab_1:10). As someone has put it, "Man cannot be saved by perfect obedience, for
he cannot render it. He cannot be saved by imperfect obedience because God will
not accept it." The only solution to this dilemma is the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus, and both James and Paul emphasize that.
In
Gal_2:16 Paul made it clear that men are not saved by the Law, but later in that
epistle he wrote, "And let us not be weary in well-doing …" (Gal_6:9). There is
a lot of doing that goes with believing. "Let him that is taught in the word
communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is
not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal_6:6-7).
In this section of his epistle when James speaks of works, he is speaking of the
works of faith. Paul also wrote about works of faith: "For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love" (Gal_5:6). Both of these men taught that faith must be a
working faith. As John Calvin put it, "Faith alone saves, but the faith that
saves is not alone."
Saving faith, therefore, is alive; professing faith is dead. We have a lot of
so-called professing Christians today who are members of churches. They are
nothing in the world but zombies. They are walking around as if they are alive,
but they are dead.
A girl once asked her Sunday school teacher, "How can I be a Christian and still
have my own way?" The teacher gave to her
Rom_8:5 which says, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the
flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." If you are
a child of God, you cannot have your own way. You are going to do His way.
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be…. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you …" (Rom_8:7, Rom_8:9). Paul says
that now that you are indwelt by the Spirit of God, you can produce the fruit of
the Spirit in your life; if you don't, there is something radically wrong. A
Christian doesn't do as he pleases; he does as Christ pleases.
During the depression there lived in Pittsburgh a tycoon who was having all
kinds of problems in his life. He went to his pastor and, after talking over his
problems, he said, "I love my Savior. I love my family. I love my church. I love
my business. But there are times I feel like walking out on all four of them."
The pastor looked him straight in the eye and said, "Well, why don't you?" The
man replied, "The reason I don't is that I am a Christian." May I say to you,
saving faith which makes one a Christian will lead to good works. However, we
are so anxious to get church members that we accept them on the slightest
profession. As a result, many churches are filled with professing Christians who
are really unbelievers.
When we understand how Paul and James use the words faith and works, we can see
that they are in total agreement in their teaching.
Now James deals with the identification of faith. Saving faith can be recognized
and identified by certain spiritual fingerprints. There is a verification of
genuine faith. James gives us this practical illustration—
James 2:15-16
Pious cliches and Christian verbiage are not the evidence of saving faith. There
must be a vocation to go along with the vocabulary. You can be very pious and
say to an individual, "Brother I will pray for you, and I know the Lord will
provide." My friend, the Lord put you there as a child of God to do the
providing. I get a little weary sometimes when wealthy Christian laymen pat me
on the back and say, "Dr McGee, you are doing a fine thing. You are doing the
right thing in giving out the Word of God," but they do not have a part in
supporting this ministry financially. I have a hard time believing they are
sincere. You may piously say to someone, "Oh, brother, I'm for you." Are you for
him? Are you back of him? My friend, a living faith produces something—you can
identify it.
The Lord Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another" (
Joh_13:35). Then in Rom_13:8, Paul says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one
another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." The point is that
you cannot say you are a child of God and live like a lawless individual. I do
not mean that whenever a bum asks you for twenty-five cents in order to buy wine
you should give it to him. And I do not think that you should believe every
individual who professes to be a Christian. We need to test them out to see
whether they are or not. My heart is warmed when I think of a certain man I know
who is rendering financial assistance to someone in need and of a lady of means
who is supporting a missionary abroad and telling no one about it. May I say to
you, you are telling by your life whether your faith is genuine or not.
James 2:17-18
"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead." The faith is dead? Why? Because living
faith, saving faith, produces works. You have to draw that conclusion from
James' illustration. He is talking about the fruit of faith. Paul talks about
the root of faith. Those are the separate emphases of each man, but both Paul
and James say that faith alone saves. Paul also says that faith is going to
produce fruit—"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace …" (
Gal_5:22). The Lord Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit …" (Joh_15:5).
A minister once talked to a man who professed conversion, and he asked, "Have
you united with the church?" "No, I haven't," the man replied. "The dying thief
never united with the church, and he went to heaven." The minister asked, "Have
you ever sat at the Lord's table?" "No, the dying thief never did, and he was
accepted" was the answer. The minister asked, "Have you been baptized?" "No," he
said, "the dying thief was never baptized, and he went to heaven." "Have you
given to missions?" "No, the dying thief did not give to missions, and he was
not judged for it" was the reply. Then this disgusted minister said to the man,
"Well, my friend, the difference between you two seems to be that he was a dying
thief and you are a living thief."
My friend, we often sing, "O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's
praise," but we do not even use the one tongue we have. And we sing, "Were the
whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small," and then we give
nothing at all to Him. James says it is faith that saves, but saving faith
produces something.
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