With Works True Faith Produces Visible Change

Session 10 > James 2:14-26 With Works True faith produces visible change.

Every morning while the coffee is brewing, I retrieve the daily newspaper from the driveway. Then I read it as I eat my breakfast. When I come to the cartoon section, I immediately look for my three favorite comic strips. One involves a family with several small children who keep family life interesting. The second presents the adventures of an overweight cat and his inept owner. The third cartoon strip is my all-time favorite. It features a number of unusual little people and a quasi-human beagle. The cartoon’s creator effectively used humor to convey many psychological and religious insights. As a pastor, therefore, I collected books of the cartoons for my enjoyment and for use as a source of illustrations in sermons. I still have a fairly extensive collection to which I occasionally turn for help as a writer. In one four-framed strip, two of the little children are outside and notice the dog shivering with cold as snow falls. They decide to go to him to comfort him. They stand near him and tell him to cheer up. Then they walk away, leaving the dog puzzled. They had done nothing to help him. The cartoonist’s point is clear: talk sometimes is cheap and hollow. Words without actions are meaningless. Anybody can talk a good game; to give practical help can be costly in terms of time, effort, and provision. I have great respect and admiration for people who have a way of showing up in situations of loss or need and quickly pitching in to help. One such lady from my childhood continues to stand out in my memory. Mrs. Key had a well-earned reputation in my south Mississippi hometown. She was always one of the first people to arrive on the scene when tragedy struck. She did not go merely to satisfy her curiosity. Rather, she pitched in and did what she could to console, encourage, and offer practical help. She remains for me an outstanding example of faith in action. James had run out of patience with Christians who were professing faith in Christ but were not engaged in performing good works. They glibly talked about their faith but were not putting it into action. He pulled no punches in addressing their gross misunderstanding of the demands of a genuine faith- commitment to Christ.

JAMES 2:14-26 In 1:22-25, James urged believers to live according to the gospel’s guidelines. Instead of merely listening to expositions of the Scriptures and the gospel’s implications for their living, believers were to act on what they heard. The believer who was consistently attentive to the gospel’s demands and was “a doer who [worked]” received God’s approval (1:25). James warned that the person who thought he was meeting God’s requirements by going through the motions of worship was sadly mistaken if he did not control his speech. His worship was unproductive (1:26). James emphasized that one work or action serious students of the gospel performed was compassionate treatment of needy people (1:27). Genuine worship was expressed in caring deeds and in consistently guarding against evil. In 2:1-4, James addressed the problem of favoritism among Christians. He used a vivid example of two men who visited a gathering of believers. One man was obviously rich, and the other man was abjectly poor. The worshipers showed deference to the rich person and insulted the poor man. James characterized the contrasting responses as blatant partiality—and as evil. In 2:5-7, James further pursued the issue of believers’ being partial to wealthy people. In showing favoritism to the rich, believers were debasing poor people. Many of the Christians in James’s day were poor people. Because they were rich in faith, God had made them “heirs of the kingdom”— participants in His beneficent rule and sharers in the future fulfillment of that rule at Christ’s return. By being partial to rich people, some Christian worshipers had dishonored poor individuals, on whom God had bestowed honor (Jas. 2:6). Moreover, James reminded that rich people often treated poor Christians harshly, exercising their power for harm by forcibly hauling believers into court, likely because of unpaid debts. Forcefully, James pointed out the logical absurdity and grievous wrong of believers’ debasing the pious poor and favoring the ungodly rich. He was not condemning riches; he was condemning the misuse of wealth, the exercise of power without compassion. James emphasized the scriptural approach to believers’ treatment of all people. If they brought to its intended completion “the royal law,” they were behaving rightly (2:8). He quoted Leviticus 19:18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Demonstrating partiality violated the royal law; to do so missed God’s mark for believers’ conduct (Jas. 2:9). Breaking the law that Jesus regarded as second in importance meant that some Christians had crossed God’s clearly drawn line regarding treatment of others. James asserted that violating one of God’s laws made a person a law-breaker. He viewed the whole

Session 10: With Works 101 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources law as God’s will for His people; breaking any part of it was to go against His will (2:10). James used two of the Ten Commandments to illustrate his point that the law was a unity (2:11). Refraining from committing adultery but murdering someone violated the whole law, for God was the origin of all laws and to break one of them was to reject His authority. Believers’ habitual speech and conduct were to be in accord with “the law of freedom” (2:12)—the gospel’s guidelines (or the Old Testament and Christian teachings; see 1:25). The gospel of grace freed people from sin but also demanded right living. Believers would be judged in light of their adherence to that demand. James warned that “judgment is without mercy” to the unmerciful (2:13). He gave the reverse effect of Jesus’ statement that the merciful will receive mercy (see Matt. 5:7). James stressed that mercy intervenes and trumps judgment. EXPLORE THE TEXT

DEAD FAITH (Jas. 2:14-17)

VERSE 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? James asked two rhetorical questions that had obvious answers. The phrase what good is it literally is “what [is] the profit (value, benefit)”? The Greek word translated claims means “says” or “maintains” and has the sense of continually declaring something. James presented the case of a believer who steadfastly kept on professing his faith. The Greek term rendered faith means “belief” or “firm conviction.” The word can also be translated “faithfulness.” In 2:14, however, it most likely has the former meaning. The form of James’s conditional clause conveys the possibility that such a situation existed. In effect, James asked, “Of what value is a person’s professing faith in Christ if that faith does not consistently produce practical evidence of its genuineness?” He did not have in mind legalistic works but acts performed in love. Then James queried, Can such faith save him? The anticipated answer is no. Proper, pious words do not save. Saving faith is commitment demonstrated in actions of service to others. One suggestion is that the term save refers to a favorable verdict at the last judgment. We need to understand James’s emphasis on the relationship between faith and works. We also must be clear that he and the apostle Paul did not contradict each other on this doctrine. James and Paul were fighting crucial

102 Explore the Bible © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources battles on two fronts. Paul contended for the only valid grounds or means of salvation: by grace through faith in Christ. James strove to counter hollow professions of a faith that produced no works. In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul refuted false Jewish Christian teachers who insisted Gentile converts must be circumcised and observe Jewish rites, rules, and regulations in order to be fully Christian. James combated the deadly deficiency of professed believers who had a distorted, erroneous concept of faith. Faith in Christ is much more than believing facts about Him or even professing allegiance to Him. It is total commitment to Him that issues in a lifestyle marked by service to Him and to others. A profession of faith without acts of service is empty and meaningless. James’s point was that saving faith is a commitment to Christ that demonstrates itself in daily beneficent actions.

VERSES 15-16 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? James gave a graphic example of professed faith comprised of empty words devoid of actions. He presented a situation that could (and likely did) arise among believers. The brother or sister was a Christian. Because many believers were poor, some no doubt were without clothes (“naked,” KJV; “poorly clothed,” ESV); that is, they did not have adequate clothing. Some lacked daily food. Many believers in James’s time were day laborers; they depended on a day’s wage to provide food for the next day. To miss a day (or days) of work resulted in real hunger for the laborer and his family. How were other more materially supplied Christians to respond to such needs? Picture the scene. A Christian of modest (or more) means encounters a poorly clothed and hungry believer. The person capable of helping piously intones a blessing, wishes the needy person well, but does nothing to alleviate the situation. The phrase go in peace was a common farewell that wished someone wholeness, health, and prosperity. The wordsstay warm (literally, “warm yourselves”) were cruelly mocking, for without the outer garment used as a covering during cold nights, the poorly clothed person would suffer. The phrase be well fed (literally, “feed yourselves”) is akin to the modern admonition “you’re on your own.” The person who could help did not supply what the needy person’s body required—the basic necessities. Of the pious speaker’s verbal response to need, James asked, What good is it (“what doth it profit,” KJV)? What did such hollow words accomplish? The obvious answer was nothing.

Session 10: With Works 103 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources VERSE 17 In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. Faith that generates no good works is dead by itself (“is dead, being alone,” KJV; “not accompanied by action, is dead,” NIV). The word works refers to beneficial actions on others’ behalf. A lifeless, unproductive faith is no faith; in itself such professed faith is empty and powerless. In his letter, James included numerous allusions to Jesus’ teachings. This is the case with James’s insistence that authentic faith issues in good works. Jesus had commanded His disciples to perform good works so that others would see them and glorify God (see Matt. 5:16). In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus gave a surprising basis for final judgment. He made no mention of religious performance. Instead, He stressed practical actions that His genuine followers took on behalf of needy people: feeding the hungry, slaking thirst, extending hospitality, providing clothing, taking care of the sick, and visiting prisoners. James likewise declared that genuine faith issues in practical help. Failure to obediently act on professed faith reveals a false, dead faith.

EXPLORE FURTHER Read the article titled “Works” on pages 1668–1669 in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised and Expanded. How has your faith generated works of service on others’ behalf? What opportunities for practical ministry does your church make available to you?

WORKING FAITH (Jas. 2:18-19)

VERSE 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. James posed a scenario in which someone (“a man,” KJV) objected to the assertion that saving faith issues in good works. The objector evidently alluded to God’s giving Christians various spiritual gifts. The order of the pronouns in the quotation raises a question. The expected order would be, “I have faith, and you have works,” in order to parallel what follows. One suggestion is that the pronouns are general, with the sense of “one believer has faith, while another has works.” In this approach, the phrase you have faith refers to the gift of faith, while the words I have works (“deeds,” NIV) points to a separate spiritual gift.

104 Explore the Bible © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources Both individuals in the scenario were professed Christians; one merely verbalized trust in Christ while the other gave evidence of faith through actions. The believer who did good works challenged the person of mere professed faith to show such faith. The Greek word translatedshow can mean “exhibit,” “demonstrate,” or “prove.” What visible evidence was the person who spoke the right words offering? The challenger was giving visible proof of faith: actions of sincere goodwill toward others.

VERSE 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. James presented the first of three examples that show faith and works cannot be separated in the Christian experience. His first example addressed belief as mere acceptance of a doctrine or creed. Still replying to the objector in 2:18, James acknowledged the person’s professed acceptance that God is one (“there is one God,” KJV; NIV). Deuteronomy 6:4 states the bedrock of Jewish thought about God: Yahweh, Israel’s God, is one. Intellectual acceptance of that truth was a step in the right direction. The word good actually translates two Greek terms that literally mean “you do well” or, to use a modern expression, “so far, so good.” In other words, a mere mental acceptance of God’s existence did not go far enough. Even the demons (“devils,” KJV) accept that God exists, and that truth terrifies them. The Greek word translated shudder means “to bristle,” with the sense of shivering or trembling with fear. A strong belief in evil spirits existed in James’s time. James used these malevolent spirits to make the point that doctrinal correctness alone is not sufficient for authentic salvation.

EXPLORE FURTHER Write a brief statement of your profession of faith in Christ, beginning with the words “I believe.” How are you giving visible proof that your faith is genuine? Why is it crucial for believers to give such visible proof?

SAVING FAITH (Jas. 2:20-26)

VERSE 20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?

Session 10: With Works 105 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources James called the person senseless (“vain,” KJV; “foolish,” ESV; NIV) who thought doctrinal correctness was all that was necessary for a right relationship with God. The Greek term means “foolish,” “empty,” and “deficient.” It has the sense of lacking spiritual life. James’s question,Are you willing to learn (literally “to come to know”; “do you want to be shown,” ESV; “do you want evidence,” NIV) has a rather harsh tone and may convey James’s contempt for the false notion that faith could be separated from good works. In essence, James challenged such misguided individuals to come to their senses. The truth for which James contended was that faith without works is useless (“dead,” KJV). The Greek word translated useless could also mean “inactive.” James asserted that professed faith that produced no works accomplished nothing.

VERSE 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? The second example James cited to support his insistence that faith and works go together was Abraham, considered to be the father of Judaism and Christianity. Both Jewish and Gentile believers were Abraham’s spiritual descendants because they followed in his footsteps of faith. James asserted that Abraham was justified (“considered righteous,” NIV) by works in offering (“when he offered up,” ESV) Isaac his son on the altar. The recipients of James’s letter would have been familiar with this scriptural account. After many long years, Abraham and Sarah had a son, whom they named Isaac, meaning “laughter,” because Sarah had laughed at the possibility she and Abraham could have a son at their advanced ages (Gen. 18:11-14). Years after Isaac’s birth, God commanded Abraham to take his son to the land of Moriah and there on a mountain sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham did as God instructed him. On the mountain, Abraham built an altar and prepared to kill Isaac as an offering to God. God intervened, stayed Abraham’s hand, and provided a ram for a sacrifice (Gen. 22:1-19). James asked whether Abraham was justified by works (“considered righteous for what he did,” NIV)—his obedience to God’s command and his readiness to sacrifice Isaac. James’s question assumed the answer was yes. Again, we must take great care at this point to differentiate between James’s use of the term justified and the apostle Paul’s use of it. The Greek term means “to make or render right or just,” “to be held guiltless, acquitted.” In his Letter to the Romans, Paul emphasized that by grace through faith in Christ, sinners are justified; they are made right with God (see Rom. 3:22-26). Paul was concerned to make clear and to emphasize the means by which sinners

106 Explore the Bible © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources are made right with God. He further pointed out that Abraham was justified by faith before the rite of circumcision was commanded to stress that works of the law played no part in his being made right with God (Rom. 4:1-5,9-12). James fought on a different front from Paul. James was alarmed and deeply concerned because some believers were separating faith in Christ from good works that should issue from genuine faith. In James 2:21, the past tense that James used (wasn’t Abraham … justified) has the sense of showing or exhibiting oneself to be right with God. In other words, James emphasized that Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac in obedience to God’s directive was evidence of Abraham’s genuine faith. Abraham demonstrated his faith-commitment to God—his right relationship with Him—by his obedient actions.

VERSE 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, With the words you see James emphasized that the truth presented in Abraham’s act of obedience was obvious. Abraham’s faith was active together with his works (“faith wrought with his works,” KJV; “his faith and his actions were working together,” NIV). The Greek verb rendered was active together has the sense of cooperating. The verb’s tense conveys continuous action; faith continuously cooperated with Abraham’s actions. Abraham’s faith-commitment to God worked with his works so that his faith was made complete (“made perfect,” KJV). In his obedient action, faith realized its goal; it achieved its purpose. The Greek word translated made complete can have the sense of being brought to maturity, so James may have emphasized that Abraham’s obedient act moved his faith toward maturity. James did not imply that Abraham’s faith had been weak or lacking. Rather, his point was that Abraham’s obedient act proved his faith’s genuineness and demonstrated that authentic faith issues in good works.

VERSE 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. James further asserted that Abraham’s act of obedience to God’s instruction to sacrifice his son fulfilled a scriptural statement. James quoted Genesis 15:6: Abraham believed God, and it was credited (“imputed,” KJV; “counted,” ESV) to him as righteousness. The Hebrew term for believed means

Session 10: With Works 107 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources “trusted” and has the idea of firmness. Both the Hebrew and Greek words for credited means “counted” or “reckoned.” The term righteousness refers to a right relationship with God. God graciously made Abraham right with Him, and Abraham subsequently demonstrated that relationship with obedient action. James stated that as a result of Abraham’s faith, shown to be authentic by his obedient action, he was called God’s friend (“the Friend of God,” KJV). Both 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8 refer to Abraham as God’s friend. James’s statement does not identify who began to call Abraham God’s friend, whether God or other people. In any case, God made the patriarch His friend; He, not Abraham, took the initiative to establish the friendship. Today, as in James’s day, casual Christianity has no deep reverence for the matchless gift of relationship with God. We as believers can claim to be Jesus’ friends only because He took the initiative to establish that relationship with His followers (see John 15:14-15). May we never lose sight of that truth!

VERSE 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. James again used the phrase you see to focus attention on the obvious. The Greek term rendered see means “to mark,” “to observe.” We could say that James insisted believers could mark it down as true: a person is justified by works (“by what they do,” NIV) and not by faith alone. Again, James was not addressing how a person becomes a Christian; he was dealing with the truth that good works give evidence of a right relationship with God. Saving faith is a working faith.

VERSE 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? The phrase in the same way (“likewise also,” KJV) points back to the example of Abraham’s faith being demonstrated through obedient action and introduces a most unlikely second example of such faith in the Old Testament. Rahab was a key helper in the Israelites’ conquering the city of Jericho in the promised land (see Josh. 2 and 6). As the Israelites were poised to enter Canaan, Joshua sent two scouts ahead to assess the land, giving special attention to Jericho. When they entered the city, the scouts went to the house of Rahab, a prostitute. When the ruler of Jericho received a report that Rahab was harboring Israelite spies, he sent word to her, demanding she surrender them. Instead, she hid the scouts and later helped them escape from the city. Before they left,

108 Explore the Bible © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources she asked for assurance that she and her family would be spared when the Israelites conquered Jericho, a promise the scouts made and Joshua kept. With a rhetorical question, James stressed that Rahab was justified by works (“considered righteous for what she did,” NIV). As with the point made about Abraham’s faith in James 2:21, Rahab’s actions in protecting the Israelite scouts demonstrated that her faith was genuine. Her acknowledgment of and commitment to God as sovereign were expressed in her courageous acts in helping His people. Other New Testament writers recognized Rahab as instrumental in God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Matthew listed her in Jesus’ genealogy (Matt. 1:5). The writer of Hebrews included her in the roll call of faith (Heb. 11:31). She was remembered for her faith, which James pointed out was shown in her actions.

VERSE 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James used an analogy to emphasize that faith and works are inseparable. A human body without the spirit is lifeless. The Greek word translated spirit refers to the vital force or principle that animates the body and, depending on context, can mean “breath,” “air,” or “wind.” James may have had Genesis 2:7 in mind. The breath or spirit animated the body. Thus, the spirit is a person’s God-given life force or principle. When the spirit (the breath of life) leaves a person, the result is a corpse, a lifeless body. James stressed that even as a body with breath is lifeless, so faith without works is dead. He had sounded this strong note of warning in 2:17. He repeated his sustained note; right relationship with God involves faith that issues in good works. A professed faith that does not produce good works of service to others is spiritually lifeless. We must emphasize once more that a believer does good works as a result of being saved, not in order to receive salvation. A genuine faith-commitment to Christ saves, and saving faith issues in good works. We must be clear also that we do not perform good works to remain in God’s “good graces.” We do so out of love and gratitude for His unending grace.

EXPLORE FURTHER What do you think the phrase “saved to serve” means? How do you think you serve God best? Who best models for you the Christian servant mentality? For whom can you provide an exemplary model?