JUSTIFICATION AND WORKS

JAMES 2:14–26

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did

(James 2:22).

One major theme of Hebrews is that believers must persevere in the faith and not fall away. If we are saved by faith alone, how is it that we must “work” to persevere? To put the question more generally, how do faith and works go together?

Because we are utterly alienated from God, the only way we can be reconciled to God is if God does it. God does all the work of saving us, and we receive that work by faith as a gift. We are condemned by God through His Law, but Jesus took the punishment we deserved, and by trusting in God’s plan of salvation, we are reconciled to God.

Anyone who has true faith, however, will have good works. James points this out beautifully in James 2. He asks what value faith is, if it has no good works. He answers that it is worthless; in fact, it is not true faith at all (James 2:14–20). Abraham was justified, he says, by passing the test God put before him, recorded in Genesis 22. Abraham was justified by the good work of being willing to offer Isaac on the altar. Then James concludes that this good work fulfills the faith that Abraham had before he did any good works. He quotes from Genesis 15: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This initial faith apart from works, he says, was fulfilled and completed as Abraham moved into a life of faith-full works.

God declared Abraham justified apart from works when Abraham was first saved. Later, God declared Abraham justified because He saw the faith-full works Abraham had done after being saved. Both of these justifications are true and real, but one is primary and the other is secondary. The primary justification comes at the beginning of our Christian lives, apart from any works. Secondary justification comes when God pronounces our works good, because they were done in faith.

True faith always flowers in good works. Those works fulfill—that is, flesh out—the meaning of our faith. Thus, our good works demonstrate before God that our faith is real. Our faithful works are a public demonstration of our faith, and in that sense we are justified by them.

CORAM DEO

Psalms 108–110

WEEKEND

Psalm 119

When God tests us we must not fall away. False faith says, “Oh, well; I’m saved by faith alone. It does not matter if I sin at this point.” True faith says, “Because I trust God, loving and fearing Him alone, how can I sin against Him?” Make this your response when your faith is tested.

For further study: 1 Timothy 6:11–21 • 1 Peter 2:9–12

WEEKEND