FAITH THAT WORKS (p. 2)
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 5, 2024 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: June 5, 2024 from James 2:14-26, plus various passages
Theme: Various passages in Scripture show us that saving faith demonstrates itself in works.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
In our last time together, we studied the words of Pastor James in James 2:14-26. The theme of his message in that passage was the true nature of saving faith; and the point that he carefully argued was that faith in Jesus only saves if it’s the kind of faith that demonstrates itself in works. He wrote;
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:14-26).
This, as we saw, is a very practical concern for us as believers. On the one hand, it cautions us against the idea of placing our trust in the mere ‘words’ of a profession of faith alone; and against thinking we’re saved simply because we said some Christian words without the demonstration of a truly transformed life. On the other hand, it encourages us to bring our profession of faith down to the practical level of demonstration through obedience to God’s commands—even when such obedience costs us in some way.
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; just as we must be careful that we don’t fall into the trap of believing that we can be ‘justified’ (that is, declared 100% righteous in God’s sight) merely on the basis of a profession of faith alone, we also need to be careful that we don’t fall into the opposite trap of thinking that we are in any way justified in the sight of God on the basis of the merit of our works. To ignore the whole matter of works would cause us to fall into the trap of antinomianism (that is, the erroneous belief that it doesn’t matter whether or not we walk in obedience to God’s holy standards of righteousness). But to focus too much on works could cause us to fall into the trap of legalism (that is, the equally erroneous belief that we can earn righteousness before God on the basis of our obedience to God’s holy standards).
Baptist theologian Millard Erickson presented a very balanced view of this subject. In writing about the whole subject of ‘justification by faith’, he wrote;
The principle of salvation by grace brings us to the question of the relationship of faith to works. It is apparent from what has been said that works do not produce salvation. Yet the biblical witness also indicates that while it is faith that leads to justification, justification must and will invariably produce works appropriate to the nature of the new creature that has come into being.1
Dr. Erickson said that a classic text from the Bible on salvation by grace is Ephesians 2:8-9;
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But he also said that it would be good not to draw our doctrine of salvation from those two verses alone; but to include verse 10—which points to the outcome of that saving grace;
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (v. 10).
Dr. Erickson went on to write;
Despite the fairly common opinion that there is a tension between Paul and James, both make essentially the same point: that the genuineness of the faith that leads to justification becomes apparent in the results that issue from it. If there are no good works, there has been neither real faith nor justification. We find support for this contention in the fact that justification is intimately linked with union with Christ. If we have become one with Christ, then we will not live according to the flesh, but rather by the Spirit … The union with Christ that brings justification also brings new life …2
In other words, if we are truly saved by faith in Jesus, we will prove it by behaving like Jesus. As the 16th Chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith states, “Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word”; and these “good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith …”
Now; is this true? Let’s spend the rest of this study letting the Bible tell us for itself.
* * * * * * * * * *
We couldn’t possibly hear from a higher authority on the matter than that of the Lord Jesus Himself, who—by God’s grace—is our Savior and Redeemer. In Matthew 7:21-23, He said;
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 21-23).
He taught that just calling Him “Lord, Lord”—while true and necessary—is not sufficient alone for salvation. There must be a demonstration of works that flows from the reality of that profession. But even the works themselves must not be our own creation; but must be the will of His Father in heaven. Otherwise, they are works of lawlessness and not the product of salvation.
Now; those words could be directed to those who heard His words but had no real relationship with Him by faith. He didn’t ‘know’ those ‘good works’ doers. But what about those who hear and who seem to pursue a relationship with Him by faith? In Luke 6:46-49, He said;
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).
Note that both groups seemed to ‘come’ to Him and ‘hear’ the same sayings from Him. The only difference between those whose houses stood and those whose houses fell was that the first group did what He said, and the second group didn’t. Actual works of obedience are therefore essential to true discipleship with Christ. It’s an identifying mark of actually belonging to Him. As He taught in Matthew 25:31-46, in the parable of the sheep and the goats;
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:31-46).
But it’s important to remember that the Lord Jesus not only spoke of the necessity of good works, but also of the true and proper motivation for them. They’re not to be done as an effort to produce salvation. Rather, they were to be done as a product of salvation; that is, from out of a heart of love for Him, and in gratitude for salvation already granted. We learn this from His words in Luke 7:36-49 …
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:36-49).
Note carefully that the woman’s works of devotion to Jesus were not done in order to earn salvation, but rather as a grateful expression of salvation by faith. Verse 50 goes on to tell us,
Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (v. 50).
The Lord not only taught that such good works must be done from the right motivation, but also done from the right source and through the right empowerment. They aren’t to be done in an effort to become united to Him, but rather as a product of having already become united to Him through faith. In John 15:1-8, He said;
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:1-8).
Now; that’s the word of our Lord on this matter. He shows us in His own teaching that faith only saves if it’s the kind of faith that demonstrates itself in works—just as Pastor James also later taught. But what about others of the Lord’s apostles?
The apostle John—who reflected the teaching of Jesus to us in his Gospel account—also wrote about this in 1 John 3:1-9. He showed us that a true saving faith shows itself in works—not as a way of earning salvation, but as an expression of the reality of a salvation already received by faith. Such saving faith must naturally show itself in a transformed practice of life:
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God (1 John 3:1-9).
Similarly, the apostle Peter writes about this in his second epistle. He wrote to urge his readers to rejoice in the promises of God that have been given to them—by which they have already been made partakers of the divine nature. And he then urged them in 2 Peter 1:5-11;
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-11).
Perhaps no one made this point more clear than the apostle Paul. Paul was the one through whom God gave us the great epistle to the Romans. That’s where we learn much about the wonderful doctrine of ‘justification by faith’. But there was no conflict between Paul’s teaching of the necessity of faith and James’ teaching on the necessity of works. Paul made it very clear that salvation by faith must result in practical life transformation; saying in Romans 12:1-2,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2).
In Galatians—another great epistle on the doctrine of ‘justification by faith’—Paul wrote these words about the necessity of works:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:7-11).
Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus about how they were already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places through faith in Christ. But he also wrote;
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called … (Ephesians 4:1).
He wrote to the Philippian believers about how he rejoiced in his confidence in their salvation; but also wrote,
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
He wrote to his younger ministry colleague Timothy that God had given us the Scriptures for the purpose of equipping us for good works; saying,
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
And he urged another ministry colleague, Pastor Titus, to instruct the people of God to ‘adorn the faith’ with good works; saying,
But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things (Titus 2:1-10).
He even stressed to Titus that the grace of God has been shown to us specifically so that good works would result; saying in verses 11-14,
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (vv. 11-14).
* * * * * * * * * *
Throughout the New Testament letters then, and also in the teaching of our Lord, it’s made abundantly clear to us that good works are to be evident in the life of a believer—not as a means of earning salvation, but as the true evidence of salvation. So; in keeping with the nature of true saving faith, let’s make sure that our works prove the genuineness of it to the world. Let’s keep true to Paul’s words to the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-4; where he said that he gave thanks to God for them and prayed for them;
remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God (1 Thessalonians 1:3-4).
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
1Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 972-3.
2Ibid.
AE
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.