My early religious background taught that salvation was a process of obedience to the Church and what the Church taught about Christ. It was also tied to church traditions, liturgy, and sacraments. There was a special emphasis that through the Lord’s Table or the Eucharist we were fed by Christ through participation in the Eucharist. It was as a salvation by religious observance and good works. The point to all this was that there was no forensic or legal justification but rather an infused justification through these avenues as well as our good works. It was not grace alone but a view of grace and works.
The early church in Acts was confronted by similar issues. With the earliest of converts being Jews, they often brought with them the traditions and laws of Judaism. It soon became apparent they were adding a system of works to the Gospel of Grace (Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:15-16). Both Paul and Barnabas who were ministering in Asia Minor, primarily to a Gentile culture (Galatians 2:1-2, 7) returned to Jerusalem to confer with the leadership they considered to be “influential” and “pillars” of the church (Galatians 2:2,9) concerning the influence of some Jews who were preaching the addition of the Mosaic Law and Jewish traditions to the Gospel (Galatians 2:1-10) with which they took great exception with these additions to the Gospel of Grace (Acts 15:2).
A council of the apostles and elders came together to address this issue. James, the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Gal.2:19) acted as the leader of that council (vv. 13, 19; Galatians 2:9). At the end of the of debate (Acts 15:6) a decision was announced with Peter’s presentation along with Paul and Barnabas’ testimony and concluding with James (Acts 15: 7-18). The resulting conclusion was that salvation is wholly by God’s sovereign grace through faith, apart from any ritual or law-keeping (v.7-11).
But, there are some who would say that James, the Jerusalem Council leader, who presided over the conclusion that justification was by faith alone, taught in his epistle that we are saved by works, not faith alone.
James 2:24 (ESV) 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
How could this be? And what do we do with the other Scripture regarding the faith of Abraham as counted for righteousness?
Romans 4:1-4 (ESV) 1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.
Romans 4:9 (ESV) 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
Romans 4:13 (ESV) 13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 4:16 (ESV) 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Galatians 3:7 (ESV) 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
Galatians 3:7-9 (ESV) 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Galatians 3:14 (ESV) 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:18 (ESV) 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Galatians 3:29 (ESV) 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Hebrews 6:13,15)
Did James change his mind? Did he, in his epistle deny justification by faith alone? Is there a conflict in the Scriptures? Are we saved by works not by grace?
These questions take us right to the heart of the Gospel. They also drive us back to a contentious time called the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century where the church was divided over these very issues once again as in Acts 15.
Martin Luther was so convinced of the Scripture’s teaching that a person is justified by faith alone, and that our works add nothing to our salvation, that when the Roman Church responded at the Council of Trent and appealed to James 2:24, he early on called the Epistle of James “an epistle of straw.” His understanding of grace alone through faith alone coming through his study of Paul’s Epistle to Romans.
To fully understand what James is getting at we need to start at vs.14.
James 2:14 (ESV) 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
Is it possible to have real genuine faith and then lack works? That’s the question. The answer should be obvious. Our Lord was constantly critical of the Pharisees and their empty hypocritical faith ( Matthew 3:7-9; 7:16, 19, 21-23). True faith always reveals itself with its corresponding fruit (Matthew 5:16; Luke 6:43; John 15:1-8, 16). Faith or a lack of genuine faith always reveals itself by what it produces (Matthew 7:17-18). What James is driving home here, is that a faith that has no resulting works is empty, dead (James 2:17, 26). So, the real question then becomes; can such faith without works save the person. James answer is no.
What we need to remember here, is that this is not faith with added works but rather faith that produces works “meet unto the Master’s use (2 Timothy 2:21). That is the argument of vs.18.
James 2:18 (ESV) 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James then contrasts genuine faith that of the faith of demons. The demons have an intellectual faith. They believe that God exists. They are neither agnostic or atheists. They know that Jesus is Deity as well (Mark 3:11-12). They believe in a place of punishment (Luke 8:31) and they “shudder” or “bristle up” at the fact they are under the judgment of God. Warren Wiersbe, in his “Be Series” Commentary on James, writes;
“But it is not a saving experience to believe and tremble. A person can be enlightened in his mind and even stirred in his heart and be lost forever. True saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: a changed life. “Show me thy faith without thy works,” challenged James, “and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18).”[1]
Now we come to vv.21-24 and James’ illustration using Abraham, the father of faith. Galatians 3:6-7, 29).
James 2:21-24 (ESV) 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture were fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Now that we have looked, from verse 14 on, we can begin to see the argument of James. He has not refuted what he had supported at the first Church council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). Rather he is supporting the contention that Abraham was justified by his faith (vs.23)! The issue addressed here is whether James’ reader had genuine faith or dead faith. Verses 21 and 24 are arguing that Abraham’s faith and our genuine faith with the resulting works are justified or vindicated before men.
In verses 21-23, James is illustrating that it was Abraham’s supreme demonstration of his faith when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar, which happened many years after his justification by faith recorded in Genesis 15:6. Note also that Abraham’s faith was “active” and “complete,” not lacking “works.” He was not justified by his works before God, but His works showed an active and complete faith, as He, by faith, offered up Isaac, believing God would raise him from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
Salvation in Christ has always been by grace alone through faith alone.
Galatians 2:16 (ESV) 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 3:11 (ESV) 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Galatians 3:24 (ESV) 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Titus 3:7 (ESV) 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And, as James has argued in Chapter 2 verses 14-24, genuine faith always bears the fruit of righteousness (works).
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 2, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), pg. 355.
Some resources:
Christ Our Righteousness By Mark A. Seifrid
The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness By Jerry Bridges
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