The Patriarch, the Prostitute, and You
James 2:21-26
In the theology that grew out of the Protestant Reformation, beginning with Luther’s 95 disputes in 1517, the pivotal doctrine at stake was Justification. How is a man or woman justified by God? Or, how is a sinner made righteous before God?
Was justification by faith alone in a single, one-time event, as Luther and other reformers believed Scripture taught? Or was it by faith plus meritorious works, working side-by-side in tandem, in a progressive way as the leading theologians of the Vatican avowed?
This was no small matter at the beginning of the Reformation… and it’s no small matter now. The doctrine of justification is essential to a biblical understanding of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. But it was Luther’s insistence on the singular proposition of justification by faith alone plus nothing that gave him such anxiety when he read the book of James. Because James seemed to be proposing a mediating position between the Apostle Paul and the Vatican.
But is that really what James was doing? Luther is known for saying that the letter of James was “a right strawy epistle…” because of this insistence that faith always produces works. Perhaps Luther thought James was saying that we are saved by faith plus works. But a closer look at James reveals that he and Paul are saying the same thing about justification. James wrote before Paul did, since he was a leader in the church even before Paul was converted. James made the case that genuine faith in Christ alone always produces faithful works. Righteous works are the effect produced by one’s conversion; works are not the cause of one’s conversion! So Paul comes along and assumes that genuine salvation is in view when he asserts that justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. And James says “amen!”, but the faith that saves alone always produces genuine works of righteousness; and Paul says “amen!” that’s what the fruit of the Spirit is all about.
In James 2, he has just made the case that faith without works is dead. The reason James needed to make this point is because there were some people in his audience who thought they were genuine believers, but they never got around to living the Christian life. They never obeyed it. When someone preached “love your neighbor, beginning with fellow believers”, these people thought the preacher was talking to someone else, not to them. When they heard “be active in using your gifts to build up the other members of your church” some people thought the preacher was talking to someone else, not to them. And he was talking to someone else. He was talking to genuine believers in Jesus Christ. They are the ones who hear and obey the Good Shepherd.
This morning, we’re going to examine the way James uses two OT examples of how genuine faith is always demonstrated by obedient works of righteousness. Then he makes the case that our justification is demonstrated in the exact same way. James 2:21-26. The patriarch, the prostitute, and you. In honor of God and His Word, let’s stand for the reading of these verses.
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 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. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. [NKJV]
[Prayer] At the end of chapter two, James illustrates from biblical history the theological point that true faith is always verified by faithful works. The works don’t save us, but the works demonstrate that our faith is a living, saving kind of faith that changes our lives. The first illustration takes us back to the patriarch in verses 21-24… here’s the point:
I. Abraham’s faith was demonstrated by works of righteousness (2:21-24).
In the flow of argument, James has just made one of his major points to those in the church who claimed to be Christians but didn’t actually live a fruit-bearing life; he said (in verse 20 of ch. 2), that “faith without works is dead.” So the emphasis is on the demonstration of faith.
Now he moves to the illustration of this principle from the life of Abraham. Verse 21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?”
The biggest problem with the wording of this verse (historically) is the phrase “justified by works”. Why would James say something that is so easy to misinterpret and misconstrue? Keep in mind that James is writing within a certain context. The context of these verses can prevent any careful reader from jumping to the conclusion that James thinks we’re justified by works instead of faith. James never said “works instead of faith”. That’s what people assume when they hear the words “Abraham was justified by works”.
But the context of this very statement occurs in a passage where James quotes Genesis 15:6 in which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” So James assumes that faith alone makes a person righteous with God, but here he is guarding the claim of faith from those who make easy vows at church but refuse to lay their Isaac down on the altar before God. That is, they say they believe, but Jesus has no authority in their personal life. Don’t imagine this “sacrifice” as a big one-time event which is quickly over and done with; I think James is telling us that this is a daily pattern of laying our “Isaac” down, which represents our most cherished hopes and dreams and desires for life.
James never intended to suggest that human works have any merit apart from saving faith. We know this because (1) in the first chapter (1:17-18), he made it clear that every good and perfect gift comes down from above and that God brought us forth by the Word of truth. (2) The context we mentioned says that God reckoned Abraham’s faith as righteousness because he believed God. And (3) the proving work of Abraham (to which James is referring) was the laying down of Isaac – an event that took place as many as twenty years after Abraham believed. So faith came before the works and the works demonstrated the faith.
Now look again at verse 22: “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” That means, by works Abraham’s faith was demonstrated in its fullness by his works. He’s reminding his audience that genuine faith manifests itself in a righteous life. This ought to be the most fundamental statement of what the Christian life is all about… “faith manifesting itself in a righteous life.”
Everybody in the church where this letter was written already knew they needed to believe in God and have faith; so James didn’t need to convince them of that. So James focuses on the kind of faith that demonstrates true salvation. His focus is on the works that genuine faith produces. It’s like James is taking his “hammer” and he’s banging down on the “nail” of works, works, works, (which in this context is just another word for character and lifestyle) so that his listeners can see that the way you live your life really does indicate whether your claim to have faith is genuine. After all, many people claim to have faith, but it isn’t real because their lives are totally self-driven and independent from God. That kind of faith is dead, not having works.
Verses 23 and 24: “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. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
In these verses, James is distinguishing a dead faith which claims to be genuine, but has no pattern of works – from a living faith which daily pursues obedience to God’s revealed Word. Abraham was called the friend of God because he did what God said. Jesus told His disciples in John 15:14 – “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” So genuine faith shows a daily friendship with God which is proven by obedience and submission. So James agrees with Paul that we are saved by faith alone, but he makes clear that the faith that actually saves is always revealed and demonstrated by works.
That’s the lesson from the patriarch. Yeah, but… one might argue: of course Abraham could demonstrate his faith because he was such a noble and righteous man with such great pedigree. But what about less noble, common sinners like we are? Well, that brings us to the prostitute. Notice the second point…
II. Rahab’s faith was demonstrated by works of righteousness (2:25).
Verse 25 says: “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”
Living faith is not just the inheritance of the high and mighty; it’s also the inheritance of the down and lowly. So faith is not just demonstrated by laying our Isaac down as Abraham did; it also works out through our obedience in the simple daily choices we make because of our faith. “Likewise…” meaning way down at the other end of the social spectrum from Abraham, Rahab demonstrated her faith the same way: through works.
Rahab was forever known as Rahab the harlot even long after she repented of her sexual immorality and began to walk by faith. Her name in Greek is always, Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη. The word porne always refers to sexual sin. Our English word “pornography” comes from this root, meaning “written prostitution” or “prostitution in print”. Scripture retains this disgraceful moniker for Rahab, I think, to emphasize the infinite grace of God for undeserving sinners… God receives and restores sexual sinners too. That’s the message of Rahab’s name. James tells us that her justification was demonstrated the same way as Abraham’s was.
When Rahab sent the messengers of Israel out another way, she was siding with God’s people over the security and prosperity of her own city. It was an act of faith in the God of Israel. When your faith is genuine, you will side with God over your national loyalties, over your family, over your occupation, over your popularity with others, and even over your own natural life – if these ever come between you and God. This is true for the patriarch, it’s true for the prostitute, and it also true for you and for me. Look at the third point…
III. If you are justified, then your faith will also be demonstrated by works of righteousness (2:26).
Verse 26 says: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
This is a summary statement concluding this whole section on the kind of faith that saves us; because there is a kind of faith that doesn’t save. The faith that gives false assurance has no works to back it up. It’s dead. False faith is just a religious veneer that boasts in denominational affiliations, or church work, or membership in certain clubs and civic organizations to the total neglect of Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, and Treasure of life. Just as your body needs a spirit to be alive, so also your faith needs to manifest itself in obedient works of righteousness to be alive also.
Have you taken the vital signs of your faith lately? All of us need continual help in this area. If your faith is sick or weak, the answer is not to try to do more works to solve the problem. James has been telling us that our works will be a natural outgrowth of genuine faith. When your faith is nourished and restored, your works will more naturally display themselves as you actively seek obedience in your daily life. That’s what Abraham did. That’s what Rahab did. And that’s what you and I must likewise do. Remember, everything in the Christian life depends on having a vibrant, living faith in Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray.
(c) Charles Kevin Grant
January 9, 2006