2019-05-19 James 2:20-26 FAITH THAT WORKS (2): IS IT FAITH OR IS IT WORKS?

FAITH THAT WORKS (2): IS IT FAITH OR IS IT WORKS? (James 2:20-26) May 19, 2019 Read James 2:20-26 – The great question of the Reformation: is it faith or is it works. What saves us? The RC church at the time said, it’s faith PLUS works, the first of which is baptism which gets you in – then periodic confession and penance to re-instate yourself when you sin. This system drove Martin Luther, to distraction. He spent hours in confession every day, to insure he was up-to-date on his salvation. Then he found Rom 1:17b: “The just shall live by faith”, and Gal 2:16, “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” Truth set his soul free to receive what he could never merit. “When I realized the law was one thing, and the gospel another, I broke thru and was free.” Thus Rom and Gal. But he found our text so contrary to his new view of Scripture he called James “a right strawy” epistle. Was he right to be concerned? Do Paul and James? The answers are right in our text. I. The Concern Luther’s concern is clear. He knew Rom 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith.” He knew Rom 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Justification by faith alone – the catchphrase of the Reformation. And he knew Paul’s example: Abe. Rom 4:2) 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.” By statement and by example – justification by faith alone. No works. Unequivocal, right? Now he sees Jas 2:24: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Amazing! And Jas uses the same example as Paul to prove the opposite point! Jas 2:21: “Was not Abe our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the alter?” So which is it? Justification by faith, or works? That was Luther’s dilemma. So, is there a contradiction? No! Both faith and works are involved in our salvation – BUT it’s not faith plus works, as most think! Jas will set us straight. Jas is contrasting two kinds of faith – or actually two claims of faith -- one living; on dead. One professing; the other possessing. Today, Jas characterizes real faith as seen in Abe and Rahab. This deep dive into faith answers Luther’s concerns, so let’s look. 1 II. The Correction Jas’ 2 examples could not be more different. He’s showing saving faith is for everyone. Abe was a man -- rich, the first of God’s chosen people, a morally upright man of power and respect. Rahab was a woman, a Gentile, a harlot, morally degenerate and without specific revelation from God. Yet both exemplify the core of saving faith in 2 ways that harmonize Paul and James. A. Saving Faith Brings Salvation Apart From Works – The core of living faith is the same now as in the Garden of Eden as in Abe’s time. Saving faith believes God. 23) “and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’” “Counted” -accounting term. Righteousness was credited to Abe. Abe’s spiritual life was like a ledger. He was born with no assets and only a mounting debt as daily sin drove him deeper into the hole. But suddenly Abe was credited with total, complete, saving righteousness – just as tho he never sinned. Why? Because he believed God – forgiven and cleansed by saving faith in a living God. It’s the same for us. Jn 5:24) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him [God] who sent me has eternal life.” Now -- to believe God is also to believe in Jesus. They cannot be separated. Jn 17:3: “And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” It’s all or neither. To believe the Father is to receive the Son. This is the belief of commitment – not just agreeing with facts, but living them. Acts 16:31: “Believe in the LJC and you will be saved.” Literally “believe into”. Not just accept the facts, but act on them. You might believe the ice will hold you up. But you have not believed into that fact until you walk on it. Same with God. Faith into Him gives Him the throne of our life. This message defies human wisdom. I Cor 1:18) For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The gospel is nonsense to most people. The idea that God became a man, died a horrifying and humiliating death, and we’re saved by believing in that crucified Lord is a hard sell. It’s never been easy to believe God. Consider Rahab. Running a brothel on the edge of town. As visitors come and go she hears rumors about Jehovah, a God who miraculously delivered some “chosen people” from slavery in Egypt. Two million of them are wandering around the Sinai, but about to invade Canaan bc Jehovah promised it to them. 2 Somehow in the mysterious way God compels hearts, she is moved to saving faith. It’s not easy. It goes against all that she has ever been taught to embrace what she knows of Yahweh. Yet somehow, faith wins the day. Consider Abe. He is a pagan polytheist living in Ur when God appears one day, says He’ll make him a great nation, give him a land of his own and bless the whole world thru him. But he must leave to go he knows not where. Hard message, but Abe obeys and gets to Canaan. Ten years on nephew Lot is captured by enemy tribes and Abe has to rescue him in Gen 14. Abe turns down offers for compensation, but Gen 15:1) After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Abe says: “Great, Lord. But so far I have nothing of what you promised 10 years ago. No land, no blessing, and no kids. My heir is my servant.” He’s perplexed. So God reiterates the promise that his offspring will number more than the stars – and then – against all odds and human wisdom, v. 6: “And [Abe] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Hard message. But bc he believed God against all odds, his righteousness account was filled to overflowing then and there. So was Abe saved by faith plus works? No – by faith alone. Jas knows this. He even quotes the passage – same as Paul uses in Rom 4:3 and Gal 3:6: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Faith alone – no works. Abe was saved by faith in God, not by works of Abraham. Jesus once told an audience in Jn 8:56) Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” Why? Bc he was in heaven on credit. His sins had not been atoned yet, but he believed they would be. Now, Jesus had arrived to do exactly that. Had Abe been saved by faith plus works, he’d might have liked Jesus, but he’d have had no special reason to rejoice to see His day. He rejoiced because he had a personal stake in Jesus death and resurrection. That would be his salvation. Not his work, but Jesus’ work. Salvation is God’s work, never ours. We’re unqualified. When Adam and Eve sinned, God rejected the fig leaves of their attempt at self-atonement. Instead, Gen 3:21: “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Their works were rejected in favor of His work based on a blood sacrifice. When Israel got the law and could not keep it, God didn’t tell them, “Try harder!” He didn’t give them a way to self-atone. He gave them a way to repent – thru the atonement of a perfect substitute. It’s the same for us. Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not bc of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” Rom 3:20: “For by works of 3 the law no human being will be justified in his sight.” Gal 2:16: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but thru faith in JC.” Couldn’t be more clear, could it? We’re saved by faith alone in His work! Jas knew all of this. He knew that Abe was saved by believing God – faith alone (v. 23). In Acts 15, when Paul returned to Jerusalem to get official ruling against those who were following his ministry by saying it’s faith plus circumcision; faith plus Jewish sacrifices – James and Peter led the decision in Paul’s favor! In Jas 2:5) Jas calls believers “heirs of the kingdom.” Inheritors, not purchasers! Heirs don’t work for their inheritance; they receive it. Believers are heirs of the kingdom, not earners of the kingdom? A soap and perfume company had a slogan: “If you don’t use our soap, for heaven’s sake, use our perfume.” That’s like trying to cover sin with human goodness. The dirt is still there; the stench remains; the guilt still condemns. God didn’t tell Adam and Eve to cover themselves with new and better fig leaves. It was His work – no one else’s. Salvation is by faith alone. BUT that leaves a problem, doesn’t it? If Jas knew we’re saved by faith alone, why write Jas 2:24: “. . . a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”? B. Saving Faith Demonstrates Salvation By Works – The answer is this – “justification” has 2 nuances of meaning. Like “awful” – originally meant full of awe, but came by usage to mean “terrible.” So “justify” (δικαιοω) originally meant to “declare righteous” legally, to be acquitted, as Rom 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified (declared righteous) by faith apart from works of the law.” Faith results in legal acquittal, not bc we are perfect, but bc we’ve accepted Jesus’ perfection as ours. But the second nuance of meaning is to “demonstrate as righteous”. That’s Jas’ usage. Paul says, “You are declared righteous by faith alone in Christ alone apart from works” – one time transaction. Jas says, “Yes, and you demonstrate that righteousness by works and not by faith alone.” This faith is an incredible gift. It not only works to put us in God’s family, but it keeps on working to help us act like that! Faith covers both the original conversion apart from works and the ongoing lifestyle of works! Paul and Jas see two sides of the same coin. They don’t contradict, they complete each other. You can’t be saved by the works -- but you can’t be saved without the result of works either. They will naturally flow from the new you! Does that make us perfect? Not at all. Jas says of Abe, 22) “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” Get 4 the pix: Abe is declared righteous (saved) in Gen 15. A mixture of spiritual success and failure follows, including Gen 20, where Abe repeats the sin of Gen 12, lies by calling his wife his sister, endangering her purity to save his own skin – not his finest hour. He’s a mix of growing faith and sliding back. But his finest hour comes in Gen 22. God says in Gen 22:2, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Imagine how Abe’s heart must have fallen. God is saying, “I want you to take this beloved son you waited 25 long years for – your only hope of receiving my promises, and I want you to offer him as a sacrifice.” Wow, what a test of faith! But this time Abe demonstrates completed faith by his works. His faith is clear when he tells his servants, 5) “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” “Come again” – 1st person plural. We will come again. Abe believed God and knew if God was going to fulfill His promises, Isaac had to be coming back! What faith! Heb 11:19: “He considered that God was able even to raise him [Isaac] from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” This is faith that works. And God said, “Here he is back. You did not withhold your Son. Now I now you love me above all,” exactly Jas’ point. He’s not saying Abe was saved by this act of faith. In v. 23 he tells us: “Abe believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” That happened 30 years before Genesis 22. Abe had been counted righteous long ago. But now, by the work of offering Isaac he is demonstrated to be righteous. The faith that saved is a living faith that is working still 30 years later – having grown all during that time – by fits and spurts, yes – but growing surely. So with this background, let’s read again: 21) Was not Abraham our father justified [demonstrated to be righteous] 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 was 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 [shown to be righteous] by works and not by faith alone.” There is no contradiction between Jas and Paul. They see 2 sides to the same coin. We’re legally declared righteous by faith alone – and shown to be real by faith that keeps on working. Rahab demonstrates the same thing. The faith that saved her prior to the messengers arriving is shown to be real by her protecting them at risk of her life. It is all faith – but it is faith that works! Or it’s not faith at all. 5 Conc – Jas concludes 26) For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” A body is dead without the spirit, shown to be present by action! Faith is dead with the HS, shown to be present by action! Julian the Apostate was a Roman emperor who tried to stamp out Xnty. But it just kept multiplying despite his efforts. He once wrote to a friend, “Nothing is contributed more to the superstition of the Christians than their charity to strangers. Why the impious Galileans provide not only for their own poor, but for ours as well.” Saved by faith alone; shown to be saved by their deeds. How could they act like that in the face of severe persecution? By trying harder? Doing their duty? No. It was out of love for the Heavenly Father who one day walked His own only Son, whom He loved up the same hill that Abe walked His Son. Only this time, He went thru with it; He sacrificed His only Son. And a Xn looking at God sacrificing Jesus in their place says, “Now I know that you love me, for you did not withhold your only Son, whom you love, from me.” Doesn’t that give you goosebumps. Doesn’t your heart go out to a God like that? That’s what produces faith that works. Love for God. In the end, Luther got it right: “Justification is by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone” So how’s your faith? Is it a faith that works, or a claimed faith that does not? Is it dead or alive? Does your life look to God or to self? You need look no further than your own life and heart to tell. Let’s pray. 6