Faith Plus Works

Introduction

As I mentioned last week, James is one of my favorite books of the bible. It is not very long and it is full of advice that usually challenges me to be better. It is direct and if I am being honest, you can’t deny that it is directed at you. Yes each of us feels that way after reading it! There is both correction, that is the stuff we need to do better on and there is encouragement that you can be better.

James 2:1–17 NRSV

1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? 8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

As we read out the passage earlier in the service, there are two main items that are the focused on here: Works versus Faith, and integration of faith and works together or faith plus works.

Works versus faith

Much of our reading focuses on our actions, or inactions when it comes to others and their needs. James is quick to point out that how can we say we are faithful when we favor people. He uses the example of the rich person and poor person. How can you claim to believe in God’s teaching when you disregard parts of it? Faith in about believing in the goodness of God and believing what God teaches.

While you may believe in following parts of the teachings of God, if you fail to uphold all of it, you are guilty of breaking away from God. James does not leave much room here for interpretation. James speaks plainly that if you are thinking your good behavior and actions which some of what God calls you to do, then you need to correct your understanding that God requires us to follow all of it. This means all of our words, actions, or silence, or inaction all comes into play when it comes to judging our works.

Many times we hear that we need to place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and we will be saved. This is true. We also hear about we need to live right. How do we light right or how do we measure if we are living right? This example in this passage is one way. How do you treat others? To you truly love your neighbor, regardless of their economic status, their political status, their beliefs, etc.? The point in all of this is that our works need to line up with our beliefs. Since we believe in loving our neighbor as our self, then we should treat others like we believe it. Our works must line up with our beliefs. Otherwise we contradict our beliefs.

Faith Plus Works

Much in the same way, we are have building up to the second focus item here. So if we cannot separate our works and faith, then what does that mean that they work together? Going back to the passage, the contradictory example is when we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, yet we treat some as better than others, then our works don’t line up with our faith of loving our neighbors as ourselves. The other example was when in verse 14 James asks, what good does it do when you say you have faith, and your brother or sister lacks daily food and you wish them well, but do not lift a finger to help, this is where our faith doesn’t lineup with our works again. Why is that you may ask?

Faith calls us to action. Faith not only teaches us to love our neighbors but to James’ point, how can I see your faith if your works contradict what faith calls us to do? Love itself call us to action does it not? To say you love your spouse, yet your words and action don’t line up with this then how can you say you love them? Yet by your words and actions is exactly how you show them that you love them. So you see the two truly are inseparable.

We can’t claim to be faithful if our words and actions do not line up with our faith and beliefs. Yet we can’t claim to be good by our works alone either as we know we fall short there too. So faith teaches us to look in that mirror every day to see where our works don’t line up with our faith and the Holy Spirit empowers us to be better in both word and deed.