Untitled Sermon (10)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:8–9

2:8–9. These verses explain “the incomparable riches of His grace” (v. 7), expanding the parenthetical statement in verse 5, It is by grace you have been saved, and adding that the means of this salvation is through faith. Hence the basis is grace and the means is faith alone (cf. Rom. 3:22, 25; Gal. 2:16; 1 Peter 1:5). Faith is not a “work.” It does not merit salvation; it is only the means by which one accepts God’s free salvation.

Paul elaborated, And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Much debate has centered around the demonstrative pronoun “this” (touto). Though some think it refers back to “grace” and others to “faith,” neither of these suggestions is really valid because the demonstrative pronoun is neuter whereas “grace” and “faith” are feminine. Also, to refer back to either of these words specifically seems to be redundant. Rather the neuter touto, as is common, refers to the preceding phrase or clause. (In Eph. 1:15 and 3:1 touto, “this,” refers back to the preceding section.) Thus it refers back to the concept of salvation (2:4–8a), whose basis is grace and means is faith. This salvation does not have its source in man (it is “not from yourselves”), but rather, its source is God’s grace for “it is the gift of God.”

Verse 9 reinforces this by showing that the means is not by works since its basis is grace (Rom. 3:20, 28; 4:1–5; 11:6; Gal. 2:16; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5), and its means is faith (Rom. 4:5). Therefore since no person can bring salvation to himself by his own efforts, no one can boast (cf. Rom. 3:27; 1 Cor. 1:29). Their boasting can only be in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31).

2:8 “For by grace you have been saved.” This is a summary of vv. 4–7. Flowing from the love of God, His mercy removed our condemnation from us, and His grace provided for our justification by adding the righteousness of Jesus Christ to our account before God. “Through faith.” Faith is a declaration of helpless and undeserving dependence upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Faith is the total absence of works (Rom. 4:4–5). It is the confession that we have nothing to offer but trust in our victorious Savior. “That not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Many try to make this refer to faith, but the grammar of Greek will not allow this. The “that” here refers back to the working of God in vv. 5–6. Scripture constantly affirms that the “gift” is eternal life (John 4:10; Rom. 6:23). Three times in chapter three, Paul speaks of grace as a gift that has been given to him (Eph. 3:2, 7–8). John 1:12 and 3:15 make it clear that all men have the power to believe if they will receive the truth. 2:9 “Not of works.” No human effort or work is included in the act of faith (Rom. 4:4–5). Sinful man contributes absolutely nothing to God’s gift of eternal life. “Lest anyone should boast.” If any part of our salvation was due to any work on our part, we could take credit for it. As it is, by grace through faith, we can only boast in the grace of our Lord (Jer. 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17).

that faith without works is dead? Faith in God without good works is useless. James explains what he means by "dead" in verses 21-23. If there is dynamic faith, works will flow from it. Some manuscripts have the word "idle" for the word "dead." If this text is right, then the idea is that their faith has no effect on their lives. The faith that has no power over our lives is useless. A corpse does not do anything or produce anything; it just lies in the grave. We know where it is located but it does not do anything. Principle: An inoperative faith is dead to the purposes of God. Application: Inoperative faith does not have the power of God. We can talk about helping the poor but until we do, our faith is inoperative. Our faith is good for nothing. Dynamic faith cannot remain idle; it is always on the move. It is inevitable that it will produce something. A profession of faith that does not change a person is useless. James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?" Beginning with 2:21, James mentions two examples of dynamic faith from the lives of believers and one example from human anatomy: 1) Abraham (vv. 21-24); Rahab (v.25); and 3) the human body and spirit (v. 26). 64 James James directly rebuts the objection of the preceding verses in 2:21-23. He addresses the objector in verse 22 – "Do you see?" Was not Abraham our father Abraham was the first Jew and thus the father of all Jews. The Jews to whom James wrote venerated Abraham as the founder of Judaism. He was a Gentile that became the first Jew by faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-16). God justified him by faith alone and credited God's righteousness to him on the basis of the work of Christ on the cross. justified by works More than two decades after his conversion, God declared Abraham's faith vindicated in the eyes of people. God justified Abraham by grace through faith exclusively (Romans 3:20; 4:1–25; Galatians 3:6,11; Genesis 15:6 [referred to in v. 23]). God credited forensic righteousness to Abraham at his point of belief (Romans 1:17; 3:24; 4:1–25). The justification in this verse is not God's justification of Abraham but the justification of Abraham by people who watched his life. People vindicate his salvation by his works. "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…" (Romans 4:1-5). The word "justify" has two basic meanings in the New Testament: 1) acquittal, declare righteous, and 2) vindication or proof. Paul uses "justify" in the sense of declare righteous by God in Romans and Galatians: "…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law [principle] of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:24;27-28). "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…" (Romans 5:1). "…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). James uses the second idea of "justify" in this verse -- vindication. Abraham verified his faith by offering Isaac. This was justification by works in the eyes of men. Justification by faith is in the eyes of God and justification by works is in the eyes of men. The New Testament uses "justify" in this sense in the following passages: "But wisdom is justified [vindicated] by all her children" (Luke 7:35). "Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified [vindicated] in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged'" (Romans 3:4). "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified [vindicated – this is obviously no reference to salvation but to verification of his authenticity] in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). Not only is there a justification by faith but there is also a justification by works. Even Paul himself uses "justify" in this sense in Romans 4:2. "For if Abraham was justified by works [vindication before men], he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness'" (Romans 4:2-3). The word "by" indicates source rather than means. Abraham's works did not justify him but people, James 65 the source, justified him. His works gave occasion for people to vindicate him. Principle: God justifies our souls eternally but men verify our testimony in time. Application: Men justify us by works but God does not justify us by works. Works do not gain us any legal standing before God but they do give us a testimony before men. Only God can justify or declare our soul as righteous as He Himself is righteous (Romans 3:21-24). "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham" (Galatians 3:5-9). when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? The Greek expects a "yes" answer to the question that people justified Abraham by works when he offered Isaac on the altar. Abraham offered Isaac on the altar over two decades after his justification. God justified Abraham in Genesis 12- 15. It was not until many years later that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:3,12). A dynamic faith will eventually show itself in action. Hebrews also relates the story of how Abraham developed a dynamic faith in God's unalterable righteousness after he became a believer (15:6). "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense" (Hebrews 11:17-19). The action of offering Isaac matured Abraham's faith. Abraham's faith moved from a conviction that God would overcome his old age to produce a child to the conviction that He could raise his son from the dead. Abraham failed God miserably at times. He took Hagar–his wife's handmaiden–sexually because he did not believe God was going to give him a son through Sarah, his wife. This resulted in the birth of the first Arab [Ishmael]. He lied that Sarah was his sister (Genesis 12:19; 20:2). In these cases his works did not verify his faith in the eyes of men. There is no justification by faith plus works in the Bible, rather, there are two kinds of justification. Justification by faith is not the only kind of eternal justification. There is a justification by "works" by men. Men see your works and verify the authenticity of your faith. Note the word "only" in James 2:24, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Principle: Good works are the proof of faith – not the path to salvation. Application: There is nothing in James 2:14-26 about lordship salvation. However, this passage expresses the need for a faith that expresses itself in practical manifestation. Genuine faith will produce certain good effect. There is a true and a false faith; a true faith will show itself in good works. Genuine spirituality behaves according to its belief. Our works give testimony to our belief. John Calvin said, "Faith alone justifies; but the faith that justifies is never alone." We vindicate our faith before others by our good works. We enter into eternal life by faith through grace. Our moral bankruptcy before God demands that God justify us by faith. When God justifies us, we possess an unqualified acceptance before God. This is a transaction by God seen by God alone."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). We manifest that faith by doing God's will. Since faith is invisible, we can only see faith by what it does. Faith becomes evident by its actions. A spiritual life that does not produce the fruit of the Spirit is not spirituality. Spirituality always produces something (Galatians 5:22,23). "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We know a dead faith because it fails to produce righteousness. "They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father'" (John 8:39- 41).

ames 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" But do you want to know, James calls for the acknowledgment of his previous point. Many people do not want to know the truth because the principles of God's Word may change their lives. This is a challenge to their will. Some people prefer to be ignorant of God's principles because they think that their ignorance will deny the reality of the Word. They are like an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand. James proceeds to show them cases of believers in the Old Testament who lived by dynamic faith (2:21f). O foolish man, "Foolish" denotes unemployed, idle, with nothing to do, barren, yielding no return, unproductive. James calls his opponents "foolish" because they do not produce anything. Their lives are void of effect. that faith without works is dead? Faith in God without good works is useless. James explains what he means by "dead" in verses 21-23. If there is dynamic faith, works will flow from it. Some manuscripts have the word "idle" for the word "dead." If this text is right, then the idea is that their faith has no effect on their lives. The faith that has no power over our lives is useless. A corpse does not do anything or produce anything; it just lies in the grave. We know where it is located but it does not do anything. Principle: An inoperative faith is dead to the purposes of God. Application: Inoperative faith does not have the power of God. We can talk about helping the poor but until we do, our faith is inoperative. Our faith is good for nothing. Dynamic faith cannot remain idle; it is always on the move. It is inevitable that it will produce something. A profession of faith that does not change a person is useless. James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?" Beginning with 2:21, James mentions two examples of dynamic faith from the lives of believers and one example from human anatomy: 1) Abraham (vv. 21-24); Rahab (v.25); and 3) the human body and spirit (v. 26). 64 James James directly rebuts the objection of the preceding verses in 2:21-23. He addresses the objector in verse 22 – "Do you see?" Was not Abraham our father Abraham was the first Jew and thus the father of all Jews. The Jews to whom James wrote venerated Abraham as the founder of Judaism. He was a Gentile that became the first Jew by faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-16). God justified him by faith alone and credited God's righteousness to him on the basis of the work of Christ on the cross. justified by works More than two decades after his conversion, God declared Abraham's faith vindicated in the eyes of people. God justified Abraham by grace through faith exclusively (Romans 3:20; 4:1–25; Galatians 3:6,11; Genesis 15:6 [referred to in v. 23]). God credited forensic righteousness to Abraham at his point of belief (Romans 1:17; 3:24; 4:1–25). The justification in this verse is not God's justification of Abraham but the justification of Abraham by people who watched his life. People vindicate his salvation by his works. "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…" (Romans 4:1-5). The word "justify" has two basic meanings in the New Testament: 1) acquittal, declare righteous, and 2) vindication or proof. Paul uses "justify" in the sense of declare righteous by God in Romans and Galatians: "…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law [principle] of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:24;27-28). "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…" (Romans 5:1). "…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). James uses the second idea of "justify" in this verse -- vindication. Abraham verified his faith by offering Isaac. This was justification by works in the eyes of men. Justification by faith is in the eyes of God and justification by works is in the eyes of men. The New Testament uses "justify" in this sense in the following passages: "But wisdom is justified [vindicated] by all her children" (Luke 7:35). "Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified [vindicated] in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged'" (Romans 3:4). "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified [vindicated – this is obviously no reference to salvation but to verification of his authenticity] in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). Not only is there a justification by faith but there is also a justification by works. Even Paul himself uses "justify" in this sense in Romans 4:2. "For if Abraham was justified by works [vindication before men], he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness'" (Romans 4:2-3). The word "by" indicates source rather than means. Abraham's works did not justify him but people, James 65 the source, justified him. His works gave occasion for people to vindicate him. Principle: God justifies our souls eternally but men verify our testimony in time. Application: Men justify us by works but God does not justify us by works. Works do not gain us any legal standing before God but they do give us a testimony before men. Only God can justify or declare our soul as righteous as He Himself is righteous (Romans 3:21-24). "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham" (Galatians 3:5-9). when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? The Greek expects a "yes" answer to the question that people justified Abraham by works when he offered Isaac on the altar. Abraham offered Isaac on the altar over two decades after his justification. God justified Abraham in Genesis 12- 15. It was not until many years later that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:3,12). A dynamic faith will eventually show itself in action. Hebrews also relates the story of how Abraham developed a dynamic faith in God's unalterable righteousness after he became a believer (15:6). "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense" (Hebrews 11:17-19). The action of offering Isaac matured Abraham's faith. Abraham's faith moved from a conviction that God would overcome his old age to produce a child to the conviction that He could raise his son from the dead. Abraham failed God miserably at times. He took Hagar–his wife's handmaiden–sexually because he did not believe God was going to give him a son through Sarah, his wife. This resulted in the birth of the first Arab [Ishmael]. He lied that Sarah was his sister (Genesis 12:19; 20:2). In these cases his works did not verify his faith in the eyes of men. There is no justification by faith plus works in the Bible, rather, there are two kinds of justification. Justification by faith is not the only kind of eternal justification. There is a justification by "works" by men. Men see your works and verify the authenticity of your faith. Note the word "only" in James 2:24, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Principle: Good works are the proof of faith – not the path to salvation. Application: There is nothing in James 2:14-26 about lordship salvation. However, this passage expresses the need for a faith that expresses itself in practical manifestation. Genuine faith will produce certain good effect. There is a true and a false faith; a true faith will show itself in good works. Genuine spirituality behaves according to its belief. Our works give testimony to our belief. John Calvin said, "Faith alone justifies; but the faith that justifies is never alone." We vindicate our faith before others by our good works. We enter into eternal life by faith through grace. Our moral bankruptcy before God demands that God justify us by faith. When God justifies us, we possess an unqualified acceptance before God. This is a transaction by God seen by God alone. 66 James "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). We manifest that faith by doing God's will. Since faith is invisible, we can only see faith by what it does. Faith becomes evident by its actions. A spiritual life that does not produce the fruit of the Spirit is not spirituality. Spirituality always produces something (Galatians 5:22,23). "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We know a dead faith because it fails to produce righteousness. "They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father'" (John 8:39- 41). James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?" Do you see James wants the objector to see the truth of this verse. Each of us must see this principle for ourselves. This responsibility falls on our own shoulder. No one can swim for us; we must get into the water. that faith was working together with his works, The words "working…with…works" are emphatic in the Greek. Faith and works are partners in labor working together at the same time. By offering Isaac on an altar, Abraham became the "friend of God" (2:23). Abraham's faith and his works were partners. They assisted each other and cooperated with each other. They engaged in activity together because they needed each other. Faith is the motivation and foundation for works. Works is the manifestation and result of faith. It is impossible to have biblical application without faith, for works have no motivation of their own. The joint relationship is the dynamic at the foundation of the deed. So Abraham's faith was in a God of the resurrection. He knew more than information about God; he knew God Himself personally (Romans 4:19-21). Abraham believed that God was able to solve his sexual deadness and give him a child even at his advanced age in life. He believed that even though he sacrificed Isaac, God would raise Isaac from the dead to keep His covenant with Abraham (Hebrews 11:17-19). and by works faith was made perfect? Works brings faith to its goal and fullness. The purpose of a berry bush is to produce berries. The berry bush has the genetic composition for producing berries. True faith does not reach its fulfilment until it produces works of righteousness. Works are the effect of a dynamic faith. Works also make faith stronger. Maturity of faith is a result of connecting faith and works together. Without works our faith is a dead faith. With works, our faith shows its maturity to others (Ephesians 2:10). Abraham's faith matured by works. He moved from believing that God would deal with his sexual deadness to being confident that He would raise his son Isaac from the dead. His faith grew and developed. This does not imply that his faith was faulty but simply that it was incomplete. He developed his faith by exercising it. Principle: Works strengthen and mature of faith. Application: This verse does not teach us where we should place our trust but demonstrates the effect of faith in the sight of men. The car we drive may be a symbol of financial prosperity. Likewise the application of principle to experience shows the reality of our faith. We cannot have genuine belief in the principles of the Word without living them out in our experience. We cannot separate works from our life of faith as Christians. Production brings faith to its goal. Our faith needs to be developed. When developed, it James 67 produces fruit. A living faith works itself out into life situations. Our faith will not reach its goal without appropriating the promises and principles of God's Word by faith. That appropriation is an act of faith. We believe that God's principles are true for our lives. That glorifies God because God Himself is the goal of our lives. Each time we take God at His Word, we demonstrate that God is trustworthy. With each time we believe Him, our faith grows stronger. Taking action on our faith builds our faith. James 2:23 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" And the Scripture James cites Genesis 15:6 in defense of the truth that genuine faith shows itself in action. The New Testament quotes Genesis 15:6 four times [Romans 4:3,9; Galatians 3:6 and this verse]. James quotes the exact verse that Paul quotes to prove salvation by faith to show a vital faith as a Christian results in action. If works do not accompany faith, our faith is not vibrant. We operate in dead orthodoxy. was fulfilled which says, The word "fulfilled" indicates that justification by faith results in vindication by works. Abraham manifested his faith by the sacrifice of Isaac. The Scripture received its completion in that act. Abraham honoured God by his faith. As many as forty years after Abraham had believed God for justification, he evidenced his justification by the offering of Isaac. He proved himself righteous by his actions. Abraham did not operate with a dead orthodox faith. Faith truly changes the heart. "Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: ‘By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.' So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba" (Genesis 22:15-19). At the point that Abraham was willing to offer Isaac, his faith became abundantly clear to all. "Abraham believed God, Abraham believed God but he also believed what God said. He believed in God's trustworthiness. and it was accounted to him for righteousness." The word "accounted" signifies to reckon (by calculation or imputation), to deliberate, count, conclude, compute, take into account, put to one's account. This word deals with what is true, especially in commercial accounts involving debits and credits. If I have $1000 dollars in my chequing account, I have $1000, not $999. God is the one who "accounted" Abraham righteous. God put to Abraham's account His very own righteousness. Thus, God's accounting means that He keeps a mental record of those to whom He imputes His righteousness. He keeps record of my eternal standing before Him as being right in His eyes. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:21-26). 68 James "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt" (Romans 4:4). "…just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works…" (Romans 4:6). "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also…" (Romans 4:11). God views me in eternal right relationship with Him because of His own nature. The issue of God's righteousness is that God must be consistent with His own standards. God credits to the eternal account of the believer His own righteousness because the death of Christ imputes to us that righteousness. "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith'" (Romans 1:17). "Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:23-25). Principle: God imputes His very own righteousness to us at the moment of salvation. Application: God declares the believer as righteous as His Son the moment the believer trusts in the blood of Christ to forgive sins. This is imputed righteousness, not earned righteousness. It is a righteousness that God gives to us judicially and not by our experience. God gives it in exchange for our trust in the cross of Christ for salvation. And he was called the friend of God God calls Abraham the "friend of God" because decades after he believed, he was willing to offer Isaac on an altar. God loved Abraham in a special way because of this obedience. Abraham's justification evidenced itself by his willingness to offer Isaac. Obedience is the evidence of faith. The word "friend" means someone loved, dear or friendly. A friend is someone who shares intimate concerns. It is different from associates who do not share those same things. "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" (2 Chronicles 20:7) "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend" (Isaiah 41:8). The point is that Abraham already became a believer when God called him "friend." God declared Abraham His friend when he acted out his faith. Abraham did not count the cost. God counts us friends when we act out our faith. God does not count us worthy of His friendship but God glories in those who do not serve themselves but serve others. Principle: Obedience is an evidence of faith. Application: Jesus says that we are His friends if we do whatsoever He commands us. A friend of God is someone who walks with God. It is important what God thinks of us. It is one thing to be a friend to God but it is another for God to be a friend to us. Does God consider you His friend? The fact that God will befriend us staggers the imagination. "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:14-15). James 69 True friends please and trust each other. Jesus pleased His Father and never let Him down. "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29). James 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" You see then The words "you see then" refer to Abraham's offering of Isaac. Abraham's justifying faith was an active faith that extended into his daily life. that a man is justified by works, People justified [vindicated] Abraham's faith based on his work of offering Isaac (2:21; Genesis 22) on an altar maybe as much as 40 years after his conversion (Genesis 15:6). God is not the Author of justification in this verse but men. Remember the word "justify" has two basic meanings: 1) to declare righteous and 2) to vindicate. The first meaning carries the idea of acquittal. God judicially [forensically] declares us as right as He Himself is right eternally when we believe on His Son for eternal life. "…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law [principle] of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:24,27-28). "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…" (Romans 5:1). "…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). The second idea of "justify" is vindication or proving righteousness. This is the sense in which James uses "justified" in this verse. Abraham, after he was saved, supremely proved his past relation to God by offering up Isaac (Genesis 22:3). Works accompany faith because genuine faith involves regeneration. "Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged'" (Romans 3:4). "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). and not by faith only. Works verified Abraham's faith. He perfected [matured] his faith by his works [application of truth to experience]. His unabashed willingness to do God's will vindicated his unadulterated faith in God. The word "only" qualifies justification by works. There is justification by faith and there is a vindication by works. Paul himself held to the view that works justified us before other men but not before God. We cannot sever or separate faith and works in the Christian life for works have a vital part in the spiritual life. "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God" (Romans 4:2). Principle: Our actions show our righteous standing before God. Application: There is no contradiction between Paul and James on justification. Paul looks at justification from God's viewpoint and James looks at it from man's viewpoint. From God's viewpoint, He declares us as righteous as He is righteous eternally by faith in the death of Christ for our sins (Romans 4:1–25; Galatians 3:6–9). Only Christ could do this. Nothing we can do can justify us. 70 James An active faith declares to others that we possess saving faith. Some Christians have a dead faith that does not prove anything to those without Christ. Dynamic belief behaves by operative faith. Works do not procure our salvation but they do declare it to others. We prove our justification by what we do.