There has been a long and trying dispute for many centuries as to how James relates to the writings of Paul. Some have claimed that they speak directly against one another. Luther, for example, wrote, “[James] mangles the scriptures and thereby opposes Paul and all scripture … [it is] an epistle of straw.” However, many others believe these two are in perfect harmony with one another.
Because of our belief in the authority and inspiration of Scripture we should be in this latter group. But how do we respond to Luther? How do we explain the meshing of these two authors? And how do we show that they are not contradictory? It is this question that I want us to look at tonight.
To show why this issue has been so trying for many, allow me to tell you how I arrived at my text in James 2:14-26 tonight. As you know, on Wednesday nights I have been teaching from a text in the New Testament that corresponds with the Old Testament text from which I preached the previous Sunday morning. I preached a couple of weeks ago from Galatians 3, for Paul uses Genesis 15:6 as his basis to argue that man is justified by faith and not by the works of the Law. Then, last week, we looked at Melchizedek, who is mentioned in Genesis 14:17-20. However, because we were delayed a bit in getting through the text that I had intended to finish last Sunday, this sermon is anchored in the same Old Testament text as last weeks.
So how does this illustrate why meshing James and Paul has been such a big problem for centuries? Well, in Galatians 3 (and Romans 4) Paul uses Genesis 15:6 to show that man is not justified by the works of the Law but by faith. But when you get to James use of Genesis 15:6, you read this: “‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was a friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone” (James 2:23-24).
So, you see why this has caused problems. But they do harmonize with one another, and we can continue to hold a high view of Scripture and not be thrown by the seeming contradiction.
How do they work together?
To understand the answer to this question, we first need to understand (briefly) …
In Galatians 3, Paul was dealing with people who were trying to attain a righteous status before God by doing the works of the Law. Specifically, they were saying that they were commanded to be circumcised and that that was what it took to attain righteousness before God. However, Paul corrects their understanding by writing in verse 10, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.’”
So if someone was going to try to attain righteousness before God by observing the Law, then he needed to realize that God demands perfect righteousness. Therefore, he must observe every single part of the Law. If he broke one command, then he fell short of perfect righteousness.
Such is why Paul can say that someone under the Law is cursed. He is cursed, for it is impossible for sinful people to live perfectly in every single respect. Thus, no one attains righteousness by keeping a few aspects of the Law; instead one falls way short of the perfect standard needed to come into the presence of a holy God.
Lest one think it possible, we need to remind ourselves that Genesis 6:5 and 8:20-21 tell us that human beings are evil in our nature and that Isaiah 64:6 tells us that (because of the fact of man’s depraved nature) even our “righteous” deeds are as filthy rags in God’s sight.
Therefore, as there is no chance for us fulfilling the Law, it (the Law) was given to show us our sin and push us to Christ in whom we place our faith and have his righteousness transferred to our “account” (refer to sermon preached on August 8, 2001).
And so, we see the centrality of and need for faith to unify us to Christ that we might attain a perfect righteousness outside of ourselves. This is Paul’s argument, and he is surely right.
However, let’s assume that we know someone who professes to be a believer and yet doesn’t obey the commands of God and disobeys blatantly what Scripture says he is to do. The following conversation might ensue (we’ll call him Person B):
Person A: Hey, I think you should examine yourself to see if you are truly born again.
Person B: What are you talking about?
Person A: Well, it’s just that you don’t act like a Christian at all.
Person B: Do you mean that my life doesn’t show any good works?
Person A: Yes, exactly.
Person B: Well, you see, you need to read Paul, for a person is not justified by good works.
Person A: I know that someone is not justified by the Law, but shouldn’t faith produce …
Person B: Hey, don’t try to add anything to faith. I have faith. Remember Paul!
This would obviously be to misunderstand Paul, for he is in fact the very one who tells us that we should examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. And he makes references often to people who claim to believe and yet are not truly born again. However, you could see how you would have to “argue” with such a person differently than Paul argues with the groups to whom he is speaking in Romans 4 and Galatians 3, for Paul is dealing with a different problem. But what do you say to such an individual to show that if he were really a Christian, it should show?
Here is where James comes into play, for James is dealing with people who are using a similar argument to our “Person B” in the hypothetical dialogue. James, first of all, asks the question, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (2:14).
From the outset of this question, we see how needed James teaching is in our day. For that hypothetical dialogue is probably not so hypothetical for many people that we have encountered in life. James gives us the answer in beautiful logic as we follow his argument.
1. Words are not real without action (2:15-16)
First, James uses an example of a brother or sister needing food and coming to you to ask for food. You have it, but you don’t give it to them. Instead, you send them away empty handed and say, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled.”
Now, obviously, though you said, “Be filled,” you really didn’t mean it, for you didn’t give them any food. So even though the words from your mouth are saying that you want the individual to be filled, your actions of withholding food are proving that you really desire no such thing.
2. So is a profession of faith not real unless it is followed by action (2:17)
James writes, “Even so [in the same way] faith, if it has no works is dead, being by itself.” His point is that you might claim to believe, but if you truly believed, your faith would bring about good works in your life. Yes, (as Paul argues), faith alone saves, but faith never comes alone.
3. Even demons make intellectual accent to things (2:18-29)
For the person who says, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ” with his mouth, his words don’t automatically mean that he has a justifying faith. For even the demons make assent to such things. James tells us that even the demons believe that there is one God, so to merely speak and make mental assent to truths of Christianity doesn’t mean that you have true faith that justifies one before God.
How then do we see that one has genuine faith? The answer to this question is the thing at which James is driving. And his answer is that …
4. Genuine faith will be followed by obedience (2:20-25)
James shows us in verses 20-25 what genuine saving faith looks like. In short, good works spring forth from it; good works grow right out of true, genuine, saving faith. That is what he is showing with Abraham and Rahab. Yes, James would say, “Abraham was justified by faith, even as we are, but you see that his faith is real because of his willingness to obey and sacrifice Isaac.” Thus, James is showing that good works vindicate true saving faith. A man’s good works will reflect that he has genuine faith, and thus he is justified. Therefore, “faith alone” in verse 24 is used to denote someone’s avoidance of any necessity to demonstrate faith. James is aiming right at “Person B’s” claim in our dialogue.
5. Therefore, faith (a profession of belief) that doesn’t lead to obedience isn’t true justifying faith (2:26).
James drives home the brunt of the argument again in verse 26 by repeating, “Faith without works is dead.” It is not the kind of faith that justifies someone before God.
Or another way this point can be said is, “Faith that doesn’t bring about obedience in the individual’s life isn’t the kind of faith that saves someone, it is lifeless, impotent faith.”
This is how we would deal with the person’s misuse and misunderstanding of Paul. Paul and James would both say that we are made right before God by faith, and both would no doubt add that genuine saving faith is shown true as it is followed by obedience.
Here is an example to close.
I once heard someone tell a story of a man who stretched a tightrope across Niagara Falls. He then walked across the tightrope as people watched, filled with tension, hoping he would not fall. He didn’t. And if that were not enough, he took a wheelbarrow and walked across the rope, pushing the wheelbarrow on it. Finally, he filled the wheelbarrow with a bowling ball and did the same thing. As the bowling ball would roll from side to side, he wasn’t even shaken.
Therefore, at the end of the day, it was no surprise that many said, “Yes” when he asked, “Does anyone think I could put a person in the wheelbarrow and push them across the rope without falling?” However, immediately after getting many affirmations from the crowd that had gathered, he then asked, “Who will get in the wheelbarrow?” No one volunteered.
The point is that if they really believed there was no danger involved and he could do it without a problem, they would have gotten in the wheelbarrow. But, no matter what they all said, no one had true faith. This is the exact point that James is showing.
And if you think this is a bit extreme, remember the example that James picks up on from Genesis. He proves Abraham’s faith by reminding us that he was willing to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham believed so strongly that God would bless the world through his seed that he was willing to kill him if God said so.
But what did Abraham think would happen if he actually killed his son?
According to Hebrews 11:17-19, Abraham believed God so strongly, he trusted that God would raise Isaac from the dead if Abraham sacrificed him. That is real faith; faith followed up by a lifetime of obedience to God’s commands.
Therefore, let me encourage you to examine yourself tonight. I know we’ve spent much time talking about a hypothetical “Person B,” but apply this to yourself. Are you truly trusting in the reality of what you profess? How is it changing your life? Are you living for your professed Lord? Let us search our hearts tonight and ensure that our faith has indeed brought about a heart of obedience.
Let us remember as we close the words of Martin Luther in his preface to Romans, which (ironically) sums up the argument of James. He writes of true, genuine, justifying faith: “O it is a living, busy active mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good things incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done this, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he talks and talks, with many words about faith and good works.”
Amen.