Scripture
“If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.” – Romans 4:2 (NIV)
Thoughts
Imagine standing in complete darkness, and wanting to get into the light. It’s so dark that you cannot see anything. No outlines, no shadows, just a faint light in the distance showing you the direction to go. In these dark places, sometimes there is so much chaos going on that we are unable to see the difference between the darkness and the light. Imagine someone stood next to you that could see, someone who could tell the difference between the darkness and the light, someone who asked you to follow them out of the darkness and into the light. Would you trust them? Would you take the first step toward the light? It’s your choice to move forward out of the darkness and into the light. It’s your choice to take the first step.
When I spent time in Ireland doing mission work, I liked to ask people I met the question, “if something happened to you today, and you went to meet God, and He asked you why He should let you into His Heaven, what would you say?” Many people I met answered, “I’ve been a good person. I’ve never ______ …” Insert your favorite sin here.
Is this enough? Is being a good person enough?
The tension posed by this question has existed in the church since the very beginning. James addresses the tension in chapter 2 of his letter, as does Paul in his letter to the Romans. Abraham was commanded by God to offer his Son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham, though faith in God, obeyed this command to the point of raising the knife he would use to sacrifice his son. God saw Abraham’s faith, and provided a replacement sacrifice. God then declared Abraham to be righteous—to have a right standing with God—to be justified. Some in the church said that Abraham’s justification came from the action of following the command from God to sacrifice his son. Some said that Abram’s justification came from his faith in God. Paul says, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.”
So then, if we are to be justified by faith, what of our good works?
James makes the case that our good works follow our faith in Christ.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17
It is important for us to remember that the New Testament uses of the term “faith” in different ways. Theologians have distinguished these different meanings in a variety of ways. Here James was distinguishing “saving faith” (faith that will result in eternal – salvation) from false faith. Faith that yields no good works is not a saving faith.”
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?James 2:18-21 (NIV)
Abraham’s faith as well as his actions were working together.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
James 2:25 (NIV)
Paul says the same thing that “If in fact Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about but not before God.” (Romans 4:2) Scriptures say that Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness.
Paul and James are both saying that we are justified by faith and not by our works, However they are saying that we can not have works without the faith. Out of this faith comes good deeds.
Our salvation is a gift freely given to us by God. We are justified through our faith in the work of Jesus Christ. The only thing that we can do to earn our salvation is to trust—to have faith—in the one who paid our debt.
Imagery
“There comes a time when my eyes of flesh are closed, this is so that I am able to see better with the eyes of the Spirit.”
– David Dodd
U2: Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own
The Grateful Dead: Comes a Time