faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead

(James 2:17). Martin Luther was one of the great movers and shakers of the Protestant Reformation He was taught that unless he performed the mass perfectly,  it was ineffective. This,  and the teaching that we have to earn our salvation, scared him to death. He became convinced these were false doctrines when he read “He who through faith is righteous shall live” (Romans  1:17). It lead to his conversion, and to regarding the book of James as “the epistle of straw.” It seemed to him that this morning's verse contradicted the gospel that “it is by faith that you are saved ... not of works” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).  Accordingly he, and many others today,  if not explicitly then practically, want to either dismiss or ignore this apparent contradiction in James.

It should be noted, that the Ephesians reference is followed by “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus in order to do good works.” So we're not saved by good works, but part of His purpose in saving us,  is to do good works. Jesus puts it this way “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). James compares faith without works, as a body without a spirit  (2:26), and tells us that if we are not doers of the Word, then we are deceived (1:22). And I fear that many, who having said the sinners prayer and gone away unchanged,  are both deceived and remain unsaved!

On another point, in the Matthew passage some translations have “good deeds” emphasizing the distinction between the works of the Law and good deeds that glorify God. The former is Paul's emphasis for “By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified” (declared righteous - Romans 3:20). James however, is emphasizing good deeds, for “if someone is naked and destitute of daily food,  and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Even “the devils believe,” but they tremble (2:15,16, 19).  So on the one hand  “Faith without works,  o foolish man, is dead (2:20). But on the other “it is by faith that you are saved ... not of works ... it is the gift of God.” Gifts are gifts, not something you earn!

What I see happening with Martin Luther, and over and over in different issues in the church, is that when an error or over emphasis is seen, the balancing truth is thrown out in flavour of correcting the error. So many Scriptural truths need to be held together in tension (such as the humanity and deity of Christ). And this morning I am aware that I needed to not shun “to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

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Father, I really am concerned that there are those in the visible church who, having said the sinners prayer but remain unchanged,  think they are saved,  but they are not. We read in Hebrews true faith acts (Hebrews 11), and in James that good deeds are the evidence of faith. Peter warns us to  be diligent to make our call and election sure, for if we do the things he lists, we will never stumble (2 Peter 1:10). Let us examine ourselves this morning Lord to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). We bless You Lord  in Jesus Name Amen