What Does James Say About Faith and Works?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions and listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question: Dear Dave and Tom, I’m a Roman Catholic who has problems with my church, but I still love it and don’t see a good reason for leaving it.One of the issues where I see that you contradict the Bible is James. You say that a person gets to heaven on the basis of faith alone.But St. James, inspired by the Holy Spirit says faith without works is dead.I’ll take St. James word over yours.

Tom:

Well, what do you think Dave?I’ll take St. James words over mine too.

Dave:

Yes, right.

Tom:

But I don’t think he’s taking St. James rightly.I don’t think he has an understanding.

Dave:
Yes, well first of all, he’s no more of a saint than the rest of us, than the lowliest Christian because saints—

Tom:

But he was inspired of the Holy Spirit.

Dave:

That’s true, but we have to be inspired of the Holy Spirit as we read what he wrote to recognize that it was inspired of the Holy Spirit.In other words, how do I know the Bible is God’s Word?Because the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writers, indwells me and it bears witness with my heart.Well James first of all is saying show me your faith without works; I will show you my faith by my works.In other words, I couldn’t possibly know that you are a Christian if you don’t act like one.Now you could very well be a Christian and not act like one.Paul explains that in 1 Corinthians 3.Here’s a person who all of his works are burned up.In other words his works are tested by the fire of God’s evaluating judgment and none of them stand the test.He doesn’t have anything.He is stripped naked.He has no evidence that he was a Christian that we would recognize outwardly, but God knows his heart.Paul says if he really had his faith in Christ he is saved, but he certainly has no rewards.So James is saying, now look you can’t demonstrate your faith, you can’t show me your faith, without your works.Faith without works is dead.But he is not contradicting the rest of the Bible.If James is meaning what this person seems to think he means, then he’s in contradiction to all the rest of the Bible, because grace for example—there’s no works.Paul argues this in Romans 11.Let me just quote verse 6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace, but if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”I mean that’s pretty logical.Nobody can refute that.James can’t refute that and how are we saved?By grace, “by grace are ye saved through faith, not of yourselves….”It has to be of grace because I can’t merit it.It’s that simple.This is one of the most basic concepts in all of scripture. So James surely can’t be contradicting that.

Tom:

Dave let me just look to the writer of this question with some empathy.I’m a former Roman Catholic.One of the most difficult ideas that I had that evangelicals, as they were trying to witness to me, was this idea that it was just by faith.Because from the cradle on, I was taught and grew up to understand that I had to merit—in a sense, there were things that I had to do.I didn’t even understand meriting this or that, but I knew that I had to do certain things because my whole life, my whole religious life, was filled with that.Now here’s another thing I find interesting.Martin Luther, Catholic monk, alright?Before he comes to Christ and after he comes to Christ, he still has difficulty with this very issue.He called the epistle of James, I think, a straw epistle, or something like that.He had difficulty with it because that’s part of our baggage that we have to come to an understanding to be delivered from almost.

Dave:

Well Tom the Bible is very clear on it, but let’s reason about it logically.How were you going to merit?What could you do as a Catholic?What could you do as a Presbyterian, or a Baptist?

Tom:

You know you don’t think about that Dave.You think about this is what the church tells us, this is what the religious authorities tell us, so you really remove yourself from reason and logic because now I understand it can’t be any other way.Just as you said, what could I do to take away my own sin, to appease God?Well there’s only one penalty.The penalty is death.Separation from Him forever.How can I pay for that?

Dave:

Right, I’m going to give God something for which he will give me—

Tom:

To atone?

Dave:

Pardon and exchange, I mean you’ve got to be kidding.Now just logic—

Tom:

Irrational.

Dave:

It is irrational.Logically, we have talked about it on this program before.If I get a ticket for speeding and I tell the judge well I have driven within the speed limit more times than I have exceeded it, wouldn’t my good deeds out weigh my bad?That won’t work with the judge here, or if I tell the judge, well if you let me off this time, I’ll never, ever, ever, ever break the law again and the judge says well if you don’t break the law, you are only doing what the law requires, you don’t get extra-credit for that.What are we going to do about the fact that you already broke the law?The ticket has been written out and you can’t pay a ticket by keeping the law in the future because you are required to keep the law.So once you have broken the law, you’re finished.This is why James, in fact himself says, “He who keeps the whole law, but offend in one point, you are guilty of all.What?Because sin is sin.Sin is rebellion against God and that’s what this whole thing is all about.And I could keep all the provisions of the law and I just break it in one point, I am guilty of everything, because I am a rebel against God.Now there is no remedy for that we can attain to.The penalty had to be paid.So James is not talking about salvation here, whether you are saved by your faith.He’s talking about the life we would live.Faith without works is dead.You say you have faith?Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.”Well then, don’t say you love him if you break his commandments; if you are disobedient.Furthermore, I don’t believe James is speaking in absolutes.This is a general statement.Generally speaking, well the only way you can demonstrate your faith is by your works to others and we ought to.?I am a new creature in Christ Jesus, I’ve been created in Christ unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them,” Ephesians:2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
See All....Well but if I’m not walking in these good works then how can I say that I’m saved?So it’s logical, but this is not the basis of our salvation.This is the basis of the outworking of our salvation and the demonstration that we really are the Christian that we claim to be.

Tom:

Right and it’s motivated by love therefore, it is not any form of legalism, we’ve talked about depression, and it just doesn’t happen if we are motivated by love to please God.It can’t happen.