Removing the Theological Tension Between Faith & Good Works

Roman Catholic theologians see it as the Achilles Heel of the Reformation. They insist that this text is proof that faith plus good works bring salvation. And, of course, if they are correct, then James is in conflict with the Apostle Paul who clearly taught that eternal salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Martin Luther had great problems with this passage. He even questioned the canonicity of James for he felt that "it contradicted St. Paul and all other Scripture in giving righteousness to works;" hence he dubbed it "an epistle of straw and destitute of evangelic character."

Proponents of "Lordship Salvation" use it to "prove" that righteous behavior distinguishes true saving faith from counterfeit faith. Stated another way: the absence of good works is to them a sure indication of an unregenerate condition. In their view, the man in verse 14 who says he has faith, but has no good works, is lost: he is a person who may have an "intellectual" faith, but not a saving faith. His is a spurious or counterfeit faith. Within Bible-believing circles today, this interpretation is the most popular.¹

These understandings arise from the same incorrect assumption: that James is speaking of salvation from hell (eternal destiny) and justification in the forensic sense (as Paul did in Romans 3 & 4). In each and all of these misrepresentations, the text is ripped out of its context, given a concern that was not the intent of James, then applied to suit the commentator’s dogma.

In this monograph, I will attempt to show from the text and context:

1. that the faith spoken of in James 2:14ff is always the faith of a Christian, not the initial faith of an unsaved sinner in response to the Gospel, nor simply an "intellectual" faith that does not save.²
2. that in reference to this faith, James is not addressing the eternal destiny of his readers, rather their profitability and productivity in this life.
3. that James’ intention is practice: he is encouraging Believers to practice their faith via good works.
4. that Believers dare not minimize good works, nor make them irrelevant.
5. that James and Paul are in complete agreement that…

1. justification (forensic/heavenly) before God is by faith alone in Christ alone, and,
2. justification (practical/earthly) before men is by faith-life-produced works.

Before we look at this passage, it is imperative that we understand that salvation from sin and its consequences is in its total scope a real deliverance from the same. That is, salvation is deliverance from 1) the penalty of sin (spiritual death or eternal separation from God), 2) deliverance from the power of sin in the present, and 3) deliverance from the presence of sin in the future. These three aspects of deliverance are three phases of salvation which are doctrinally developed in the New Testament as 1) Justification, 2) Sanctification, and 3) Glorification. Figure #1 diagrams this scriptural understanding of salvation. Please note the phases and tenses (past, present, and future) of salvation. The reader of scripture must always determine to which phase a salvation passage refers.

In this verse, James raises two questions about faith in relation to works.

(v 14a) Question #1: My brethren, what does it profit if a man says he has faith but he has no works?

Observations:

1. James’ concern is profit manward from a faith that is not productive.
2. The question & concern is directed to "my Brethren" (i.e., Believers), as is the entire book.

Christians are clearly his focus, as in the following passages.

POINT: As with the commands and exhortations of James up to this point, the questions that he poses in 2:14 are to stimulate thought by believers in phase #2 about the relationship between faith and works as they impact other believers; about being word-doers and not just listeners. These questions have nothing to do with unbelievers.

(v 14b) Question #2: "Can faith SAVE him (A BELIEVER)?": that is, "The faith that is without works is continually not able to save/deliver him, is it?" Anticipated answer: "No."

THE INTERPRETIVE ISSUE: "deliver" or "save" him from what?

- IS HELL/ETERNITY IN VIEW? YES #9; NO

OBVIOUSLY THE LATER: PRECISELY AS IN 1:21 where believers are encouraged to "receive the engrafted or implanted word which is able to save or deliver your souls!"⁵ James indicates that there is a reciprocity between Word-produced-works, between being doers of the Word, between faith-life-produced works and deliverance of the soul from sin’s hang-ups. It is this deliverance (in Phase #2) that he has in mind in 2:14.

(v 15, 16) Again, James addresses believers and their good works or lack thereof. He raises the issue of brothers and sisters in Christ who have unmet need for the vital essentials of life: in no way could the "one of you" who ignores their obvious need be an unbeliever!

James has the faith of Christians in view in this entire paragraph, not faith in the Gospel that makes one a Christian. He asks, "WHAT PROFIT or BENEFIT IS YOUR FAITH IN THIS SCENARIO?"

(v 17) His First Conclusion: "So, indeed, this faith if not having works (production of Divine good in life) is dead;" that is, separated from profit or benefit manward, separated from the Divine intent. It stands alone, which is not God’s intent for faith.        

"Dead" here is used in its normal scriptural sense, that of separation, not annihilation or lack of existence. Biblically, spiritual death is separation from God, not annihilation. Physical death is separation of the soul-spirit from the physical body, not annihilation nor non-existence. The second death is spiritual death perpetuated into eternity, not annihilation nor the end of existence. James is not saying faith does not exist: it does exist, but it is separated from God’s intent, hence dead or profitless to mankind.

"Faith" from God’s perspective is not to "be alone." James is affirming that there is a directive purpose of God in saving men by grace through faith – that good works might result.

HE IS IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL WHO STATES:

Did you notice: Believers are created by God in Christ Jesus unto good works. The new birth and its result, the new creation, is not created by good works (the Roman Catholic position), but unto good works. By design, this is one of the directive goals of God for personal faith in Christ. Paul reaffirms the principle in Titus 3:5-8:

James and Paul agree; between them is no theological tension!

This article will continue in the July/August issue. Ron will cover James 2:21-26.

Footnotes:

Ron Merryman served the Lord in Bible colleges for 11 years, 3 of those as Acting President of Western Bible College. He also pastored Holly Hills Bible Church in Denver, Colorado, for 14 years. Ron currently teaches in the G.I.B.S., a ministry of Duluth Bible Church.