Grace Part 4: Faith and Works

I can say with almost complete certainty that I will NEVER go skydiving. If you think I am going to jump out of a plane willingly, you are taking crazy pills. You say to me, "What, Leah, don't you believe that parachutes work?" Yeah, I believe that parachutes work, but there's no way, I am going to willingly put my life on the line by jumping out of a plane. Perhaps you could reasonably argue, then, that I don't really believe the parachute will work. Or, to say it another way: While I agree that a parachute is made to keep me from plummeting into the ground, I am not about to entrust my life to a parachute.

James would call this "dead faith." The evidence of real faith is the action it produces. If I really trust a parachute, I will jump out of plane, but if I don't really trust the parachute, I won't do anything. Look at James 2:17-24.

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder...

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

The main point of this particular passage in James is to show us that if our "faith" doesn't produce action, then it is empty faith. Even if I believe that Jesus died to save sinners, if I don't entrust my life to him, my faith is empty.

At a glance, James 2:17-24 looks like it contradicts a lot of other passages in scripture. (See Galatians 3:5-13, Romans 5:1, Romans 4:1-9, Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:8-10)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:8-10

So what's the deal? It seems like Paul is saying we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, while James is saying we are saved by works and not by faith alone. How do we reconcile this?

It's both. We are saved by grace through faith, and real faith is accompanied by action. Actions don't save you; they just prove that your faith is real. Jumping out of a plane doesn't save my life - the parachute saves my life - jumping just proves that I really believe the parachute will save me (as does operating the parachute correctly when I'm in the air). But if I don't jump, I have not put my trust in the parachute.

The same is true with Jesus. Trying to live a life that pleases God without trusting Christ is like hoping not to die when you go skydiving without a parachute. You must believe in your heart that ONLY Jesus will save you, but if you never entrust your life to Him, if you don't follow Him and do what He requires, then you have not really put your trust in Him, have you?

The passage in James serves to answer a question that skeptics often raise, which I also heard a lot growing up. "So you're saying, as long as I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, then I will go to Heaven, even if I live the rest of my life doing whatever I want - still finding pleasure in sin and disobedience?"

I used to think the answer to that question was "yes." But, if that's the case, go ahead and count most EVERYBODY in. No one wants to go to hell. But Jesus says,

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." - Matthew 10:38-39

And Paul says,

" What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"- Romans 6:1-2

Sounds a little different, doesn't it? This does not mean that we will never sin again after we initially put our faith in Jesus, but it does mean that real faith in Christ will produce a change in our allegiance. Our lives will not be dominated by sin (by pride and selfish ambition and anger), but by God's grace through faith in Jesus.

So, are our we working to please Christ so that we may be saved, or are we working to please Christ because HE has already saved us?

Are we motivated to obedience by the fear of punishment, or are we motivated to obedience by our love for God?

"When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, who made an end to all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free! For God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me, to look on Him and pardon me!" - Before the Throne, Charitie Bancroft, 1863

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Amen!