Turning the page…
Turning the page…
Glory · Our Walk with Him
No. Paul and James answer two different questions. Paul asks how a person is declared righteous before God, and answers: by faith alone. James asks how we can tell a faith is real, and answers: by the works that genuine faith produces. Far from contradicting, they complete each other: real saving faith always works.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/faith-or-works · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Ephesians 2:8-10
As you read: Paul: not of works, yet created in Christ Jesus for good works. Both halves matter.
8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9not of works, that no one would boast.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
Romans 4:1-8
As you read: Paul's argument: to the one who does not work but believes, faith is counted as righteousness.
1What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
4Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.
5But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
6Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,
7“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”
James 2:14-26
As you read: James's answer, and his example of the very same Abraham.
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
16and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
20But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
21Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;
23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.
24You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Galatians 2:15-21
As you read: Even Paul: we know a person is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Christ.
15“We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,
16yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
17But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!
18For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.
19For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.
20I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
21I don’t make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
Paul is fighting self-righteousness, the idea that we can earn our place with God. His question: 'How is a sinner declared righteous before God?' James is fighting empty profession, the idea that agreeing with the facts is enough. His question: 'What does a real faith look like?' The Bible answers both, because we need both.
“We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”Romans 3:28
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.”James 2:14-17
'By grace you have been saved through faith… not of works, that no one would boast.' To the one who does not work but believes, 'his faith is accounted for righteousness.' A person is not justified by works of the law but 'through faith in Jesus Christ.' This is the ground of salvation.
“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9
“Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”Romans 4:4-5
“yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.”Galatians 2:16
“not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”Titus 3:5
'What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?' Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead: 'as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.' James is not teaching that works save; he is exposing a bare 'faith' that never produces fruit.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?”James 2:14
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.”James 2:17
“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.”James 2:26
Paul points to Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.' James points to the same man when he offered Isaac: 'faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;' One shows the ground (faith received); the other shows the fruit (faith perfected through obedience).
“What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.””Romans 4:1-3
“Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.”James 2:21-24
Paul himself says we are 'created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them,' and that what matters is 'faith working through love.' So the resolution is not 'faith or works' but 'faith alone, and authentic faith never remains alone.' The faith that saves is the faith that works.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.”Ephesians 2:10
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.”Galatians 5:6
“who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.”Titus 2:14