For the 14th Sunday after Pentecost the three readings include Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10, 14-18 and Mark 7:24-37. The text to preach about is James 2:17, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
For a time, even Martin Luther wondered whether the book of James was truly biblical primarily on the basis of verses such as James 2:17. One can understand how this verse appears to contradict the theme of Christianity that we are saved not by works at all but by faith and faith alone. However, James makes clear that if faith is by itself without any works, it is dead. How can we resolve this apparent contradiction between Paul and James?
Theology is the art of making distinctions. While Law and Gospel head the top of distinctions in understanding and applying God’s Word, the specific L&G distinction for this verse is that between justification and sanctification. Justification is that event by which God declares you the sinner to be sinless in His sight because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul is very clear that in regard to our justification, no work, thought or word of ours contributes to our becoming saved and adopted children of God. We are indeed saved by grace, through faith alone on account of Jesus Christ.
Then how can James speak of faith being dead if it does not have works? The key to understanding this apparent dilemma is that James is not describing the event that saves us but rather those events that follow our being totally saved. The analogy of adoption is most helpful in resolving this dilemma. Is it not a fact that the two-month old infant neither cooperates or contributes to his adoption? However, having been adopted, the infant begins to do all kinds of works. Really? What works? Works like eating the food he is given; sleeping in the crib in which he is laid, wearing the clothes in which he is dressed, and so forth.
An adoption without any consequence of being adopted is unthinkable. So also, the faith that saves is filled with consequences; the first being that one believes the promises of the holy Trinity. The Bible is clear that there is a difference between good works and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Good works can be done by atheists if one considers only the outward good works such as feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned and so forth. However, because Christians have the Holy Spirit, their motivation includes love of Jesus Christ which, from God’s point of view, makes a good work into a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Making use of these distinctions, one can rephrase the passage of James as follows, “Therefore, true faith alone saves but when faith is present it is never by itself for without the product of good works, that faith is not living but dead faith.” Examples of dead faith would include that of the demons and the unbelieving Pharisees. They believed that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. The Pharisees paid the guards to lie about it and considered the resurrection to be a trick of the devil as they thought of the raising of Lazarus. In essence, there is no difference between the apostles of faith, Paul and James, in regard to faith and works.
Name:Tom Baker