James 2:24-25

Our verses today continue with the thought James started several verses back regarding the show of faith.  How is faith justified?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James 2:14

And again in verse 18:

But someone will say , “You have faith and I have works.” Show [justify] me your faith apart from your works, and I will show [justify]  you my faith by my works. James 2:18 [brackets added]

And so we see that we are justified (our faith before men) by our deeds, by what we do. A deedless faith, though alive is not seen, therefore as good as dead, inactive, useless.

Unfortunately for us today, the gospel has been confused and evidently requires evidence for justification before God! You have to raise your hand, pray a prayer, walk the isle, repeat some words, light a candle, promise to be good, be baptized, be sorrowful for your sins, promise to never sin again, cry, beg, coerce, ask God for forgiveness, persevere in good works until the end, practice the church rituals, receive laying on of hands, surrender to God, commit to God, live for God, go to church, be a good person, oh and yeah, believe. Salvation is never received by doing any of these things, ever!

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

These things people are doing are simply not the gospel. The gospel is the work that Jesus Christ did:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Grace is offered as a free gift to us but it is the work of  Jesus:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, Titus 2:11

Salvation (justification before God) is never about works:

he saved us, not because of worksdone by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5

I trust the explanation here is clear enough to demonstrate that the Scriptures never teach salvation by faith plus works.

On the contrary, people need visual evidence to see faith. For instance, in Canada we play jockey. Someone could say they are a die-hard Toronto Maple Leaf’s fan and how they love them. Another could drive by with Habs bumper stickers all over his truck, wearing the Montreal Canadiens hat and jersey and have the hockey game blasting over the radio. Which fan do you think is more convincing, which fan would we justify?  It reminds us of a previous verse in James:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

The usage of the words makes us think of an auditorium. Hearers only are like those in the audience watching someone perform. They might identify secretly with the performer, they might pretend to be like him but they are the audience. Doers are the poets, the artists up on the stage,  the ones doing the performing, the genuine article. Faith without works is the same as being a hearer only.

The term ‘is justified‘ in the verse today is in the present passive indicative, which should not be understood as ‘is made righteous’ but could rather be translated ‘is shown to be righteous’. Shown to who? According to the context, to men.

Rahab the prostitute showed what she believed when she received the Jewish messengers and hid them and sent them another way.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Hebrews 11:31

Rahab would have perished that day (as a believer), but because her works showed her faith, she was justified before these men and the Israelites let her live. As many people as were in her house that day, were spared death.

James 2:14

“Faith alone saves, but genuine faith is never alone“. Have you ever heard this phrase or something similar before? Is this what verse 14 is saying?

Let’s first take care of some basic questions before proceeding.

1. Is James writing to believers or unbelievers?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3

2. What kind of “salvation” is James addressing in this passage – spiritual or physical salvation; and if spiritual, then in what tense or stage – salvation from the penalty of sin (justification), salvation from the power of sin (sanctification) or salvation from the presence of sin (glorification)?

James uses the word σωζω (sozo) 5 times. (1:21, 2:14, 4:12, 5:15, 5:20) All four other times the use is in reference to salvation from the power of sin (sanctification). This aligns well with the purpose of the book since it is written to believers. Is is a strong argument this time is also in reference to sanctification or second phase salvation, not justification or salvation from eternal condemnation.

3. What is the issue of this passage? Is it the evidence of good works in initial “saving faith” or is it the profitability to others of a supposed sanctifying faith that does not manifest itself to others by beneficial good works?

We have said it is not referring to “saving faith”.  Nowhere in the Scriptures does God require evidence or proof for saving faith to be effective. Rather, quite the opposite it says:

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:27-28

What about the requirement of works after salvation as evidence or proof?

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7

James is not writing here questioning the salvation (justification) of the brethren. Rather he is encouraging them to evidence before men the faith they proclaim. James is asking, what use is it for a man to say he is a christian and not demonstrate it with his actions? It would be better, he later suggests, to not say anything but show what you believe by what you do.

While verse 14 by itself does not clarify the usage of “salvation”, as we continue in our verse-by-verse exposition of the following verses, we will find out exactly what James is teaching.  What we can say is that verse 14 is not contrary to Scriptures like:

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, Romans 4:5

Clearly, according to Scripture, we are justified by faith and not by faith plus works. Requiring any sort of works for salvation is not in the Bible. Faith (in the gospel) is the requirement for salvation.