#Faith that #Works - #James 2: 14-26

We can easily agree that not because a nutritionist to tells someone, "you need to eat less", and to another, "you need to eat more," means that the nutritionist is contradicting him or herself, and that with one indication is debunking the other.  It is quite logical to conclude that we must consider the context of both statements and also know the optimal and ideal nutrition and body weight ranges.  In simple terms, the individual who is asked to eat less, it is probably because his or her weight is above optimal, and the one who is asked to eat more it's probably because his or her weight is below the ideal.  It is no different with Scripture, and specifically with the topic addressed by James in chapter 2 and verses 14 to 26, where in verse 21 says: "Was not Abraham justified by works ..." vs "For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory "(Romans 4: 2).  In a moment we will return to this very apparent contradiction, but we must first set the stage for an honest analysis to the intentions of both James, and Paul in The Epistle to the Romans.

What James wants to convey is not very complex: faith is not an intellectual or philosophical exercise, rather it's the taking of action motivated by the certainties and convictions beyond of what can be ascertainable (cf. Hebrews 11: 1).  James does not contradict Paul, but brings balance to the discussion of justification by faith, because "as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). The works are then the result of faith. Without these, faith is no longer faith, but simply reduced to a wish without any contribution to our salvation (James 2:14). The formulas "works without faith" and "faith without works" are both condemned in Scripture, so James corrects it by saying, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works "(James 2:18).

To believe in God to the point of trembling but not taking action is, in the words of James, to berely keep up with the demons, which are clearly beyond the possibility of salvation (James 2:19). Perhaps as a drug addict, for whom it's not enough to just believe he or she should quit using drugs in order to preserve his or her physical and mental health. By knowing and recognizing the harmful effects of drugs, the addict must act on those findings and refrain from consumption, to enforce the promise of long lasting health. Thus, faith is the conjunction of mental conviction plus acting accordingly. In the case of Abraham, which we referred to at the beginning of this review, both statements, by Paul and James, are correct. While James, who wrote his letter first, argues that in the case studies presented, faith was evident through the actions executed, Paul obviously writing to another audience with other deficiencies, argues that works, as good as they may be (Isaiah 64: 6), may be aliens to faith, and also manipulable, and therefore useless for generating justification. While James tells us that faith is not a feeling nor an intellectual or emotional exercise, Paul tells us that it is not because we do good things that we are saved. Overall, personal conviction (faith) founded on God's promises will dictate the course of our decisions and actions.