| Also See Faith and Facts
The word "faith" is often deeply misunderstood, often seen as "pie in the sky", totally unsubstantiated by facts. However, what many Christians and non Christians alike, do not always realize, is that while the Bible is very big on faith, it is a faith based on facts. Perhaps the best definition of faith comes from Hebrews 11:1, which says, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". The words assurance and conviction are key to understanding Biblical faith. When we are dealing with things that we cannot perceive with our five senses, the only way we can know that these unseen things are true, is by the evidence. If we do not have evidence, then all that is left is hope. However, the Bible provides evidence aplenty that it is the Word of God, and that Jesus did rise from the dead.
ON THIS PAGE Introduction Requirements For Salvation Jesus... False Teacher? James and Paul
The Example of Abraham The Book of Hebrews An Imagined Exercise In Summary Holiness
Introduction
Perhaps one of the all time greatest delusions in the Christian world, is the innumerable number of people who continue to think they are saved Christians. They are under the impression that, in order to be forgiven their sins, and thus inherit eternal life, all they have to do is believe Jesus died for their sins on the cross.
At the very outset, let me be very, very clear about one thing. Salvation can never be achieved by anything, other than simply trusting Christ to have paid the penalty for our sins. It is God's grace... a gift from Him that we cannot earn. However, the thrust of this article is that once saved, good works (which are easily determined from reading the New Testament), obedience and holiness will become a part of a Christian's life... not to earn salvation, but because of it. They are joined at the hip... one cannot happen without the other.
Requirements For Salvation
I strongly suspect that, if one were to ask the vast majority of Christians what one has to do to be saved, you would get a variety of answers, such as "accept Jesus as your personal savior", "ask Jesus into your heart" etc. However, while the terminology may vary, the answers would almost all boil down to all you have to do is believe... all you have to do is have faith. In other words, at the very moment the sinner puts his/her, faith in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as his/her savior, that person has entered into a covenant relationship with God, has received God's forgiveness of sins, and the gift of eternal life.
What one never, or very rarely, hears is that anything other than faith is required to be saved. In fact the suggestion that anything other than faith is required for salvation, is not only militantly opposed by most of Christendom, but denounced as an unbiblical, works based, false teaching. But is this true? Unless a person is willing to put aside all that he, or she, has heard, read, or been taught, and rely strictly on what the Bible says, they will never be able to arrive at the truth. The final, and only, answer to any facet of our spiritual lives can only be answered by the question "What saith the Scriptures? However, sound doctrine cannot be based on isolated proof texts, but can only be developed from the total teaching of Scripture. Why? Simply because it would be impossible for the Bible to cram all it's teachings on a particular subject into a single verse, or even paragraph. The Bible is an integrated whole and, from cover to cover, represents the 'whole counsel of God'. Therefore all passages that speak of, or have any bearing on, the subject in question have to be carefully considered. It is certainly a fact that the Bible repeatedly teaches that faith is an essential ingredient, without which it is impossible to please God... And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. [Acts 16:31] "...without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him. [Hebrews 11:6]
... but, it never ever teaches, or even implies, that faith is the only requirement for salvation. On the contrary, the Scriptures point to a number of things by which a person is saved. In fact, unless the author of the book of Hebrews had no qualms about completely contradicting Himself (in which case we can dismiss him, and everything he wrote, as unreliable and uninspired), we have to pay attention to the fact that, on the one hand, he said "without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him" [Hebrews 11:6],
but, on the other, also said... and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation; [Hebrews 5:9]
If Jesus was the author of salvation for those that obey Him, apparently obedience is an indispensable ingredient in salvation. But the Bible is far from finished, giving us quite a long list of other things by which we are saved. For example, Repentance, defined as a radical change in one's attitude toward sin and God, is presented as an absolute requirement for forgiveness in the Old Testament as well as the New. Jesus, not mincing words said, “unless ye repent, ye shall perish”. (Luke 13:3,5). And repentance was continually emphasized in the book of Acts. Repentance and faith are NOT the same thing, but the Bible presents them as connected... literally two sides of the same coin. Repentance does not earn you salvation, but there is no salvation without it. Yet, it is rarely put forward as essential to salvation. [See Repentance] Holiness: Although the Bible says without holiness no one will see God [Hebrews 11:6], holiness is rarely taught as an essential to eternal life. [See Holiness] Calling on the Lord: And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Acts 2:21] Grace: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. [Ephesians 2:8-9] Hope: For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. [Romans 8:24-25] Confessing Jesus as Lord: because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: [Romans 10:9] Godly Sorrow and Repentance: For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. [2 Corinthians 7:10] Belief and Baptism: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. [Mark 16:16] Endurance: But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. [Matthew 24:13] Also See Mark 13:13 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. [1 Corinthians 15:2] Obedience: So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. [Philippians 2:12-13]
If we going to base our doctrine on isolated 'proof texts', then why not make it really easy on ourselves, and claim that, based on Acts 2:21, 'calling on the Lord' is sufficient for salvation. After all, the verse very clearly states that "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". However, if we take all of God's Word into consideration, then Jesus' words to people who were not only calling on the name of the Lord, but were doing signs and wonders in His name, are not very encouraging. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" [Matthew 7:21-23]
Apparently "calling on the Lord", or even casting out devils in Jesus' name are not sufficient in themselves, but have to be accompanied by obedience to His word, as the parable immediately following [Matthew 7:24-27] shows. Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. [Matthew 7:24-27]
I am not sure how it could get any plainer. The fact is that the Bible shows that we are not saved by any one thing, but each is intrinsically entwined with all the others. For example, it is not possible to confess Christ, or be baptized without having faith, baptism probably being the first act of obedience to the word of God. [See Baptism] Condensing the entire New Testament into a single doctrinal belief, means we have to throw an entire set of other New Testament passages out of the proverbial window, thus trivializing the word of God. Yet, the most common dirge heard from the pulpit today is... all a person has to do to be guaranteed a place in heaven, is believe. (I call this false message a dirge, because it is exactly that... a funeral song for those that hear and believe this fake gospel). This is not what the Word of God teaches, but is taught to make the Gospel more palatable to the masses, with a terrible result... our churches have been lulled into a false sense of security. They... "profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work" (Titus 1:16).
As always, we have a couple of options open to us at this point.. A) We can ignore, to our eternal detriment, all the above verses in favour of salvation by faith alone. B) We can treat the Bible as an integrated whole, and choose to believe the 'whole counsel of God'. "Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word the proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4)
And, if we choose the latter, we are faced with the fact that we are not saved by any one thing, but by a combination of faith and hope, repentance, calling on the Lord, obedience, and endurance to the end etc..
Jesus... False Teacher?
I dread to think what would happen if someone in a modern church were to preach that you have to attain a certain level of righteousness to be saved. The hue and cry would be deafening, with the preacher soundly denounced, from one end of the Christian world to the other, as a false teacher who is teaching salvation by works. But, consider for a moment Jesus' words in the sermon on the mount. [Emphasis Added]
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20)
Are we going to accuse Him of being a false teacher, or are we going to pay attention to the fact that He never once said that all we had to do was believe, but repeatedly stressed the fact that obedience was indispensable in salvation. We have to do the will of the Father. It does not matter how many denominational preachers teach that all you have to do is "believe" to be saved. It doesn't make any difference how popular this doctrine may be. It does not matter how many people believe it. There is no honest way to skirt Jesus' words in the closing verses of Matthew 7, and the fourteenth chapter of John. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. [Matthew 7:21-25] "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
Jesus' Stringent Requirements
Unlike many modern preachers, who convince people that a very minimal commitment is required to be saved, Jesus laid down some very stringent requirements.
"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." In Luke 14:33, Jesus continued by saying, "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." [Luke 14:25-27] "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37-38).
Think back very carefully, when was the last time you heard a message from the pulpit that even vaguely resembled Jesus' words. Besides which, Jesus' parables, over and over again, reflect the fact that bearing fruit, obedience, and endurance, are necessary.
The Parable Of The Talents
In the parable of the talents, Jesus told the story of a man who traveled to a far country, leaving his servants with some money (talents) to use while he was away. He gave one servant five talents, another servant two talents, and a third servant just one talent (quite possibly according to each servant's ability). By the time the master returned from his journey, the servant with the five talents had earned five more talents, and was told "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25:21). The servant who was given two talents had earned two more talents, and was told exactly the same thing (Matthew 25:23). However the third servant had not used his master's money wisely, but had hidden away the one talent he had been given. He was called a "wicked and slothful servant", and his one talent was taken away and given to the servant with ten talents, with the words...
"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. [Matthew 25:29-30]
Jesus then relates this parable of the talents to the coming judgment, and the criteria by which people will be judged. While it is certainly true that people have to believe in Jesus to be saved, notice that there is not one word said about faith, but whether or not they acted on that faith. But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: [32] and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; [33] and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. [34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; [36] naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? [38] And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me. [41] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: [42] for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; [43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. [44] Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? [45] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me. [46] And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. [Matthew 25:31-46]
Again it has to be noted, that if we base doctrine on isolated texts, then this parable clearly shows that people who feed and clothe the hungry, shelter the homeless, and visit prisoners, are also saved.
The Parable Of The Two Sons
In order to understand the meaning of the parable of the two sons, we have to note the context. In Matthew 21, Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, greeted joyfully by a crowd crying "Hosanna", and waving branches. The first thing Jesus does is to cleanse the temple (Vs. 2-17) of the money changers and merchants. In verses 23-27, we are told that the chief priests and elders question Jesus’ authority, thus setting the stage for a showdown. It is in this context that Jesus tells three parables (the Two Sons, the Tenants, and the Wedding Feast) by which he rebukes the religious authorities, basically telling them that all they had was the outward trappings of spirituality, without any substance.
In the parable of the two sons, Jesus said But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. [Matthew 21:28-31]
The religious leaders were epitomized by the second son who verbally assented to his father wishes, but did not actually do what his father wished. The second son initially refused to do what his father asked, but later repented, and did what he was told to do. While it is obvious that the ideal situation would be a son who cheerfully assented and did what he was told, the second son, who 'came around', was far better than the first who never did.
The Parable Of The Fig Tree
Note that the parable of the fig tree, also told in this chapter, tells exactly the same story.... the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, for which it was cursed.
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered. And seeing a fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only; and he saith unto it, Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away. [Matthew 21:18-19]
James and Paul
But then, what are we to make of the words of the apostle James, which are often seen as contradicting Paul's teaching that salvation is by faith alone. Here are the verses in question ...
James: What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? [James 2:14-20] Paul: being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. [Romans 3:24, 28] for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. [Ephesians 2:8-9] not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit [Titus 3:5]
This perceived contradiction between the words of these two apostles, has long been a theological battleground, leading to some serious error, and much misguided appeal to the book of James for support. For example, many people today believe that eternal life is based on some sort of Santa Claus theology, according to which, a person's good deeds have to outweigh the bad, in order for the person to be saved. Cults often use the book of James as foundation for their teaching that works are necessary for salvation (in their case the "works" are usually donating time and money to the organization itself). Critics point to these verses as an example of the Bible contradicting itself. In reality, the words of the apostle James have been especially misunderstood and misinterpreted. (Apparently even Martin Luther didn't follow what James was saying since he called the book "an epistle of straw". But why am I not surprised? Contrary to the deified position Martin Luther holds today, he held to numerous wrong beliefs. See Martin Luther) James and Paul came from very different backgrounds. Paul, although extremely courageous and resolute, was a urbane man of letters. He spoke classical Greek, employed Greek literary techniques and even occasionally cited Greek authors. It fell to him to lay the spiritual foundation of the New Testament church. James, the brother of Christ, and the leader of the headquarters of the infant church in Jerusalem, was very unlikely to have been as well educated as Paul. However, he was what we would call a "straight-shooter"... honest and forthright. He did not mince words, and did not indulge in subtleties, a trait he shared with many of the Old Testament prophets. His style made it very difficult to miss his point. However, reading the words of James and Paul out of context can lead to the mistaken opinion that they are contrary to one another. If read in the context of each apostle's overall message, it becomes clear that each of them was addressing different situations, and had different objectives. Paul was explaining how the Gospel works.. how someone becomes a Christian through faith, rather than the keeping of the law. He was teaching justification by faith to Jews, who were accustomed to keeping details of the law such as circumcision [Romans 3:1] and the Sabbath. James, on the other hand, was emphasizing the nature, or practical outworking, of true faith through moral behavior, not not necessarily connected, or specific, to Jewish law. He makes absolutely no mention of any particulars of the law, but, in chapter 2, he speaks of treating the poor with dignity, and feeding and clothing the hungry.
In his book The Epistles of James and John, author Alexander Ross perfectly expresses the situation... "They are not antagonists facing each other with crossed swords; they stand back to back, confronting different foes of the Gospel" (p. 53).
In other words, Paul was concerned about people adding good works and/or observance of the law to faith, which they believed to be necessary for their salvation. James was concerned about people professing to have faith which is not really faith at all, but rather a lifeless, intellectual, assent to Christ. Paul was speaking of the faith necessary prior to conversion, and James was speaking of the works necessary after conversion. It also has to be noted that both James and Paul had exactly the same view of the law, which was, that the law demanded perfection. Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. [Galatians 5:3] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. [James 2:10]
Besides which... James never denied that people are saved by faith. James was obviously perturbed at people who claimed to be Christians, but were not demonstrating any signs of their Christianity. His argument was simple.. people act according to their beliefs. He emphasized that there is more to faith than agreeing with a set of facts, or having the correct beliefs, since even demons have that. There is only one kind of saving faith... the one that obeys. Any other 'faith' is nothing more than paying lip service to the Gospel. It is also very likely that James was confronting some who were preaching that a person could have faith without demonstrating any outward signs of it, which would have been a distorted version of Paul's teaching on justification. And/or he was rebuking some who claimed to have faith, but were not demonstrating any corresponding changes in behavior. He was also pointing out the absurdity of telling someone to "be fed", then not feeding him. Paul never denied that true faith is demonstrated by works. Perhaps more than any other New Testament author, Paul stressed that people are saved by the grace of God, but, it is without question, he taught that faith, obedience, and works, go hand in hand. through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake; [Romans 1:5] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love. [Galatians 5:6]
As the following citations show, Paul also held equally firmly to the belief that unless people led holy lives, there was no evidence that they were the children of God, rather they were "abominable" and "reprobate".. or destined for damnation. In fact, Paul's statements were almost as strong as those of James, when he said God's wrath would fall on those who did not obey the truth. [Emphasis Added] They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. [Titus 1:16] who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: for there is no respect of persons with God. [Romans 2:6-11]
He also found it necessary to oppose the idea of being able to sin one's way to Heaven. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [Romans 6:1] Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? [Romans 6:16] And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. [Titus 3:14] Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is life indeed. [1 Timothy 6:17-19]
In fact he made the point that we were created for good works For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. [Ephesians 2:10]
Incidentally, the apostle John was on exactly the same track as Paul and James. The "apostle of love" did not mince any words when speaking of people who claimed to know Jesus, but did not obey Him. He flat out called them "liars" which, by the way, is just one of many examples of New Testament's public warnings against the wolves, often issued in less than polite language. [See Judge Not] By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. [1 John 2:3-6. Emphasis Added]
Who can deny that all three of the apostles were commanding readers to live their beliefs. As James said... Are you merely listening to the Word, or are you doing what it says (1:22). What is truly amazing is that this was nothing new. The very foundation of the Old Testament law was separation, perfection and doing good. [See Footnote I]
The Example of Abraham
Some are of the opinion that Paul and James come to different conclusions about Abraham. Again, this is not true.
Early in the book of Romans, Paul cites Abraham as the archetype of faith. Noting that the Greek word dikaioo means to show, or regard, as just or innocent, Paul says What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified [Greek dikaioo] by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. [Romans 4:1-5]
The two points Paul makes is that a) if Abraham, or anyone else, earns salvation, then it is not a free gift, but deserved wages, and he is entitled to brag about it. b) Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness. However, James also quotes Genesis 15:6, which should make it obvious that he also believed Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness. and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. [James 2:23]
So when James said... Was not Abraham our father justified [Greek dikaioo] by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? [James 2:21]
He was either flatly contradicting himself, or using Abraham as an example of the point he was trying to make throughout his epistle. Abraham's faith was not a passive, intellectual exercise. He, as we commonly express it today, put his money where his mouth was. He proved his faith to God, which is obvious from God's words to him. [Emphasis Added] And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. [Genesis 22:12]
Which is why James concludes with the words... "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" Both apostles say that Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness, but James stresses that Abraham showed his faith by doing. When God told him to leave his country, he did not sit back and say, "God, I believe in you, but I do not know what dangers I will face by leaving the area I know so well. I cannot subject my wife to the unknown, so, I am sorry, but I think it is best that we stay here". The Bible tells us that Abraham went. Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. [Genesis 12:1-4]
Similarly, when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar, he did not argue that God had promised that he (Abraham) would be the father of many nations, and that his seed would be as numerous as the stars, and that none of this was possible if he killed his son. On the contrary, Abraham told the young men, who had accompanied him and Isaac to the mountain, to wait there with the donkey. He said that he and Isaac would go further, and "we will worship, and come again to you". [Genesis 22:5]. Abraham was obviously confident that both of them would return. Pay very close to attention to God's words after the ram was found, and sacrificed. He said [All Emphasis Added] "... By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice. [Genesis 22:16-18]
Has anyone ever noticed that not once do the Scriptures record Abraham as saying that he believed, or trusted God, but only records his actions as evidence of his faith. Thousands of years later, we know how great his faith was because of what he did, not what he said, or even what he felt. It is exactly the same with Rahab, whom James mentions as an example of faith in chapter two, saying "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?" [James 2:25]. It is readily apparent that Rahab's faith was evidenced by what she did. Had she just claimed to believe she, and the rest of her family, would have been just as dead as the other inhabitants of Jericho. It doesn't matter how much we move our mouths, or how much emotion we stir up, it's what we do that counts.
The Book of Hebrews
The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews has not been called the 'Hall of Faith' for nothing. The people named here were put forth as challenges, inspiration, and motivation for the early church. After all, who did not want to be like them?
We have already talked of Abraham and Rahab, but there were many, many more. By faith, Joseph gave instructions that the Israelites should take his bones with them when they left Egypt. By faith, Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; forsook Egypt and "kept the Passover" so that "the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them" [Vs. 24-27]. By faith, the nation of Israel walked through the Red Sea just as if it were dry land [V.29], and compassed the walls of Jericho [Vs. 30]. Others "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens". [Vs. 32-33] There is not one single case where the faith of any of these was determined by what they said, or how much faith they professed to have. And, one day, we are going to meet all of them... Let us, for a moment, imagine what that is going to be like. The following is an extended excerpt from Coach Dave Daubenmire's article, Dead Faith.
An Imagined Exercise
Imagine you're in Heaven sitting around a campfire (probably where the works are being burned) and you notice a familiar face reflecting the light of the dancing flames.
"Hey! Aren't you Moses?” you ask the majestic looking man, as he nods his head. "Man, tell me your story. What was it like to see God part the Red Sea? Weren't you scared of the chariots? What about all of the people grumbling in the desert? How did you put up it? And the frogs...and locusts… What did the death angel sound like as it passed over? Wow, Moses. I got to hear your story.” "And You. Aren't you David? What was it like to kill Goliath? Where did you learn to use a slingshot? How did it feel to cut off that dude’s head? Did you really kill a lion and a bear with your bare hands? Samson? Oh my goodness! What was it like to pull those pillars down? Was Delilah really that beautiful? How could you let her trick you like that? Daniel… Oh Daniel. Man you had guts. What made you open the window and defy the authorities? How did it feel to walk down the runway to the lions den? Were you scared? Did you really sleep like a baby? Tell me at least that you kept one eye open!
We will hear the stories of God's heroes. Saints known, admired, and made famous by their works. For centuries we will sit around and listen to the tales, the stories of the great men of faith, testified to by the crowd of witnesses that are present. Your heart will leap out of your chest as the stories of courage, conviction, and self-sacrifice are relived. And then all eyes will turn to you. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will be there. Stephen, the nameless saints of Hebrews 11, and those martyred for their stand for Christ will all look your way. So, tell us your story. What did you do when you were on earth? If we remember right you were there at one of the most cataclysmic times in history. Mothers were killing their unborn children, homosexuals were demanding to be married, they were teaching God's children lies in school, and they were even attempting to remove the mention of the name of God from the nation? What did your faith cost you? What works did you perform for Christ? Me? You'll embarrassingly respond, as the eyes of the martyrs burn in on you. Well, let me see. I gave to missions, paid my title, served as an usher, and gave to the building fund. You see, when I was on earth, we were all waiting to be rescued by the rapture, and we weren't much interested in fighting. We were taught that the end was near and that there wasn't anything we could do about it. Plus, we had a government that didn't allow us to mix religion with work (that will surely cause Daniel to perk-up). Much of our time was spent reading books about living a better life, our pastor suggested them, and we were learning to be more accepting and diverse. Besides, we had so much more to lose than you all did... we had houses, and cars, and IRA’s, and vacations, and our reputations... and our children...
Allow me to be frank. Someday they are going to dig a hole, put you in a box, and cover you with dirt. Your big house, nice cars, reputation and worldly riches will be left behind. All that will endure is what you did for Christ. Hebrews 11 is the Faith Hall of Fame. It is a litany of men and women remembered not for what they said or believed, but what they did. Isn't it interesting that in our churches today we are encouraged to "share our faith.” James said to "SHOW" it. A picture is worth a thousand words. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Want to glorify God? Show me your works. John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Its getting darker and darker. It's time to get to work. [1]
In Summary
It has to be possible for us to see faith since James said.
"... show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. [James 2:18]
Anything less than a visible faith is total self delusion But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. [James 1:22]
Our works do not get us saved, but come about as a natural, and fundamental, result of being saved. We do not do God's will because we will earn salvation from it; we do God's will because we are followers of Jesus who, incidentally, also did God's will. In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus asked a simple question of those who claimed to be His disciples, but were not obedient to His Will. He asked, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"
This question was not only for those first century believers, but a timeless one... applicable to all believers at all times, and in all places. So would you for a moment imagine Jesus looking you in the eye and asking why you insist on calling Him Lord, but yet disobey His commandments. What is your answer going to be?
Too many modern day preachers say "just believe". The Bible says "Pursue... holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).
Who are you going to believe? Holiness
The word Holiness had been mentioned numerous times throughout this article. However, in the 21st century, the word "Holy" often coveys some very negative connotations. It is often used to describe someone who is self-righteous, smug, sanctimonious, goody-goody, priggish etc. Even to most Christians, the word "holy" implies moral goodness. However, this is only part of the meaning. While holiness certainly implies goodness, the core meaning of holiness, it is not just "good", but rather, "set apart", and therefore, good. All too often Holiness is viewed as a mere suggestion that can be disregarded in the face of grace, which is seen as a license to irresponsible, sinful behavior, with no consequences. This is completely unbiblical and, if not forsaken, will damn one's soul for all eternity. Holiness, or separation from the world and it's standards, is NOT a virtue, it is the commandment of God, repeated from one end of the Bible to the other. Anyone who professes Christianity without holiness is as phony as the proverbial three dollar bill. But how do we, as 21st century believers, apply the principles of separation to our often very complicated lives, in the modern world.. See Holiness Also See Rewards in Heaven. As Paul said... If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved yet so as through fire” [1 Corinthians 3:11-15]. We will be saved by grace, but judged by works. Endnotes [1] Coach Dave Daubenmire. Dead Faith. June 8, 2006. NewsWithViews.com. http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave26.htm Footnote I
Nothing has changed since the days of Moses and the prophets. The very foundation of the Old Testament law was separation, perfection and doing good. [See Holiness] At the end of every three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest. [Deut. 14:28-29] Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of Jehovah shall by thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday; and Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. [Isaiah 58:6-12] I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. [Amos 5:21-24]
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