You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. [James 2:20-24 NIV]
James is continuing his argument that faith and works are inseparable and he uses the example of Abraham. This choice is deliberate. Some translations describe Abraham simply as an 'ancestor' but this does not convey the precise meaning. He is 'the ancestor' or father of Israel. Most New Testament writers referred to Abraham in their writings as he was revered in the Jewish nation. He is not appealing to some obscure figure - he is referring back to an incident with which all this readers / listeners were familiar. He refers to the incident which is described in Genesis 22 when Abraham was about to slay his long promised son, Isaac in obedience to God's command. James asks a rhetorical question, "Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? This introduces an important element in the discussion. This is the truth of justification which I have already discussed in a previous Day Share entitled, "Showing faith by my deeds" (10/09/2022).
The word justification comes from two Latin words 'justus' = righteous and 'facere' = to make. The reformers following the teachings of Martin Luther emphasised the truth of 'justification by faith.' Here is Article 11 from the 39 Articles of the Church of England: "That we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort."
Notice these words, 'faith only.' These verses in James's Letter seems to contradict that. Is James suggesting that we are justified by works or deeds as well as by faith? James is saying really that true faith will always be demonstrated by works or deeds displaying the evidence of our faith. He uses Abraham as an example to illustrate this important point.
The starting point for our brief look at the story of Abraham for today's blog is Genesis chapter 15.
Abram believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness [Genesis 15:6 NIV]. This is a profound statement and full of meaning. Abram, or as he was later to be called Abraham, had been called to leave his whole way of life in a pagan city (Ur of the Chaldees) and to follow God's plan for his life even though it meant leaving behind all his culture and his homeland and trusting in a God who was unknown to him. In chapter 15, Abram has a conversation with God over the issue of his heir. Abram's wife has not been able to conceive a son and this was a real crisis - when Abram died there would be no successor. God makes a promise to Abram that he will have a son and, in fact, he will be the father of a whole nation. Here is the statement God makes to Abraham (Abram)
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” [Genesis 15:5 NIV] This is a remarkable promise and it seems unlikely humanly speaking because Sarah is too old to have a baby. But Abram accepts God's promises in faith and does not doubt the power of God to deliver His promises. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament traces the origin of Abram's faith much earlier and traces its origin in Abram's decision to leave his homeland.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. [Hebrews 11:8-10 NIV]
Now Abram has demonstrated that he has faith in God and this is what really counts in the eyes of God. This faith is real but it will be put to the test in a very dramatic way and this is described in the well-known incident described in Genesis 22 when God asks Abraham to slay his son - this promised son from whom all the nation later to be known as Israel would be descended. God's request seems callous and whimsical - Abraham has to kill his son and offer him as a sacrifice to God. The pagan nations all around practised child sacrifice but this was never part of the worship of the One God, Yahweh. But this was God testing Abram's faith. Not that God doubted the reality of Abram's faith but this testing will demonstrate the reality of it to others - including his son and his servants. The test will also strengthen Abraham's faith as he is having to trust in God's power even to raise this dead son from the grave. Again, the New Testament writer of the book of the Hebrews provides an excellent commentary.
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. [Hebrews 11:17-19 NIV]
Look back to the verses from James quoted at the beginning of today's blog. James is not suggesting that we can be justified in God's sight by works alone. He is stating clearly that genuine faith and works always go together. They cannot be separated. If we have real faith in God, this will be seen in our conduct and in our behaviour. Abraham provides a great example of this.
his faith and his actions were working together,
his faith was made complete by what he did.
This is what James means when he says "You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." This does not contradict Paul's teaching on justification by faith. It does, however, provide a necessary caution for those who would simply state that by coming forward at a Gospel campaign and making a statement of faith is all that is required. This must be genuine and it must be from the heart. The reality of the decision will be demonstrated in the changed life of the individual.
Photo by Frank McKenna on Unsplash.
Comments