The Epistle of James and Works

 

"You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
James 2:24

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
James 2:26

 

Context

  1. James 2:1-7 = Not to Show Favoritism
  2. James 2:8-13 = Comments on the Law
  3. James 2:14-26 = Relationship between Faith and Works


Justification before People, and NOT God

1. James 2:18

  • James is speaking about showing one another their faith by their works
  • Not salvation by faith and works
  • A demonstration that faith and works go together – before people

2. James 2:19

  • Gives examples of the type of faith that isn’t much different form the faith of Demons
  • Uses Abraham and Rahab as examples of living faith demonstrated by their deeds

3. James 2:20

  • Two kinds of faith
  • One that leads to godly works and is alive
  • One that doesn’t lead to godly works and is dead


Ascencia and Fiducia

1. Ascencia

  • The mental assent—the mental acknowledgement of somethings existence
  • The Demons acknowledge and believe that God exists

2. Fiducia

  • More than a mental acknowledgement
  • Involves a trust in something—a giving over to it, a complete believing and acceptance of something

3. A Christian has Fiducia, that is, he has real faith and trust in Christ and not simply an acknowledgement that He lived on Earth at one point.


Conclusion

  • If you say that you are a Christian, than there had better be some appropriate works manifested or your faith is false
  • “Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.” 1 John 2:4
  • A dead “faith” that someone has which produces no change in a person and no good works before man and God is not a faith that will justify you James actually quotes Romans 4:3 to support the teaching of justification by faith, “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.” James 2:23
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10