Useless Faith

If we hold the view that true faith always produces works, we risk making two serious doctrinal errors. First, this thinking neutralizes the power of James’ teaching in Chapter 2. The second problem with this error is even more troubling. Making works a necessary demonstration of saving faith moves us perilously close to a Gospel of works, where we suggest to believers that there is something we must do to ensure our salvation. Fortunately, James makes clear that he is not arguing for such a view by using two Old Testament examples.

James 2:20- But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:21- Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? James 2:22- You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; James 2:23- and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. James 2:24- You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Note: First, James uses the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac on the mountain in Chapter 22 of Genesis. James begins again with his thesis, that faith is useless without works, not absent or false or fake, just useless, and his use of Abraham as an example is especially important, because Abraham was declared to be righteous by faith at an earlier point in Genesis 15. In Genesis 22 God gave Abraham an opportunity to display His faith through works, so that Abraham might accomplish something important for God’s glory. In v.21 James says that Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac. As confusing as this verse can be to some Bible students, the proper interpretation is fairly easy. It rests on an understanding of the word “justified.”

The word always means declared righteous, not to make someone righteous. In Genesis 15, God declared Abraham to be righteous on the basis of His faith, but in Genesis 22, Abraham was declared to be righteous by his works. In Genesis 15, it was God’s judgment that Abraham be counted (or reckoned as) righteous. In Genesis 22, it was Abraham’s turn to make that declaration for himself through his own actions, and his obedient actions had the effect of declaring the same things that was already true from God’s perspective. James is saying that when we do good works, we make a declaration about who we are – our testimony. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. After faith, it is our obligation to please Him, and we do that through good works.

Finally, James uses another example of saving faith put to work.

James 2:25- In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? James 2:26- For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Rahab was the prostitute who believed in the testimony of the invading Jews concerning God’s plans to destroy her town of Jericho, and when Joshua sent spies into the land, she hid them from the Jericho king. Her kindness to those messengers was a meaningful act of mercy to men she should have seen as enemies. She acted on her faith; the spies assured her that she would be saved when the city was destroyed. She could have remained silent. She still would have had belief in the God of Israel, but if she hadn’t acted on that faith to protect the spies, then she would have lost her earthly life in the invasion. James’ point is there are benefits for God’s glory when we act on our faith and perform works, and there are personal benefits when we act on our faith and do the works that our faith requires. In Rahab’s case, the reward was her life was spared when Israel defeated Jericho. Her name was also preserved in Scripture in the line of Jesus. She was the mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. How kind of James to close on the example of Rahab! Rahab, a harlot James reminds us. If she could act on her faith in a simple way, taking in strangers in her home, perhaps we can do the same then? 

As James reminds us in v.26, a dead body is a very real thing, but it’s entirely useless, don’t live a life of very real but very useless faith.

“Faith equals justification plus works.”

 -R.C. Sproul-