We know that the Christian Faith is not a faith based upon works. The bible clearly declares;
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
And again in Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Romans 3:10b, “…There is none righteous, no, not one.”
And again, Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
We cannot save ourselves. We do not have the capacity to reach to heaven by our good works, and bring Christ down. Nor can by our good works, we reach into death, and bring Christ back from the dead. (Romans 10:6-7) So if our works cannot do what was required for our salvation, the crucifixion death, burial and resurrection of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ. If our corrupted lives, with all of it’s works combined, could not pay the price for eternal life, which required a perfect live of an infinitely valuable savior to pay for the sins that offended an infinitely holy God. Then there is no hope in saving ourselves by good works.
This is why the scripture declares in 1 Peter 4:18, “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
In this verse the ungodly means just that, “no god”. These are good moral people, by human standards, just without God. And the next are sinners, those who practice knowingly, specific sins. Now we know we are all sinners, but because there was a distinction made in this verse, a hierarchy, that is why we needed to explain the difference between the two.
This is similar to Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
In previous verse notice, if the ungodly and sinner is barely saved, there is no hope for the scornful. This does not mean the the worst of us cannot be saved. This is just to clearly, scripturally dispute the common teaching that everyone is going to heaven. Yes everyone is going, but for judgement, everyone will not stay there.
Rev 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The key verses for this lesson in James 2: 17-26 discuss the importance for those who are in the faith, the family of Christ, to live and show a outward faith, by works that confirm their faith.
As James, the brother of Christ said in verse 18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Here he is stating that we cannot have a real relationship with Christ, a real salvation that is not seen. There must be some works revealed by the faith that now abides in our soul. In the next verse, he declares that believing that there is one God is not enough…
Verse 19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
The key difference here is the devils do not obey God. They do not doubt God’s commands, judgement or character. They do not doubt his authority, holiness or that He is watching everything. They in spite of this “knowledge” about God, disobey in His presence anyway. Many times we confuse knowledge with faith. Again the verse stated the “devils also believe and tremble”. They know, but that knowledge does not compel them to obey. Now I know they are not like us. But how often do we know, and yet do not obey. True biblical faith IS NOT acknowledging that “a fact is true”. It is knowing to the point of changing behavior. Knowing that the house is on fire, and I must get my family out NOW. That is the difference.
With the foundation of a life changing, behavior changing faith, birthed from our relationship with Christ, we can now understand this the following scriptures.
In James verses 21-24 there are some very interesting statements.
In verse 21 it says that “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
Now normally bible teachers define justified as “just as if I never sinned”. Referring to the justification that Christ did in us by the salvation purchased at the cross. That before God I stand “just as if I never sinned”. This wonderful position in Christ, that enables us to stand before God,
As it says in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
To be able to pray and be heard by God, is wonderful. But when you use that definition with all of that understanding here, it seems out of place. Abraham, justified by works? To understand you must read the next verse, and know this is a work after a faith that has been established.
In verse 22, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” This is the main point of this lesson. We who are in faith, who have no confidence in the flesh, our own good deeds, or what we can accomplish outside of Christ, must allow Christ through us to do works that perfect our faith. Not good deeds by our own origin. But God Deeds, works birth by God, inspired by God, directed by God, empowered by God and competed by God in us, being obedient to God. It was not Abraham’s idea to sacrifice Isaac. And that attempted sacrifice was a shadow of God’s sacrifice of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ. We must go to God, for works purified.
Rev 3:18, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
This gold is work, that will make it past the judgement fire that will burn up works comprised of wood, hay and stubble.
In 1 Cor 3:10-15 it states, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s works shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall trye every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hat built thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
This is the promise and the warning. Works directed by God, “Faith Works”, have the ability to perfect our faith. “Flesh Works” will be fuel for the fire of God’s purifying judgement. If we want our works to abide beyond this life, we must press into God, listen and do His works, not our own. If you do not know what works those are, they are found in the word, James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” To love our brother, to obey God in everything. Jesus as our perfect example declared what we are to do, in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Minister Franklin Mayfield
May 28, 2012
