Jas. 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. In addition to the truth seen in Paul’s letters to the Churches in Rome and the region of Galatia, James states the following: Faith finds its best expression through works! In this context therefore, merely admitting that one possesses faith without works is insufficient because even demons BELIEVE and tremble–v19. In other words, faith without works is DEAD! To illustrate this, James uses the example of a brother or sister who needs both clothing and food. Mere words to such an individual are of no benefit. Rather, the only benefit that will accrue to such an individual is provision of both clothing and food. James then ropes in Abraham to clarify his point−Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? From Paul’s letter to the Romans and Galatians, we learnt that Abraham was justified BY FAITH, NOT BY WORKS but James ‘seems’ to suggest otherwise i.e., he was justified by works! Is this a contradiction? For the avoidance of doubt, God’s Word DOES NOT contradict itself because it was written by the SAME AUTHOR, the Holy Spirit, about the SAME PERSON, Jesus Christ! Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? To answer our question, let us note that justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous. Said differently, justification is God declaring a person to be righteous as a result of acknowledging or recognizing His righteousness in that person, in our case Abraham! When Abraham believed God’s word concerning his descendants, it was accounted to him as righteousness! At this point, Abraham was justified BY FAITH i.e., by believing! When testing Abraham, God allowed an event that would seemingly contradict His promises i.e., God had promised Abraham that in Isaac, his seed shall be called and this is the same son that God asked Abraham to offer as a burnt offering! Abraham obeyed God by offering Isaac on the altar and in this, he was justified by WORKS through which his FAITH was PERFECTED! The Greek word for ‘perfected’ means to complete, i.e. (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate; consecrate, finish, fulfil. Abraham’s action (WORK) of sacrificing Isaac in obedience to God’s instructions brought his faith to an end or to the intended goal! Through Abraham’s works, the Scripture in Gen. 15:6 was FULFILLED and he was called the friend of God–Jas. 2:23 And the scripture was actually and fully realized… (Wuest)
