RC,
I have always been a bit puzzled by the “conflict” between Paul’s”justification by faith alone” and the “justification by works” mentioned in the book of James.
Do you think these guys actually disagreed about what it took to be saved?
Can you shed some light on this subject?
You’re not alone in your puzzlement. It is precisely this apparent tension that reportedly prompted Martin Luther, early in his ministry to say of the book of James that it was a “right strawy epistle.”
The first question is easy enough:
By no means did these men disagree with each other.
While we affirm that God used real men to write the Scriptures, in the end the Bible is God’s Word. God is one, and so is His Word.
Scripture does not and cannot contradict Scripture.
Jesus, remember, tells us that a house divided cannot stand.
James and Paul do not contradict, but speak in harmony, though they speak to different questions.
Paul affirms that it is faith in the finished work of Christ that brings to us that finished work. As we trust in His full provision, that provision becomes ours.
Our sins are forgiven, because of His death for us and we are counted as righteous on the basis of His obedience, His life for us.
Paul is diligent to disabuse his audience of any notion that we can earn this blessing, that we can please God ourselves.
He in turn emphasizes that even the faith we must have is not something that comes from us, but is first a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul affirms that faith brings us the work of Christ which brings us peace with the Father. James is answering a different question. James asks and answers, “What kind of faith does this?” Hell itself is filled with people who believe that Jesus died for the sins of His people. The devil himself believes this.
Faith is more than believing something is true.
A living faith is a trusting faith.
A trusting faith shows itself to be a trusting faith, James affirms, by bearing fruit.
Those who do trust in Christ alone will in fact grow in grace. They will become more obedient to the law of God. This obedience, or “works” do not make God deem us to be just, but justify the notion that we have faith.
Works are not what saves us, but it is the evidence that we have the faith that saves us.
“Justify”, please understand, can be used in at least two different ways. It can be that which makes something just, or it can mean that which shows something is just.
One meaning does not contradict the other, but rather answers a different question.
These issues continue to come up in our own day.
Some who claim to be Christians will argue that God will in fact judge us based on our own works. Others argue that mere assent to the truthfulness of the gospel message will bring peace with God.
It is faith, and faith alone that appropriates the work of Christ. It is a faith, however, that does more than simply agree. It trusts, it rests.
Have a Question for me?
Just type it below, I may answer your question in a future “Ask RC” or perhaps I’ll just reply to your email. Thank you!
It may be the most frightening command in all of Scripture:
We are told by our Lord to pray, and to pray these words, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
If you fail to pray this way, you invite the judgment of God for your disobedience in prayer. If you succeed in praying this way, you invite the judgment of God for your disobedience in forgiveness.
Now you’re stuck between a rock and a hot place.
What we need is some context.
This prayer, after all isn’t given universally to the human race.
It is given instead to the children of God.
We begin with “Our Father, who art in heaven…” Only the redeemed have any business praying this prayer. And only the redeemed can pray this with confidence.
The relationship between forgiving and being forgiven, in God’s economy, works backwards. That is, Jesus isn’t teaching a doctrine of justification by forgiving alone.
We are not forgiven because we forgive. Instead, we forgive because we are forgiven.
If we are His children, we became such because we
were, by the sovereign power of His Spirit, made aware of our sins.
We confessed our sins.
We clung to the cross of Christ.
We come out the other side of this process not just forgiven, but changed!
We know what we were. We know something of the cost it took that we might be forgiven. Now, how can we do anything else but forgive others?!
We don’t forgive others out of fear of being not forgiven ourselves. We forgive others out of joy at being forgiven ourselves!
This, in turn, is how the world knows that we are His:
Our love one for another is the sweet fruit of forgiveness.
Saints and sinners alike not only sin, but sin against each other.
The difference is two-fold. Saints repent, and saints forgive.
Pray boldly, and keep going back to the heart of the matter.
It’s about forgiveness, forgiveness.
It’s a bad thing to tell a lie.
Generally speaking we oughtn’t do it.
Truth be told, however, I suspect we lie less often than one might think, and do more damage with
the non-lies that we tell.
For me to lie I have to do two things, first- speak an untruth,
and also know that I am speaking an untruth.
It happens. I’ve done it and will do it again for certain.
The great thing about lies, however, is that they can be exposed.
Which puts some restraint on us from telling them.
There is no such restraint when we are certain of our perspective.
Often, however, our certainty outruns the facts.
We accuse our brother, not because we’re lying, but because we’re jumping to conclusions. And we’re jumping to conclusions because we love nothing more than to judge our brothers.
We do not love them, but think evil of them, we assign motives we cannot possibly know and having done so, finding them guilty, we then pass on our verdict to others, who convict on the basis of our testimony.
People are sinners.
We ought to know that.
When an accusation is made, no matter how horrific, we stand ready to believe it.
What we seem unable to believe is that people who are bad enough to commit horrific sins is a people bad enough to falsely accuse others of horrific sins.
When an accusation is made the cry comes forth from the compassionate ones that no quarter should be given to the accused, because the guilty deserve no quarter.
Those who raise questions about evidence are then deemed enablers, chiselers of the legal system, conspiratorial blackguards. You can always tell the guilty ones- they’re the ones trying to stop the lynch mob.
I have a friend who used to complain that in our day conversation had devolved into taking turns sharing. You give your opinion, while I silently count down the seconds until it’s my turn to give mine. When the third guy gets his turn we move on to a new theme, but the same practice.
Now, with social media, with instant communication, we all feel the pressure not just to have a take on everything, but to have one right now, you know, before witnesses can be deposed, before credibility can be assessed. The internet and the scandals it covers put us all on a jury. They demand a verdict all while confessing that, sadly, a trial just isn’t possible.
We are called to be Bereans. We ought to be checking out the teaching of those to whom we give our attention. And we are rightly free to comment on public commentary. This kind of trial, however, comes with a ready made system of evidence- footnotes1. Just because you think someone said “x” doesn’t mean they actually did. Better to check your sources. But we are also called to be Bereans about the accusations we make, or the accusations we hear against others.
We are to practice a love that “thinks no evil” (I Corinthians 13:1-6).
We are called to be Bereans of our own hearts, and of our own tongues.
A rush to judgment is always bad judgment.
Links to follow Social Church:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin
♫Music By♫ ●Jeff Kaale – That Day
Growing Up (With) R.C.: Truths I Learned About Grace, Redemption, and the Holiness of God
My newest book, a celebration of God’s tender grace as seen through the wisdom of my father, is available for pre-order now.
Grace, Redemption, and the Holiness of God.
Have you sinned and fallen short? A book for all of us.
Available in paperback.
Pre-order and get a preview by clicking here!
