I remember sitting on the bleachers one school day. Evidently, a “religious” conversation had erupted between two individuals. Finally, one of the teens turned to me and said something to the effect, “Tricia, you know a lot about the Bible. What do you think? Can a person be a Christian but live however they want?”
Honestly, I don’t remember my exact answer, but I think it was something like this. “Well, the Bible says that if you are a Christian then you will want to live like God requires.” At least, I hope that’s what I answered. I remember feeling woefully inadequate in my response.
James 2:14-26 is a passage of scripture that has been a point of debate and even contention among Christians for ages. Why? Because many people believe that James is pitching a works-based salvation whereas other scriptures, particularly those authored by Paul, very plainly outline faith as the sole means to salvation.
Faith versus works—it’s a battle that is as old as Christianity itself.
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” writes James in 2:14. “Can that kind of faith save anyone?” He continues in verse 17, “So, you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”
For many people this seems a direct contradiction of Paul’s writing in Ephesians 2:8-9, where he writes, “God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it.”
Whole books have been written on this particular debate, but I am going to try to keep my statements brief.
First, God does not contradict Himself. What appears to us to be a contradiction is instead a misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of God’s Word. Paul and James were not arguing with one another about this point of theology.
Second, In Paul’s writing, he was explaining how people come to salvation. James, however, was explaining what happens after salvation. Faith is our answer to God’s call to be saved; it comes first. Works is our response to the change that God makes in our lives as a result of salvation; it comes next. Both are two important parts of the same process.
But James takes everything a step further when, in verse 19, he says, “Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” Then he goes on to site Biblical examples of two people who demonstrated their faith by their works. What does he mean?
Think about it this way. Believing that a plane can fly—that’s faith. Purchasing a ticket, buckling into a seat, and allowing yourself to be transported across the world by plane—that’s works. Is knowing or believing that a plane can fly worth anything to us if we refuse to step on the plane?
That’s what James is asking; that is what he wants believers to ask themselves. And that brings us back to the original question I was asked so long ago, “Can a person be a Christian but live however they want?”
Isn’t it just like humans to always want to know the minimum requirements? What’s the least we can do to get the reward we want? That’s the essence of this question, isn’t it?
Is a prayer enough?
Or do I have to stand up in front of the church and tell everybody?
Or do I have to pray and stand up in front of the church and be baptized?
If I do all of those things, then I’m good, right? It doesn’t really matter if I do anything else, or does it?
This brings us to a very important point that you don’t want to miss. James points out in 2:19, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”
There is a false “faith,” a mental acknowledgement that has no basis in the heart, an intellectual consent that produces no evidence of change. Even Satan acknowledges that there is a God, but obviously the devil doesn’t serve Him.
Imagine there is a minter, someone who makes coins. This minter is perfect. He never makes a mistake. It is physically impossible. This minter is God. He produces one type of coin, and it has two sides. This coin is called salvation. One side of the coin is faith, and the other side is works.
Now, if you came across a coin that was missing one of the sides, what would you think? The minter could not have made a mistake; that is impossible. So, the logical conclusion would have to be that the coin is a forgery. It is not legitimate at all.
All the good works in the world are useless if you don’t have saving faith in Christ. But, if you claim to having a saving faith and demonstrate absolutely no good works, then, obviously, you are deceived.
Salvation is a two-sided coin. True belief results in action. Faith comes first, and then it is followed by works. None of us is ever perfect, and there is always room for improvement, but if we are truly Christians, there will be evidence of what we believe.
“Can a person be a Christian but live however they want?” James answers, “No.”
If you are truly a Christian, then you are professing that Jesus is your Lord. If Jesus is your Lord, then He is in control of your life. And if He is in control of your life, then you will at least try to live in a way that pleases Him. Good works are evidence that a person has been saved.
This is what it means to put faith into practice. True faith, Bible-believing, life-changing, heart-transforming faith, will result in good works.
THIS WEEK
Work on memorizing James 1:22. Type it without looking. Then check for mistakes.
Read James 2:14-26 every day.
Do you struggle with the balance between faith and good works? If so, to which side do you lean? Ask God to help you understand that good works are a result of our salvation, not the reason for it.
Can other people see evidence of your faith in your life? If not, ask God for clarity regarding your relationship with Him. Commit your life to Him, and ask Him to confirm your belief by changing your heart.