SALVATION BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE (ROMANS 4:5-6; EPHESIANS 2:8,9) OR BY FAITH ONLY (JAMES 2:24)?
In
James 2:14, we read of one who
says/claims he has faith but has
no works (to
evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a
bare profession of faith. So, when James asks, "Can
that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an
empty profession of faith/dead faith. So, James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to
show the reality of the faith
professed by the individual (
James 2:18) and
demonstrate that the faith
claimed (
James 2:14) by the individual is
genuine. Simple!
In regard to "faith being alone" (
James 2:17) or "faith without works is dead," (
James 2:20) James does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith or that we are saved by works. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works
demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely
says-claims they have faith, but lack
resulting evidential works, then they
demonstrate that they have an
empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (
James 2:14)
In James 2:18, we read I will
show you my faith by my works.
Show, not establish. Big difference.
In
James 2:19, we read that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they do not believe in/have faith in/trust in/reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, they
do not believe in/on the Lord Jesus Christ (
Acts 16:31)
and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.
In
James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, to complete like love in
1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
In
James 2:23, the scripture was
fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was
accounted as righteous based on his faith (
Genesis 15:6)
not his works (
Romans 4:2-3)
long before he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.
In
James 2:24, James is not using the word "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is
shown to be righteous. James is discussing the
evidence of faith (
says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works -
James 2:14-18) and
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (
Romans 4:2-3)
In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for justified "dikaioo" #1344 is:
1. to render righteous or such he ought to be
2.
to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered -
*fits the context.
3. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
Strongs's #1344: dikaioo - Greek/Hebrew Definitions - Bible Tools
In
Matthew 12:37, we read - "For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This is because our words (and our works) reveal the condition of our hearts. Words/works are evidence for, or against a man being in a state of righteousness.
God is said to have been
justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist (
Luke 7:29). This act pronounced or declared God to be righteous. It did not make him righteous. The basis or ground for the pronouncement was the fact that God IS righteous. Notice that the NIV reads,
“acknowledged that God's way was right." The ESV reads,
“they declared God just.” This is the "sense" in which God was “justified.” He was
shown to be righteous.
Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
justified/vindicated/shown to be right by her deeds."
The harmony of
Romans 4:2-3 and
James 2:24 is seen in the differing ways that Paul and James use the term "justified." Paul, when he uses the term, refers to the
legal (judicial) act of God by which He
accounts the believer as righteous. James, however, is using the term to
describe those who would show the genuineness of their faith by the works that they do.
In
James 2:25, Rahab believed in the Lord with authentic faith (
Joshua 2:9-13), requested "kindness" (2:12), received the promise of kindness (2:14), and hung out the "scarlet line" (2:21), as the
demonstration of her authentic faith. She
showed that her faith in God was not a dead faith by her works, just as all genuine believers show theirs.
In
James 2:26, the comparison of the human spirit and faith converge around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body
exhibits no indication of life, so fruitless faith
exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. (
Ephesians 2:5-10)
Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved
(general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who
does not believe will be condemned. The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism absolutely necessary for salvation.
Condemnation rests on unbelief and not on a lack of baptism. *NOWHERE does the Bible say, "baptized or condemned."
If water baptism is absolutely required for salvation, then we would expect Jesus to mention it in the following verses. (3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26) Yet what is the
ONE requirement that Jesus mentions
NINE different times in each of these complete statements *
BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics. John 3:18 - He who
believes in Him is not condemned; but he who (is not water baptized? - NO)
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (been water baptized? - NO)
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.