James 2:14–26 (NKJV)
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. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Faith or works? Can you have one without the other? According to James, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (v. 17). And that statement is generally repeated in vv. 20 & 26. So, no works = no faith. Faith cannot exist without works, for faith, of itself, produces good works.
Works naturally—rather supernaturally—pour forth from faith. The saved and forgiven person performs good works out of joy, gladness, and profound thanks to God for giving his Son to die for his sins. If someone saves your life in this world, you are extremely thankful and want to do good things for that person in return. How much more, then, when we have been saved from eternal damnation by Christ’s all-atoning sacrifice, taking our hellish torture and punishment in our place, so willingly and lovingly? We do good works, then, for God by doing them for our neighbor in thanksgiving to God for saving our sorry hides.
Properly understood, works save no one. We cannot work our way to heaven any more than we can do anything to pay for our own sins. We cannot bring ourselves to spiritual life any more than a corpse can revivify itself.
As Luther so brilliantly put it in the meaning to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified, and kept me in the true faith.” It is the Holy Spirit alone, working through the Word of God, that brings us to Christ and Christ to us. When we are brought to eternal life by Christ, we have every reason to live our life in thankfulness and praise to our good and gracious God in love and service to our neighbor, doing good works for him to God’s glory and our neighbor’s good.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your work of paying for our sins. Amen.
