James 2:14, says, “What does it profit, my Brethren, though a man say he has Faith, and have not works? Can Faith save him?”
15, If a Brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food.
16, and one of you say unto them, depart in Peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit.
17, Even so Faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
I would like us to notice that in Galatians 5:6, Paul says, “For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but Faith which WORKS BY LOVE.”
There is the age old question which still seems to persists in the thoughts and hearts of Christians today: “If works are not necessary for salvation then why did James seem to say here that Faith cannot save him.” Actually, to be more accurate we should say that he is saying that Faith cannot save him without works.
In Galatians 5:6, what Apostle Paul is saying is the same thing which James was also saying. Faith works by love.
I think that where Believers today are having a problem is with the use of the word, “saved.”
I told somebody the other day whom I thought to be a Christian (if you had asked them they would have told you they were a Christian), “I hope you are trusting in Christ for your Redemption.” They said they did not know what I meant! How can someone who is a Believer in Christ, not know what I mean by I hope you are trusting in Christ for your Redemption?
Let us please take a more accurate look at, “Redemption.” A little better look hopefully as to what happens in order to bring a sinner, from unbelief to the gates of Heaven.
First the sinner sees through the unction of the Holy Spirit that he is indeed a sinner and that he cannot get rid of his own sin. He realizes that Christ has paid the price for all sin with His own Blood and Life; and the sinner believes through the Faith which the Holy Spirit gives him, that his sin debt has been paid through Christ.
Now this person is a Believer, for he is trusting in Christ for Redemption.
If he continues in a daily trust of Christ and what Christ has done for him (realizing also that he could not of himself possibly have gotten rid of his own sin), the Holy Spirit will urge him into a walk of Love toward his Brethren and neighbors. If he refuses to walk in this Love which he is already in by virtue of being in Christ, then his Faith will soon begin to waver (Because Faith worketh by Love). It is not difficult to understand what awaits the individual who’s
Faith is faltering, for without Faith it is impossible to please God.
So, the individual is not justified (saved) by works, but by Faith. Works are in no way required for Justification, forgiveness, or Righteousness (Salvation). Neither do works make us more Saved or more Just or Righteous. Actually, if there is anything required concerning our works at all; it would be that the requirement is, “that our works have no part in our righteousness.”
Faith is actually instilled in us by the Holy Spirit through what Christ has accomplished for us; when we ignore, or try to ignore the urging of the Holy Spirit to Love our neighbor, we will be grieving the Holy Spirit, the very Person of the God Head Who is trying to instill us with a continual Faith. This grieving of the Holy Spirit will soon result in a faltering faith.
If any believer is interested in fueling his faith; this formula will fuel our faith: Be thankful every day for Christ giving His Blood and Body to pay our sin debt and to make us Righteous in the sight of God, realizing that we have within ourselves absolutely nothing which may contribute to this Righteousness or cleansing of our sin.
Next do not resist the Love which the Holy Spirit places within us. In other words the Holy Spirit will lead us perfectly in line with 1 Cor. 13 to Love our neighbor. We simply must not resist Him in regards to this leading.
Galatians 4:4, tell us that the REWARD which is given by Grace is not reckoned by works. If the reward of Redemption was given to us because of our works then Redemption would not be of Grace, but of debt, as if God then owed it to us.
So we see that Righteousness, Redemption, Justification, and deliverance from the Law all come through our Faith in Christ. Our works of doing His will is really a matter of our nature being changed and thus our wanting to be pleasing in His sight. Our reasonable service one might say.
When we resist a continual Trust in Christ, and we resist the urging of the Holy Spirit upon our already Redeemed Being, then we will find our Faith waning, as we are grieving the Holy Spirit who instills this Faith within us.
In Hebrews 4:10, we read, “For he who has entered into His (Gods) rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from His.”
This verse gets us right down to the meat of the matter. The works which James and Apostle Paul are talking about are not even to be our works, for we are to cease from our own works.
The works which we do now, are not our works but being in Christ, we are to be doing His works. We are to do all things heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men.
However, let us realize that the works of the Lord can only by done as we are trusting in Christ. Any works which we might do, and I mean any works that are done while our trust is not totally in Christ, “are our works” and not the Works of Christ. It is simply not possible to do a pleasing work for the Lord or unto the Lord, when our faith (trust), and confidence is not completely in Christ. And if our trust and confidence is in the things which we are doing, then let me say unequivocally now, that, those works not only will not be pleasing to the Lord but will be instead, very displeasing.
