Devotional Space for Grace | Faith Works (b) Faith shows itself | 10.20

[Jim]

RELIGION versus GRACE
Faith Works (b) Faith shows itself ​

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And he believed Jehovah, and he credited it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:6, Byington Translation ​

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High control religions give a quick nod to grace as ‘undeserved kindness’ when forgiveness is needed for some sin, but when discussing activity, like more time preaching to be saved, switch quickly to James chapter 2 with its expressions like, “faith without works is dead” and “was not Abraham our father justified by works…?” Do Paul and James contradict each other? No – there is no conflict. Paul and James complement each other, like two sides of the same coin.


Paul looks at what goes on internally (before God - Rom 3:20; 4:2-5; Gal 3:11) through faith alone; James talks about the external results (before men – James 2:18,22) evidencing faith by works. Simply stated, Paul says, “We’re saved by faith.” James says, “This is what saving faith looks like.” See here.

Both Paul and James quote Genesis 15:6, “Abram believed and He counted it to him as righteousness.” Abram simply looked up at the stars and believed God’s promise of a seed of redemption. The Hebrew word used here is simply “amen” - Abram said ‘I agree, I believe’. It does not say (1) "Abraham obeyed the Law of Moses and so became right with God” – Abraham was a Gentile living over 400 years before the Jewish Law. (2) Nor that he worked for God, doing acts of kindness, and therefore was justified. In fact, it was 14 years later he performed circumcision and 35 years later attempted to offer up his son Isaac, providing clear evidence to people around him of his earlier saving faith.

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Separating faith and works: like ‘separating heat and light from fire.’ Luther ​