James

Faith / Works

This theme is the overriding message of the epistle of James and is the reason why so many people have a hard time reckoning it with the other books of the New Testament. James, Jesus’ brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, addressed believers with this message of faith proven through works. Many people would think that this message contradicts Paul’s message of justification through faith alone but given Paul’s dear respect for James and their seemingly close relationship this just doesn’t seem possible. The reality is that James’ message was not a message of salvation through works but that salvation and faith would be testified to by a believer’s actions in response to the great gift received. Martin Luther, who despised the letter of James so much that he thought it should be thrown out of the bible, perhaps summed it up best. He stated the message that Christ was trying to get across by saying, “We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith” (Bainton 259). This is the message that James was trying to articulate to all believers. Faith is not true faith unless works that prove a steadfast trust in God’s provision accompany it. James, being a leader in the church concerned for all believers, desired for people to have fruit in their lives from their faith. He saw the world surrounding Christ’s body and realized that the values of the world were encroaching upon Christ’s beloved and tempting believers to live not according to God’s values but settling for what the world had to offer. This is the root issue here for James’ challenging message that could be so misconstrued by improper interpretation. This is not a message of justification by trying to earn God’s mercy through righteous living. James’ message was a message of salvation and justification by faith. However… faith without works testifies that a person likely never believed… for a root of faith that bears no fruit apparently was never alive. This theme holds everything in the epistle of James together… for James’ plea is that Christ’s beloved would live according to the wisdom and life that God had for them. His desire was for them to have nothing more and nothing less than what God desired for them… seeing that they were willing to settle for less.

To those whom James wrote to, this would be a call to holiness and righteous living. Throughout the epistle James contrasts the results of what the world has to off with what God has called them to. They would be bombarded with the reality that God has always been good, always provided, and always been faithful to show them mercy when they sought life in him. On the other hand it would be amazingly apparent that the world offers only bondage and death… that selfishness and living according to the values of the world offers nothing of value. In this the original reader would see that they have been given hope in Christ… and yeah, to live according to what God has called them to is to live in the fullness of what God has to offer. This is faith for them, to trust in what God has given rather than settle for what the world has to offer… selfishness, sin, emptiness, destruction, and death. Even amidst the sufferings and persecutions they were enduring for their faith they would see in who Christ is and in Scripture that God has been faithful time and time again to show his mercy and provision… and now has given them the hope of heaven. This would captivate their hearts and put in them a yearning to live righteously in faith… trusting that what God has is better than anything they could hope for is.

For us, today, this remains true. We are willing to settle for what the world offers when God has so much more. It is sad but it’s true. We nod our heads at church to Jesus then walk away denying him by our lives. We see in shadows that we need him but never abandon ourselves desperately latching onto him as our hope. Will we dare to abandon the world trusting that God, I mean this is God we are talking about, will take care of us. Christ died for him yet we doubt that God can provide… let us live out our faith, abandoning the crap the world has to offer, seeking in faith what God has to offer.

Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. New York: New American Library, 1950; 1978. (Bainton 259) http://www.lessonsonline.info/LutherandJames.htm,

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(This picture was taken a few days ago when we had a bunch of snow come down. Myself and a few others played in the snow for more than an hour... it was amazing. This is me throwing a snowball at my friend Erica from the dance school... it was her birthday yesterday... she is 20.)