Faith Without Works Is Dead

Can one be a believer in Christ and not be saved? “Of course!” you say. “James 2 tells us that even the devils believe and tremble.” Or “Faith without works is dead.” 

Due to debate-era argumentation, we look at James 2, and cannot think of anything but the debate over baptism’s necessity. But when we do that, we are truly missing the point, because baptism isn’t the issue that James was addressing. We are asking a question that James 2 was never meant to answer. Baptism isn't even something that can be considered a "work" in the context of James 2.

Instead of arguing that Baptism is a work, and that works are needed for salvation, and risking arguing that all works are needed for salvation, why not take a different approach? Ephesians 2:8-9 says that works cannot save us. 1 Peter 3:21 says that Baptism does save us. The only way for those 2 things to be true is if James 2 and Ephesians 2 are not talking about Baptism. They are talking about good works. You cannot EARN salvation, but if you have faith without good works, your faith is dead. 

How about this? Can one be a baptized believer in Christ and not be Christian (Christ-like)? I say, “of course.”

James wrote to people who had already become Christians. But these Christians did not show their faith. They had no works. James 1 compares these people to those who look into a mirror and quickly forgot what they look like. How often to do we look into the scriptures, read how a Christian is supposed to act, and immediately forget what a Christian looks like?  So then, what good is it if we believe in Christ, say we are Christians, then we don’t DO what God tells us to do? 

Well, what does God tell us to do? James 1:27 tells us this. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

There are 2 aspects that we see here.

First, pure religion means we visit orphans and widows. We are supposed to do good for those who need it.  Outcasts and enemies of society are our mission field. In Jesus’ day it was the Samaritans, the orphans, the widows, the poor, the lame, the blind, and the sick. Today we don’t have Samaritans, whose religion claimed to have similar roots, but was hostile to the Jews' religion (can you think of any modern-day parallels?). We still have outcasts, and they are our neighbors to whom we are obligated to serve. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” If we say we have faith, but don’t serve those who need Christ most, our faith is dead. Get out there and serve! 

Second, we are to keep ourselves unstained from the world. How can we say that we have faith if we act no differently than the rest of the world? The world is a sinful place, and there are temptations around every corner. But James is not just urging us to avoid sin, but he is urging us not to become like the world. We become like the world by treating the rich well and putting the poor to shame, or perhaps giving in to fear that the news spreads daily and losing our peace, or just living a sinful life.

Shalom, 

Jeff Griffith