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James, Chapter 2. Saving Faith or a Disgrace?

James, Chapter 2. Saving Faith or a Disgrace?


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The book of James reminds me of that famous scene in Jerry Maguire where Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding's characters are passionately yelling, "Show me the money!"

To boot, Cuba accompanies it with a soulful dance. Gotta love a man that knows how to dance.

Brother James appears to be sharing similar sentiments, although I doubt he followed it up with all the showmanship. No, appears James doesn't have time for that nonsense. He is fed up with all the hypocrisy he sees all around him and is firmly declaring, "Talk is cheap! Put your money where your mouth is!"

This brother is not playing around. He's a man on a mission, ready to cut to the chase and get to the nitty gritty.

Many believe James is advocating salvation by works, but is that what James is saying here? Let's dive in and see what all the fuss is about.

I'm going to fast forward a bit and head straight to chapter 2 as it is often used to advocate salvation by works.


James 2:

My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?


Plainly laid out. How many of us know at least one person who claims faith in Jesus, but acts like the world? Their works is a contradiction of their confession. Something smells fishy.

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Here he lays out an example and doesn't mince words. I see a man that is over the hypocrisy and is intent on unveiling their hearts by exposing their fruit.

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name[c] you bear?

James is not happy that they, like the world, are valuing material wealth over Spiritual wealth. They are living in an upside kingdom.

He also shares Paul's grievance that those who mistreat their brethren in Christ get better treatment than those who are truly walking in faith expressed in love.

8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[d] 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

Not hard to understand. You are guilty of the sin that all other sins spring from, not walking in love. Loving neighbor as self is a horizontal relationship and with the same measure you meet, it will be measured unto you.

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”[e] So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.


This is another way of looking at the fact that all laws are fulfilled in God's love. James is saying that if you are not operating in God's love, then you've broken all laws for the whole law is found in God's love.

12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

In all things, you are judged by the law of love that liberated from the law of sin and death.

13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Pretty plain and simple. Once again, in your neighbor-to-neighbor, horizontal relationships, with the same measure you meet, it will be measured unto you. The world would refer to this as karma.

This is a common thread in scripture. Jesus said that if we do not forgive our brethren, we won't be forgiven until we've paid the last penny owed. He is not talking salvation, but in the loss of the freedom that comes from walking in the Spirit. Basically, when you abandon the law of love you will find yourself subjected to natural laws and will pay the price for unforgiveness, for with the same measure you meet, it will be measured unto you.

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?


Again, plainly laid out. he's saying that saving faith is one that bears fruit. What good is our faith if it doesn't produce the love and compassion that can help save each other? And in his example, he elaborates that he is speaking of natural needs met. Faith in God always produces the fruit of love and manifests in the natural as good works.

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Amen. Dead faith is not faith because faith is, by its nature, alive and manifests in fruits and good deeds.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

The two are not exclusive, but inclusive. If you have faith, you will also have good deeds.

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[f] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

A very passionate man tired of the hypocrisy and the senseless profession of faith.

We can all agree that faith without deeds is dead and useless. That faith is of no value to anyone. It is comparable to the faith demons possess.

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[g] He was even called the friend of God.[h] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding. The proof that we have faith is shown by what we do.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[i] so also faith is dead without good works.

By contrast to the counterfeit faith that even demons have, genuine faith manifests in good deeds.

I see no contradiction to what all other scriptures share, that one is saved by grace, through faith, unto good works.

When it boils down to it, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. If we are counting on works to save us, then we have fallen from grace and our works are the dead works of the flesh. We are basically declaring, you died for nothing Jesus. I can do this on my own.

That is not saving faith. That is a disgrace.

Now, if your works are the result of your faith; a product of your faith, that is saving faith.

Gotta love James.

Further Reading:

Ephesians 2:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Galatians 5:
4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. ***The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (emphasis mine).


And my disclaimer: I don't claim to know it all and have it all right, but feel good with where I am at. Not complacent, but good. Nonetheless, search the scriptures for yourself with the Lord to get to the truth.

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