I thought this was a good question about James 2:
Have you seen any articles/books expand on the fact that the traditional interpretation of James 2:14-26 (saving faith has works, and non-saving faith doesn’t have works) leads to legalism and lack of assurance of salvation?
Recently I read a Free Grace book (can’t remember which one) which mentioned this in passing, but I don’t think it expanded much on it.
If you know of anything, please let me know!! Thanks, bro!
For those unaware of the traditional interpretation of James 2, it basically says that “faith without works is dead” means faith without works is not faith. And the question, “Can faith save him?” is understood to mean that faith without works cannot eternally save anyone.
That way of viewing the passage is seriously flawed. Faith cannot be non-faith. No matter what faith is lacking, it remains faith. And justification is by faith alone, apart from works (John 6:28-29; Rom 4:4-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9).
In a short blog I can’t go into details. For more discussion on Jas 2:14-26 you can look here for two short videos (10 and 7 minutes) by Zane Hodges, here for a journal article by me, and here for a blog by David Janssen.
How could this lead to lack of assurance of salvation? Once someone can bewitch us into believing that there are two kinds of faith, one that saves and one that does not, we can no longer have assurance based on faith alone. We will need works to verify that the type of faith we have is the type he needs. However, since the type of faith that saves perseveres in good works until death, we need lifelong good works in order to have assurance. That means that prior to death we cannot be sure we are born again because we can never be sure that we won’t fall away in the future.
How could this lead to legalism? If regeneration centers on good works, since faith without works is not really faith and faith without lifelong perseverance in good works will not save, then the stage is set for comparison. I know I’m more likely to make it to heaven if I’m better than most who call themselves Christians. So, I’ll try to find evidence that I’m better than others. Maybe I sing louder than everyone else. I’m at church more hours a week than others. Give more money. Witness more often. Pray longer prayers in public. Read more chapters of the Bible per week than the rest. Memorize more Scripture.
Legalism is judging spirituality based on numerical data not mandated in Scripture. We are never told to sing at or above a certain decibel, be in church so many hours a week, give a certain percentage of money, witness to so many people per week, pray public prayers that last for a certain number of minutes, read so many chapters of the Bible daily, or memorize so many verses per week. Those all are man-made measures.
While all those things are fine things to do, we should not compare with others and we should not measure our spirituality on how much we do those things either. See what Paul says in Gal 5:15 about legalism, “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.”
Assurance is found only in believing the promise of life, found in John 3:16 and over 100 verses in the Bible. It is not found in our imperfect works. That is a misreading of Jas 2:14-26 and other passages.
James 2:14-26 is often cited as a key passage proving Lordship Salvation. I think it is a powerful refutation of Lordship Salvation. But you can see what you think by studying the passage for yourself.
James
Pt I
“(V.14)What a man says is tested by what he does.A man may say he has faith, but merely SAYING he has faith will not profit unless accompanied by works which prove the reality of his faith.
(Vv.15-17)No one would imagine that it would be the slightest good merely to SAY to a needy person, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, and yet DO nothing to meet the need.The words, however fair, would be of no profit unless accompanied by deeds.“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
(V.18)Faith works, then, are the proof of faith before men.We CANNOT see faith;therefore to prove the existence of faith we need something for sight.One may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works.He says, as it were,“You boast in your faith and are indifferent to works; but if you have faith SHOW it to me; and how can you show me your faith without works? I can show you my faith by works.”
(Vv.19,20)The Jew believed that God is one.This is right; the devils also believe this and their belief makes them tremble, but it does not put them in relationship with God.So a man may believe what is true AS TO God, and yet have NO FAITH IN God.
Faith…proves its existence by its works.The man then that says he has faith and yet is“without works”is a vain man and his faith merely a dead profession.Such is the condition of the vast profession of Christendom in which truths are assented to…without the faith that brings the soul into personal touch with Christ.”
James
Part 2
“(V.21)The Apostle brings forward two cases from the OT to show, firstly, that faith which has God for its object produces works and, secondly, that the works faith produces have a DISTINCT character. They are FAITH WORKS, and NOT simply GOOD WORKS, as men speak.
The Apostle first refers to Abraham and shows that he was justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. By this work he proved that he had such absolute faith in God that he believed God could act in a way contrary to anything ever experienced in the history of man.
(V.22)Here, then, we see not only works but that “faith wrought with his works.” It is evident, then, that while the Apostle speaks of works proving our faith, he refers, not simply to GOOD works such as kindly nature can produce, but only such works AS FAITH can produce. They are FAITH works; and by such works faith is made perfect. If, on the one hand, the Apostle insists upon works as the test of faith before men, on the other hand, he insists upon faith as the test of the works.
(V.23)Thus, in a practical way, the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God. He very blessedly proved his trust in God…
(V.24)It is thus made plain that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. It is, however, equally clear that the Apostle is not speaking of justification before God, through atonement for sins, but of justification visible to men.”
James
Part 3
“(Vv. 25,26) In the history of Rahab we see another striking illustration of FAITH WORKS. She was a woman of bad character, and did that which men would condemn as a betrayal of her country. Yet her act proved that she had such faith in God that, in spite of all appearance to the contrary, she recognised that the Israelites were the favoured of God, and that Jericho was doomed.
Both cases prove that the mere profession of faith is not enough. There must be reality as proved by faith works. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
In both cases the works prove the existence of faith in God, but they do so because of their special character. In neither case are they works of which the natural man could approve. Abraham is about to slay his son, and Rahab to transfer her allegiance to God, and, as man would conclude, to betray her country. These are not “good works” as men speak. The practical life of the Christian is, indeed, to be marked by “good works”, as the Apostle has already shown by exhorting believers to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” But the works that prove faith are so contrary to nature that, apart from faith, they would be condemned by every right-minded man. Thus, under the indication of God’s will and in submission to it, the faith produces special works, and the works prove the faith.”
–Hamilton Smith (The Epistle of James)
James
On final note:
Have you ever thought about why James 2:19 states: “Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well,” rather than “Thou believest in Jesus for eternal life. Thou doest well” (or any other variation)? The latter is what we would expect if the self-styled “Free Grace” view had any merit. Instead, we have what is in perfect alignment with the fact that mere false professors are in view.
Also, have you ever taken notice of the inspired phrase: “And the scripture was FULIFLLED” in James 2:23? The entire verse states: “And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God.”
The fact that “the scripture (Gen 15:6) was FULFILLED” (in Gen. 22) means that there was a NECESSARY connection between Abraham’s justification before God and his justification before men (i.e., the manifestation of the Eternal Life in the Son possessed by faith). Thus, if Abraham had not obeyed God (in Gen. 22), Gen. 15:6 would not have been “fulfilled”. The fact that Gen. 15:6 REQUIRED “FULFILLMENT” (in justification before men) completely falsifies the “Free Grace” system.
Timothy Grady
There you are James !
This looks like further confirmation of a works based view . It appears to be an extension of a ‘repentant/faith’ .
Yet again we remain in the dark about what it is (specifically) that we need to believe in order to have certitude of everlasting life .
Now it appears that you have obedience tacked on as a necessary condition .
Whereas , we find no such augmentation in any evangelistic/justification verses .
Certainty can only be found in His message of life (John 3:16,5:24,6:47,11:24-27 etc.) .
Brady Pollitt
If you can NOT answer the simplest questions of John 3:16, 18, 36/Acts 16:31 then HOW CAN YOU EXPECT OTHERS TO BELIEVE YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM???
It can not be overemphasized in ANYTHING in life, just like to know and do advanced math you FIRST have to correctly get/know simple math right. If one does NOT understand the foundational CORRECTLY their SURE NOT going to understand the rest/more complicated things later.
Jesus took advantage of every opportunity when He was asked questions to FIRST lay down the foundation of how to get everlasting life. Jesus took charge, first teaching how to get everlasting, see Jesus with Nicodemus, John 3:1-3, 5-18.
Jesus knew unless Nicodemus understood how to get everlasting life FIRST he couldn’t understand much of anything else. No substitute for PROTOCOL.
Brady Pollitt
James, you have brutally attacked Zane Hodges and continue to attack GES without actually defending your position against OUR “questions” and therefore makes your belief system VOID of any Scriptural proof. Very sad. For if one had PROOF of their belief system they Scripturally could easily answer to the scrutiny of John 3:16, Acts 16:31, John 11:25-27.
Tim Fohey
One of the clearest examples of people thinking their works proved that they were saved is Matthew 7:21-23. Once a person goes down the road of Lordship salvation it becomes really difficult to see anything else. If that is the only message that they have heard and believed than they are not yet born again. If by chance they have heard the message of eternal life through Christ alone and believed it than they do have eternal life. But if they fall into the trap of lordship salvation after they have believed they can do great deal of damage to the cause of Christ and mislead a lot of people. In the city I live in there is not a single church that doesn’t preach some form of lordship salvation, while at the same time claiming to believe that salvation is a gift. I’ve had people tell me that they think that God doesnt really want us to have assurance of our salvation so that we will be motivated to live for him. I could not believe they were saying that. I tried to show them that the bible overwhelming disproves that, but they were not hearing it. I think one of the biggest hinderences in getting out the freegrace message is the tradition of men and what people have heard most of their life. Anyways James I pray for you that you would see the truth.
Brady Pollitt
Your failure about James is you don’t PAY ATTENTION to CONTEXT. Nowhere in those contexts you use is it discussing eternal life, but temporal life and it’s a SHAME you can’t see/accept the difference between grace and works. Sadly most church people can’t even RECOGNIZE the difference between salvation as being a GIFT and discipleship being the growth of an already saved person. Most don’t know the distinction between a momentary event (one act of intellectual belief/faith alone in Christ ), the receiving the gift of eternal life and an ongoing process of “discipleship” on an ongoing basis. The Bible absolutely makes categorical distinctions in receiving the gift of eternal life from discipleship. Eternal life is offered totally and absolutely free without requiring man’s efforts at all. While discipleship is a lifetime process of living and learning God’s Word and applying it.
Timothy Grady
Thanks Brady .
You can only sew the quilt together when the patches fit .
Anything that violates the ‘analogy of faith ‘ hermeneutic cannot possibly be true .
Simply dumping additional quotes – devoid of context – cannot persuade anyone .
Tim Amoroso
Thank you for this helpful and very needful blog to remind us of the simplicity of Assurance. God bless you GES for all the good work you do and help you provide in fighting false doctrine and lordship nonsense. It is so helpful and I am very and thankful for your ministry.
Alvin
Jesus didn’t contradict Himself when after asking the Woman at the Well for a drink of water in which she would do all the work of drawing the water and He would simply drink. He then said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it it is who said to you, ‘ Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water (John4:10,13-14).
The story couldn’t be any clearer that its about the giving and receiving of a gift. The gift of God is eternal life. And the living water is the message of life. Believed it springs up into eternal life. One drink and she would never thirst. Just like Jesus when He had asked her for a drink, she didn’t have to do anything but drink, that is believe (John 6:35).
But, when Jesus talks about being His disciple He clearly states the cost. It will cost you everything, in which if your not willing to give up you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33).
A little child could understand the difference here between what’s free and what cost.
The only ones the Father has revealed that their names are written in heaven are babes, that is childlike faith in a verse like John 3:16. The wise who force their theology on Scripture and do not rightly divide it, these things have been hidden from (Luke 10:20-21).
Diane
I love the passage of the woman at the well. Clearly to take the drink from the fountain is to believe the message, and at that moment you know you have what Jesus is offering, and you know it’s permanent. Thanks Alvin. 🙂
Alvin
Unless your plumb line goes off of the foundation you will not rightly divide the word of truth.
Zechariah 4:8-10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-17; 2 Timothy 2:15
KEN TAMASHIRO
Hi Pastor Bob, ….This is part 1 of 2
May I share a different perspective on the controversial passage on James 2:14-26.
James 2:14-26,…14 What does it profit, my (Christian) brethren, if someone says he has faith (in Christ) but does not have works of compassion)? Can faith (in Christ help a brother in need) save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit (the person in need)? 17 Thus also faith (in Christ) by itself, if it does not have (good) works, is (useless and) dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith (Christ likeness) without your (good) works, and I will show you my faith ( Christ likeness) by my (good) works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
KEN TAMASHIRO
Part 2 of 2
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith (Christ likeness) without your (good) works, and I will show you my faith ( Christ likeness) by my (good) works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by ( his actions) works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that (his) faith was working together with his (actions) works, and by (Abrahams actions) works (Abrahams) faith was (perfected) made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (because he took action) And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by (his actions) works, and not by faith (in God) only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by (taking action) works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Grace and Peace to you,
Ken Tamashiro
KEN TAMASHIRO
The controversial Passage is talking about a …Sanctification mode of action ….and this is not the means of proving one is saved or being Justified by works to gain Eternal Life but rather as Believers in Christ we should be helpful in assisting others in need.
Jesus made mention of the same problem to the Religious leaders of his day by speaking about the Good Samaritan and how the other Religious leaders just walked by and did not help that poor stranger but a despised Samaratin (half Jew) took action and help the stranger and provided a place for the stranger.
Good works is noticed and recognized by God.as part of being Righteous in Christ.
Ken Tamashiro
Alvin
Faith in Christ has been given righteousness, apart from any works. When God sees faith in Christ, He sees that faith as righteousness.
Works play no part in this righteousness. Of course why God can see our faith as righteousness and be just in doing that, is totally based upon His work on the cross.
Our progressive sanctification has no role in this righteousness, in fact if we died the moment after we believed without even one work our righteousness would stand before God without any works of righteousness. Which makes it impossible for us to boast.
Romans 4:3-5
For what does the Scriptures say? “Abraham believed God, and IT was accounted to him FOR righteousness.”
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the UNGODLY, his faith is accounted FOR righteousness.
Every believer MUST have this type of righteousness, it cannot be mixed in anyway to our works either before or after, or boasting is possible.
Romans 4:9
For we say that FAITH was accounted TO Abraham FOR righteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-27
KEN TAMASHIRO
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
As Saved Christians we can and should help our Brothers in need. Our Salvation is not in question here but the actions of those who are not helping are being challenged by James.
Jesus makes a similar point about the Good Samaritan (a despised half-Jew) who assisted the wounded stranger as the rest of the Religious people walked on by as if nothing happened.
The Apostle Paul makes a similar point, that all Christians should help their Brothers and Sisters in Christ. ….Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Grace and Peace,
Ken Tamashiro