christianfellowship

Definition of Faith - conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher); reliance upon Christ for salvation
Definition of Works - as an effort or occupation; an act: deed, doing, labour

As I was researching this topic I found a lot of confusion about the relationship between faith and works. So this is where I would like to start and begin the study, How do Faith and works tie together?

Faith and works are tied together because it is your Faith that should lead you to works. So why do we need works? Well, its our Faith that justifies us before God but it is our faith and works that justify us before man. We are justified by faith alone, but works justify our faith, and declare that we are justified. Men cannot see our faith, except by our works. By works we prove the genuineness of our faith.

I'll explain this in detail later... (just hold on to that thought until then)

When Jesus first came, how did they know that he was who he said he was and not just some crazy guy claiming to be the Christ? (it was by his works)

John 7:1-4 1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest . 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

We don't want to be just giving Jesus lip service with no fruit.

Matt 23:3-5 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe , that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works: for they say , and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men : they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments

When we talk about a profession of Faith, our walk with Christ is more than just professing to be Christian, more than just words. When you think of a profession, its something you actually DO [for work, to earn money]; its not something you SAY you do. i.e. Fake Navy SEALs

Is there anybody here who doesn't know how to swim? There are millions of people who don't. Many of them have never been near enough water to even try. Pretend you're one of those people. The most water you've ever been in was in a bathtub. Now you decide you want to learn to swim, but the only pool available is ten feet deep everywhere; there is no shallow end. I think you'd be a little reluctant to just dive in.

I could tell you that the water would support you, that you would float. I could show you in an encyclopedia that the density of the human body is ever so slightly less than that of water. I could explain Bernoulli's laws and Pascal's laws, and Archimedes' principle, so that you would become intellectually convinced that your body would float. ... Now are you going to jump in? Probably not. You believe me when I tell you that you can float. But you're not ready to act on it yet.

You can tell me that you have absolute faith in what I have told you. You can quote back to me all the scientific details. You can study books on swimming, and quote them back to me word for word, chapter and verse. You can tell me how much you love swimming. But until you get wet, it doesn't mean a thing. Faith without works is dead.

A new twist, also false, is to say that if you do not have works that you have no faith and, therefore, you are not saved.  Many Christians have been confused and robbed of their assurance of their salvation by this presentation.  

Eph 2:9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration [new birth] and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

II Timothy 1:9: [God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Romans 11:6: And if [salvation is] by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

James 2:14-20 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone . 18 Yea, a man may say , Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe , and tremble . 20 But wilt thou know , O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

First of all, the book of James was written to the saved.  James was written to the believers.  Notice the phrase "my brethren" in James 1:2, James 1:16; James 1:19; James 2:1, James 2:5; James 2:14; James 3:1, etc.  James writes to persons who are already saved and the subject is not how to be saved but the Christian life and how to receive rewards in heaven.  James is writing to those who are "born again."  "Of his own will beget he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures (James 1:18)."  The question is not loss of salvation, but the loss of reward.  Blessing, not salvation, is what is promised to the doer of God's work in James 1:25.

Look at Ephesians 2:8, 9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."  Read Romans chapter Five where salvation is called God's gift six times.

James 2:14 talks about "profit".  Profit is something earned-something deserved.  Salvation cannot be earned and is not deserved.  Paul uses the same word "profit" in I Timothy 4:8 where again the topic is reward.  "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

James is speaking of the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; I Corinthians 3:11-15) where reward, gain, profit, treasure or the loss of it is determined.  James is saying to a believer that has faith but no works that his faith will not save him the embarrassment, regret, loss of reward that he will experience at the judgment seat of Christ (the judgment of a believer's works for reward or loss of reward).

How do we know that James is speaking of the Judgment Seat of Christ?   The context of James demands that interpretation.  Notice James 2:12.  "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."  This could only be referring to the judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ.  In James 2:14 we find no believer will be saved (exempted) from the believer's judgment of works.  No works will bring about no reward (profit).  See II Corinthians 5:10.

Death in the Bible always is used to mean "separation".  Physical death is the separation of the spirit and soul from the body (See II Corinthians 5:8).  The "second death" is the separation of the spirit and soul from God, in hell forever (See Revelation 20:14).  Knowing this definition of death, let us examine the phrase "faith without works is dead."

Knowing death speaks of separation and not cession of existence, let us look at James 2:26, "For as the body with the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."  If I were to die physically, my body would drop to the ground but my spirit would go to be with the Lord.  "Absent from the body, present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8)."  Would I still be alive?  Yes, I have eternal life.  But my body would not have any vital signs and would not display any life at all, yet I would be present with the Lord and very much alive.

In the same way, James says, "faith without works is dead."  What does he mean?  Works are to faith what the body is to the spirit.  The body displays the life of the spirit.  Work displays faith.  The only way I can display that I am alive is with my body (movement, pulse, etc.).  The only way that I can display that I have faith is by my works.

If I have no works, does that mean that I have no faith?  NO! NO! NO!  That would be like saying that if I die physically, I would no longer exist.  The truth is that I have eternal life, so though I may lose my body, I am still very much alive.  If you have faith but no works, you simply cannot demonstrate to another that you have faith.  That is the point James is making when he says, "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works (James 2:18)."

Here is another way to look at it, if I told you that the battery in my minivan is dead, I wouldn't mean that I didn't have a battery (nonexistent); I would mean that it was not producing juice; there would be no power coming from it. The battery would be there under the hood where it is supposed to be. It just would be in a temporary condition of being useless insofar as it being effective in turning over the motor when I turn the key in the ignition. So it is in James: the "dead" faith is a nonproducing faith, a barren, an unfruitful faith -- but faith, nonetheless.To be effective, to be able to demonstrate our faith, and to earn rewards, we must have works.

James speaks of justification by works before men.  Paul speaks of justification by faith before God. Paul speaks of that which justifies man before God, via: faith alone, wholly apart from works: James of the proof before men, that he who possesses to have justifying faith really has it.  Paul speaks of what God sees-faith; James of what men see-works, as the visible evidence of faith.  Paul draws his illustration from Genesis 15:6, James from Genesis 22:1-19.  James's key-phrase is 'ye see' (James 2:24), for men cannot see faith except as manifested through works."

Salvation is "not of works" according to Ephesians 2:9.  "Not of works" means "Not of works."  Works have no part in our salvation.  Jesus Christ finished the work of salvation on the cross.  We can be saved only by trusting His finished work on the cross.  Why not trust Christ as your only hope of heaven?  Then choose to serve Him and receive blessings, rewards, treasures in heaven, profit for eternity.

Matthew 23:1-7 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying , The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe , that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works: for they say , and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men : they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Jesus came to make disciples. He is telling us we need to be His disciples and be dedicated to making disciples as well. Is it possible to show one's faith before others without works? Of course not. And that is the point.