FAITH

1. In the NT, the words faith and belief are all related.
2. Cannot please God without it — Heb 11:6.
3. Can be gained by teaching — Rom 10:14-17.
4. Faith is one of the essential elements of salvation (Mar 16:16; Rom 1:16).
5. Paul makes much of us being saved by our faith, and not by works of Law: eg Gal 2:16.
6. Faith in the OT — Hab 2:4 (quoted in Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Hab 10:38); Psa 26:1 (combination of faith and works); Psa 37:3 (faith AND works); Pro 3:5; Psa 18:2; Gen 15:6 (Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness: cp Rom 4:1-5).
7. What the OT says NOT to have faith in — you own mind (Pro 28:26), your own righteousness (Eze 33:13), armies (Hos 10:13), idols (Isa 42:17; Hab 2:18), anything human (Jer 17:5).

 

WORKS

1. Good works are the fruit of the spirit, ie they are the result of being motivated and trained by the spirit: Tit 2:10-12; Gal 5:22-25.
2. By doing good works we are showing divine activity through us — Mat 5:16; Joh 14:12.
3. People with no faith demonstrate by their works (their way of life) their separation from God: Joh 3:19; Col 1:21; Eph 5:11 (“unfruitful works”); 2Pe 2:8.
4. Good works are therefore evidence of living in faith: Jam 2:14-26.
a. The type of faith “without works” that James is describing here is the same type of empty belief that pagans have.
b. James is not “anti-faith”: cp Jam 1:3; 2:1.
5. James is in harmony with Paul, who also repeatedly declares the necessity for works as well: Eph 2:8-10; 1Co 6:9-11; Gal 5:16-26; Rom 2:6-10.
6. The works Paul rejects are those which men claim earn God’s favour in the sense of saving themselves by their own power: cp Rom 4:1-5; Eph 2:8,9; Tit 3:4,5. Thus good works of the unbeliever cannot save them, since these people rely on the flesh and not on the spirit (Rom 8:7,8).
7. Why do good works? Because we are grateful for what has been done for us by God and Jesus: Joh 14:15,23; Gal 5:6.
8. Because we are imperfect, our attempts at good works may be flawed. Yet, if we do them with the right motivation, they will be accepted by the mediation of Jesus: Col 3:17.

 

[See Faith acting through works]