Today’s facebook Friday comes from the page of Jon W. Quinn, preacher and Shepherd at the Bradley church of Christ.
It speaks to issues of faith, works, and grace. And how they complement each other. I hope you find it instructive and practical.
The Book of James is very practical, speaking of the application of grace through faith in the everyday lives of disciples.
One of the things James does is to show that just because salvation is a gift of God received by faith, this does not mean it can be received or maintained without a proper response to God’s offer. Also, it needs to be pointed out that there is no conflict between what James says and what Paul says about justification by faith. They both say we are justified by faith. Neither say we are justified by faith alone. Neither say we are justified by works alone. Both say we must obey God.
James chooses four historical persons from the Old Testament to show various aspects of living by faith. Abraham, Rahab, Job, and Elijah were all “people of faith”, yet very different individuals. The underlying principles of what it means to live by faith have not changed. We can learn much from these four about living by faith in any century, and so the Holy Spirit inspires James to use them as examples for us.
The Book of James tells us that Abraham’s faith was a “doing” faith (James 2:14-24; 1:22-25). He certainly is not an example of justification by faith alone. James makes the point that Abraham was justified by faith, which produced works of obedience in his life (cf. James 2:21). The Hebrew writer adds that it is by faith that Abraham obeyed God (Hebrews 11:17-19).
It is a fine thing to be freed from sin, from the Old Law, and to receive God’s grace. But this does not mean we need to do nothing because grace makes no demands upon us. To be justified by faith, as Abraham was, means we must have the same kind of trust and commitment as he did. He was willing, by faith, to obey. He would never say “No” to God but was willing to obey God in everything. Can that kind of living faith save him? Yes, it can because of God’s grace.
“And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?” (James 2:25). Rahab was a very different kind of person from Abraham, but we learn pretty much the same lesson from her. She was a Gentile and had not spent her life living by faith, but she became a seeker of God. She protected God’s people from harm. She acted on her faith in God and is commended for it. Rahab’s response was the beginning of her way to God. There always has to be that first step, no matter how faltering or imperfect it may be. She acted on her belief in God (Hebrews 11:30,31). One more thing about Rahab: not only did she save herself and her family, but she also became an ancestor of the Messiah to come, Jesus of Nazareth.
The book of Job teaches us some very important lessons. One of them is that suffering is not necessarily a result of personal sin. Another is that there are things we do not know, and so it is best not to foolishly charge God when we suffer. Another is that God is always concerned. Another is that Satan wants you to be impatient with God.
When James wrote his epistle, Christians were suffering as well. That is the reason he reminds us of Job’s endurance, “and the outcome of the Lord’s dealings with him, that the Lord is full of compassion and merciful.” (James 5:10,11). God will bless those whose faith endures.
What good does prayer do? “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16b; cf. vss. 17-18). This example, which James uses, is also taken from Old Testament history (1 Kings 17,18). Elijah prayed, and God answered. The Bible tells us that the effectiveness of Elijah’s prayer was not due to his being a superman. He had “a nature like ours.” It had to do with God’s power and purpose.
Several things are said about prayer in this epistle. We are told to ask God for wisdom (1:5). We are told to ask in faith and not doubt (1:6). Our words should coincide with our deeds and attitudes (3:9,10). There ought to be no selfish prayers (4:3). We should pray when in need (5:13). We should pray for the sick (5:15,16).
So, we learn much about faith in the Epistle of James. We learn that we ought to have an obedient faith as Abraham had, an active faith as Rahab had, an enduring faith as Job had, and a praying faith as Elijah had. Does this describe your faith?
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