GRACE ANSWERS 23

• QUESTION: I am corresponding with a Roman Catholic who points to the epistle of James as proof that we are not justified by faith alone. His challenge to me is to find even one verse in the Bible that says justification is by "faith alone." How would you respond?

• ANSWER: I'd begin by quoting several verses of Scripture:

  "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

  Acts 13:38-39

  "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."

  Romans 3:22-28

  "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

  Romans 4:2-5

  "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."

  Romans 5:1

  "Since now we have been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

  Romans 5:9

  "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified...I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

  Galatians 2:15-16, 21

  "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' so those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith...Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.'...He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

  Galatians 3:8, 11, 14

  "Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law."

  Galatians 3:23-25

  "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

  Titus 3:4-7

  The Apostle Paul was clear from the beginning of his ministry to the end of his life on earth that people are justified by faith alone; apart from anything else. Look at the evidence again.

  1. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

  2. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

  3. justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

  4. through faith in his blood.

  5. the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

  6. a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

  7. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

  8. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

  9. Since now we have been justified by his blood.

  10. a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

  11. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law.

  12. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith.

  13. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

  14. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

  15. having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

  Paul was just as clear about how we are not justified. He left no room for misunderstanding. It is by faith alone!

  1. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

  2. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

  3. If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.

  4. We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law,

  5. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified...I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

  6. Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.'

  7. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

  These are only some of the many examples of Paul's writings about being saved by faith alone, apart from works and personal acts of self-righteousness. Look also at Acts 16: 31; Romans 9:30-32; and Ephesians 2:8-9.

  Now, what about James? I'm assuming your friend is quoting from James 2:14-26. He wrote such things as:

  1. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?"

  2. "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

  3. "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

  4. "You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not out ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did...You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

  5. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

  It appears that James contradicts Paul. How could that be? Why aren't their messages similar? Has something gone terribly wrong with the Gospel? Paul said salvation is by faith alone. James said faith needs works to be useful and alive. He said a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Who was right? What should we believe and preach today?

  James is the half-brother of Jesus Christ. Mary was his mother and Joseph was his father. He was born sometime following Christ's birth to the virgin Mary. Mary and Joseph had several children together.

  "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us?"

  Matthew 13:55-56

  James, the half-brother of Christ, was not one of the original apostles of Christ. James the Apostle was the brother of John the Apostle. Their father was Zebedee. James and John were fishermen, like their father. James and John were members of Christ's twelve apostles (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16). James, Christ's half-brother, was not mentioned as an apostle.

  Jesus prophesied that one of the apostles would betray Him and would die at his own hand. Judas Iscariot was that apostle. It was necessary that the number of the apostles be twelve, so the apostles replaced Judas with Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). The Twelve Apostles will sit on twelve thrones, judge the twelve tribes of Israel and rule with Christ in His Eternal Kingdom (Matthew 19:28-30; Revelation 21:9-14). Jesus prophesied that the Jews would kill Him. He also said they would kill some of His apostles (Luke 11:49). The first apostle to die at the hands of his fellow countrymen was James, the brother of John (Acts 12:1-2).

  We read about James, the brother of Christ, in Acts 12:17. Herod arrested Peter to put him to a public trial. However, God released Peter from prison. Peter went to the home of John Mark and told the believers there to "Tell James and the brothers about this." (Acts 12:17) That James would be Christ's half-brother since James the Apostle was dead at the hands of Herod. From that point on, the James we read about in Acts is Christ's half-brother.

  James developed tremendous power and authority in Jerusalem. His was the final voice in decisions concerning how the Jews would deal with how Paul's ministry to Jews and Gentiles was different from James, Peter and John's ministry to the Jews (Acts 15:1-29; Galatians 2:1-10). James had the last say, not Peter or John. James, the half-brother of Christ, had become the most powerful leader of the Messianic Jews even though he was not an Apostle like Peter and John.

  Why? God's plan for the Kingdom Household (dispensation, administration) was on hold until a later time. Israel's leaders rejected God's offer of the Messianic Kingdom. The original Twelve Apostles were waning in their authority and purpose. James, the half-brother of Christ who was not an apostle, rose to the top of the group of Messianic believers in Jerusalem.

  God introduced the Mystery Household to the world through an unlikely individual, Saul of Tarsus. Saul was the chief persecutor of the Messianic Jews. God chose him to introduce the Mystery of Grace (Acts 8:1; 9:1-31; 11:19-30; 13:1-28:31; Romans 6:25-27; Galatians 1:11-2:10; Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:24-29). Saul, who became known by his Greek name Paul, was an apostle. So were Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:7), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Silas and Timothy (Acts 16:1-3; 17:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8). None of these men were named as members of the Twelve Apostles, but they were called apostles. Why? Because God used apostles in two of His Households: the Household of the Messianic Kingdom and the Household of Grace. The Household of the Kingdom was decreasing in purpose and authority even as the Household of Grace was increasing in purpose and authority.

  Now, let's look at James' letter. We know who he was. To whom did he write?

  "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings."

  James 1:1

  James wrote to Jews who were part of the waning Kingdom Household. He did not write to Gentiles in this letter. James did write one letter to Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilcia (Acts 15:19-35), but he wrote to Jews only in the letter known as "James." James wrote as the leader of what was left of a group of Kingdom apostles, prophets and disciples in Jerusalem. What he told them was true for them in that dispensation (household). Jews in the Kingdom Dispensation were to obey the Law and the Prophets. They were to do everything Jesus had taught the Twelve Apostles to do (Matthew 28:18-20). The Doctrines of the Kingdom were based on the teachings in the Old Testament and the teachings of Christ. That's what James reminded the Jews scattered among the nations to do. Faith and deeds were interlocked in the teachings of Moses and the Prophets. Jesus pointed His followers to a life of faith and deeds based on obedience to the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:14-29). Obedience to Christ's commands was a demonstration of a disciple's love for God and God's love for the disciple (John 14:15-21) Jesus told His disciples that they would remain in His love as they obeyed His commands (John 15:10-11). In answer to a man's question about what he must do to get eternal life, Jesus answered: "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." The man said he had kept all the commandments. Christ told him to sell his possessions and give them to the poor, then follow him. The man went away sad because he had great wealth and didn't want to part with it. Christ made it clear that deeds were part of having faith (Matthew 19:16-26). Jesus taught His followers that they were to obey the teachers of the Law and Pharisees and do everything they told them to do (Matthew 23:1-3). Jesus told His disciples that if they loved Him, they would obey His commands (John 14:15).

  James was not the only Kingdom writer who preached that faith and deeds must be together for a person's salvation. John the Apostle was also strong in his teaching about obedience (1 John 1:5-3:24; 5:1-3; 2 John 4-11).

  The Apostle Paul also emphasizes doing good works (Ephesians 2:10), but he didn't make it a part of a person's spiritual salvation. Salvation comes by grace through faith alone. We obey God's Word as part of our new life in Christ, not as part of what we must do to get that new life.

  Salvation has always come from God's Grace. Adam was saved by God's Grace. Abraham was saved by God's Grace. Moses was saved by God's Grace. The Law was added to show people they could not earn, deserve or work their way into God's favor. The Law was given to lead us to Christ. Salvation is Free!

  "Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.' The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, 'The man who does these things will live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit...What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Christ Jesus, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

  Galatians 3:11-29

  The Book of James is NOT proof that we are not justified by faith alone. It is proof of what James wrote to the scattered tribes of Israel. Anyone who believes that we must add works to faith to be saved is deceived and will make the same mistake as the Galatians and thousands of others through the centuries who have done the same. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles and of the Grace of God, made it abundantly clear that salvation is by grace through faith alone. What follows our salvation by faith alone is a life of obedience to God because we want to and are able to because of the power of God's Grace working in our lives.

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