Subscribe to our PODCAST here.Justification by Works
Rom 4; Jas. 2
Intro.
A. Paul quoted Gen. 15:6 to prove that Abraham was not saved by works - which would make salvation by grace through faith void.
B. James quoted the same passage to prove that Abraham was saved by obedience - which makes faith perfect.
C. Problems arise when men put all works in the same category - though none consistently do it.
(In NKJV “works” is found 128 times and “work” 70 - 198 times - not all the same kind of work.) There are basically two kinds of works:
1. Works that are excluded:
Of the law (Gal. 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Gal. 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”)
Of human merit (Is. 64:6 “...And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...” Tit. 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”)
Of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:...those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”)
Of darkness (Rom. 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”)
2. Works that are included:
Of God (Jn. 6:29 “And Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”) God commands it (Rom. 10:10,17). Not just mental assent, but obedient faith (Acts 5:14 “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” 2:38,41,47)
Of righteousness (Acts 10:34,35 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Rom. 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”) Ps. 119:172 “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous.” (Mt. 7:21 “Not...says...but does”)
Of faith (1 Thess. 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”)
Of obedience (Jas. 2:21 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” Romans begins and ends with obedience to the faith: Rom.1:5 “through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” 16:26 “but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the
2.
everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.”)
3. Other passages could be studied, but these are sufficient to show that “works” is used in different senses and some are included, while others are excluded. Justification is not by some kinds of works; it is by other kinds.
Body:
A. Some teach that Paul was talking about the alien sinner and James about the child of God.
1. Paul’s statement does not describe Abraham as an alien sinner (Rom. 4:1-3).
a. He had left Ur (Gen. 11:31; Acts 7:2,3 “And he said, Men and brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.” Heb. 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance”)
b. In Shechem - “there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him” (Gen. 12:6,7).
c. Between Bethel and Ai “there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord” (Gen. 12:8)
d. He returned to the same place and “there Abram called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 13:3,4)
e. He was blessed by Melchizedek (Gen. 14:19,20).
f. God said “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward”
(Gen. 15:1).
g. Then - the promise and Abram’s faith (Gen. 15:5,6; Rom. 4:3).
(This is the first time the verb “believe” is used in the Bible.)
1) The second time “it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Gen. 17:16,17; Rom. 4:19-22 - about 15 years after Gen. 15 account - Abraham 100 years old.)
2) The third time - Jas. 2:20-23 (Gen. 22) “According to Josephus, Isaac was twenty-five when God tested Abraham with respect to his son. Another Jewish tradition says Isaac was thirty-seven” (The Pentateuch, James E. Smith; College Press). (Really - had to be twelve!)
4) Do you see a pattern in Abraham’s life? Obedient faith - but imperfect life (Gen. 12:12,13; 20:11).
h. He was saved without the works of the Law and without works of human merit - but by works of obedience (faithfulness).
2. James used three examples to show the necessity of works (obedience) (Jas. 2:21-26)
a. Abraham offering his son (vs. 21-24) - illustrates works with faith (v. 20).
(Paul - perfect works without faith; James - faith without perfect works.)
b. Rahab - a Gentile harlot (v. 25). The same applied to her - “Likewise...”
c. The body without the spirit (v. 26).
d. We cannot divorce works from faith and have saving faith. “If a person does not have enough faith to obey, he does not have enough faith to be saved by faith” (Bob Crawley).
3.
1) The demons “believe and tremble” (Jas. 2:19).
2) The rulers believed, but would not obey (work) (Jn. 12:42).
3. If works (obedience) destroys salvation by grace through faith for non-Christians - why would it not do the same for Christians? (It didn’t for Rahab nor Abraham!)
4. R.L. Whiteside said: “If a human being is made righteous without any human effort, then why are not all righteous? It is certain that the most of them are not making any effort to attain to righteousness” (Commentary on Romans, p. 93).
B. “Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up” (David W. Bercot)
1. “If there’s any single doctrine that we would expect to find the faithful associates of the apostles teaching, it’s the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. After all, this is the cornerstone doctrine of the Reformation. In fact, we frequently say that persons who don’t hold to this doctrine aren’t really Christians....The early Christians universally believed that works or obedience play an essential role in our salvation” (p. 64).
2. He quoted several (between 99-199 A.D.) - Clement of Rome, Polycarp, the letter of Barnabas, Hermas, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Hippolytus, Cyprian...
Then concluded “In fact, every early Christian writer who discussed the subject of salvation presented this same view.
“No, the early Christians did not teach that we earn salvation by an accumulation of good works. They recognized an emphasized the fact that faith is absolutely essential for salvation, and that without God’s grace nobody can be saved. All of the writers quoted above stressed this fact.”
“Our problem is that Augustine, Luther, and other Western theologians have convinced us that there’s an irreconcilable conflict between salvation based on grace and salvation based on works or obedience. They have used a fallacious form of argumentation knows as the ‘false dilemma,’ by asserting that there are only two possibilities regarding salvation: it’s either a gift from God or it’s something we earn by our works.
“The early Christians would have replied that a gift is no less a gift simply because it’s
conditioned on obedience...The early Christians believed that salvation is a gift from God but that God gives His gift to whomever He chooses. And He chooses to give it to those who love and obey him.”
He quoted Eph. 2:8,9 and Jas. 2:24 and said “Our doctrine of salvation accepts the first statement but essentially nullifies the second. The early Christian doctrine of salvation gave equal weight to both.”
C. We will be judged by our works (Phil. 2:12; Heb. 6:10).
1. John Calvin: “For this it is also evident that we are justified before God solely by the intercession of Christ’s righteousness. This is equivalent to saying that man is not righteous in himself but because the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation - something worth carefully noting...For in such a way does the Lord Christ share his righteousness with us that in some wonderful manner, he pours into us enough of his power to meet the judgment of God...To declare that by him alone we are accounted righteous in Christ’s obedience, because the obedience of Christ is reckoned to us as if it
4.
were our own” (“Institutes of the Christian Religion,” Bk. II, chap. 11, section 23).
2. He also taught that Adam’s sin is imputed to every person!
3. What is wrong with it?
a. Rom. 4:6-8; 1 Jn. 3:7-10 We are righteous by forgiveness; not imputation of Christ’s obedience; just as Abraham and David.
b. Christ obeyed the Old Law (Gal. 4:4). If his works are credited to us - would it not be justification by keeping the Old Law?
c. We are justified by the blood of Christ (1 Jn. 1:7).
d. There is a difference between FAITHFUL and PERFECT. (Are you faithful to your wife? Are you a perfect husband?)
D. Works and falling from grace
1. Once saved - always saved - so why work? (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
a. Impossibility of apostasy - says “works” here are your own works; you may suffer loss (of rewards), but not salvation.
b. Each man’s work is his converts (9:1; Phil. 2:14-16; 4:1 Thess. 2:19; 3:5).
2. A branch that has been in the vine can be cut off and cast into the fire (Jn. 15:1-6).
Concl.
A. There is no grounds for boasting by one who submits in obedient faith to the conditions God set forth for our forgiveness. We must walk by faith, realizing that God’s plan provides for failure.
B. We seek to obey in all things, but realize that we do commit sins and need God’s cleansing
(1 Jn. 1:6-10).
Intro.
A. Paul quoted Gen. 15:6 to prove that Abraham was not saved by works - which would make salvation by grace through faith void.
B. James quoted the same passage to prove that Abraham was saved by obedience - which makes faith perfect.
C. Problems arise when men put all works in the same category - though none consistently do it.
(In NKJV “works” is found 128 times and “work” 70 - 198 times - not all the same kind of work.) There are basically two kinds of works:
1. Works that are excluded:
Of the law (Gal. 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Gal. 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”)
Of human merit (Is. 64:6 “...And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...” Tit. 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”)
Of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:...those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”)
Of darkness (Rom. 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”)
2. Works that are included:
Of God (Jn. 6:29 “And Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”) God commands it (Rom. 10:10,17). Not just mental assent, but obedient faith (Acts 5:14 “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” 2:38,41,47)
Of righteousness (Acts 10:34,35 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Rom. 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”) Ps. 119:172 “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteous.” (Mt. 7:21 “Not...says...but does”)
Of faith (1 Thess. 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”)
Of obedience (Jas. 2:21 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” Romans begins and ends with obedience to the faith: Rom.1:5 “through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” 16:26 “but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the
2.
everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.”)
3. Other passages could be studied, but these are sufficient to show that “works” is used in different senses and some are included, while others are excluded. Justification is not by some kinds of works; it is by other kinds.
Body:
A. Some teach that Paul was talking about the alien sinner and James about the child of God.
1. Paul’s statement does not describe Abraham as an alien sinner (Rom. 4:1-3).
a. He had left Ur (Gen. 11:31; Acts 7:2,3 “And he said, Men and brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.” Heb. 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance”)
b. In Shechem - “there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him” (Gen. 12:6,7).
c. Between Bethel and Ai “there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord” (Gen. 12:8)
d. He returned to the same place and “there Abram called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 13:3,4)
e. He was blessed by Melchizedek (Gen. 14:19,20).
f. God said “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward”
(Gen. 15:1).
g. Then - the promise and Abram’s faith (Gen. 15:5,6; Rom. 4:3).
(This is the first time the verb “believe” is used in the Bible.)
1) The second time “it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Gen. 17:16,17; Rom. 4:19-22 - about 15 years after Gen. 15 account - Abraham 100 years old.)
2) The third time - Jas. 2:20-23 (Gen. 22) “According to Josephus, Isaac was twenty-five when God tested Abraham with respect to his son. Another Jewish tradition says Isaac was thirty-seven” (The Pentateuch, James E. Smith; College Press). (Really - had to be twelve!)
4) Do you see a pattern in Abraham’s life? Obedient faith - but imperfect life (Gen. 12:12,13; 20:11).
h. He was saved without the works of the Law and without works of human merit - but by works of obedience (faithfulness).
2. James used three examples to show the necessity of works (obedience) (Jas. 2:21-26)
a. Abraham offering his son (vs. 21-24) - illustrates works with faith (v. 20).
(Paul - perfect works without faith; James - faith without perfect works.)
b. Rahab - a Gentile harlot (v. 25). The same applied to her - “Likewise...”
c. The body without the spirit (v. 26).
d. We cannot divorce works from faith and have saving faith. “If a person does not have enough faith to obey, he does not have enough faith to be saved by faith” (Bob Crawley).
3.
1) The demons “believe and tremble” (Jas. 2:19).
2) The rulers believed, but would not obey (work) (Jn. 12:42).
3. If works (obedience) destroys salvation by grace through faith for non-Christians - why would it not do the same for Christians? (It didn’t for Rahab nor Abraham!)
4. R.L. Whiteside said: “If a human being is made righteous without any human effort, then why are not all righteous? It is certain that the most of them are not making any effort to attain to righteousness” (Commentary on Romans, p. 93).
B. “Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up” (David W. Bercot)
1. “If there’s any single doctrine that we would expect to find the faithful associates of the apostles teaching, it’s the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. After all, this is the cornerstone doctrine of the Reformation. In fact, we frequently say that persons who don’t hold to this doctrine aren’t really Christians....The early Christians universally believed that works or obedience play an essential role in our salvation” (p. 64).
2. He quoted several (between 99-199 A.D.) - Clement of Rome, Polycarp, the letter of Barnabas, Hermas, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Hippolytus, Cyprian...
Then concluded “In fact, every early Christian writer who discussed the subject of salvation presented this same view.
“No, the early Christians did not teach that we earn salvation by an accumulation of good works. They recognized an emphasized the fact that faith is absolutely essential for salvation, and that without God’s grace nobody can be saved. All of the writers quoted above stressed this fact.”
“Our problem is that Augustine, Luther, and other Western theologians have convinced us that there’s an irreconcilable conflict between salvation based on grace and salvation based on works or obedience. They have used a fallacious form of argumentation knows as the ‘false dilemma,’ by asserting that there are only two possibilities regarding salvation: it’s either a gift from God or it’s something we earn by our works.
“The early Christians would have replied that a gift is no less a gift simply because it’s
conditioned on obedience...The early Christians believed that salvation is a gift from God but that God gives His gift to whomever He chooses. And He chooses to give it to those who love and obey him.”
He quoted Eph. 2:8,9 and Jas. 2:24 and said “Our doctrine of salvation accepts the first statement but essentially nullifies the second. The early Christian doctrine of salvation gave equal weight to both.”
C. We will be judged by our works (Phil. 2:12; Heb. 6:10).
1. John Calvin: “For this it is also evident that we are justified before God solely by the intercession of Christ’s righteousness. This is equivalent to saying that man is not righteous in himself but because the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation - something worth carefully noting...For in such a way does the Lord Christ share his righteousness with us that in some wonderful manner, he pours into us enough of his power to meet the judgment of God...To declare that by him alone we are accounted righteous in Christ’s obedience, because the obedience of Christ is reckoned to us as if it
4.
were our own” (“Institutes of the Christian Religion,” Bk. II, chap. 11, section 23).
2. He also taught that Adam’s sin is imputed to every person!
3. What is wrong with it?
a. Rom. 4:6-8; 1 Jn. 3:7-10 We are righteous by forgiveness; not imputation of Christ’s obedience; just as Abraham and David.
b. Christ obeyed the Old Law (Gal. 4:4). If his works are credited to us - would it not be justification by keeping the Old Law?
c. We are justified by the blood of Christ (1 Jn. 1:7).
d. There is a difference between FAITHFUL and PERFECT. (Are you faithful to your wife? Are you a perfect husband?)
D. Works and falling from grace
1. Once saved - always saved - so why work? (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
a. Impossibility of apostasy - says “works” here are your own works; you may suffer loss (of rewards), but not salvation.
b. Each man’s work is his converts (9:1; Phil. 2:14-16; 4:1 Thess. 2:19; 3:5).
2. A branch that has been in the vine can be cut off and cast into the fire (Jn. 15:1-6).
Concl.
A. There is no grounds for boasting by one who submits in obedient faith to the conditions God set forth for our forgiveness. We must walk by faith, realizing that God’s plan provides for failure.
B. We seek to obey in all things, but realize that we do commit sins and need God’s cleansing
(1 Jn. 1:6-10).