All by Grace

Justification by grace through faith is a doctrine that is most basic among evangelical Christians. It is based on the Bible's teaching that all men are sinners and are under the just condemnation of God (Psa. 130:3, 143:2; Eph. 2:3); that nobody can earn his/her way to heaven by doing good works (Mat. 5:48; Rom. 3:10, 23; Rev. 21:27); and that it is out of God's great love and mercy that anyone is justified "by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith"  (Rom. 3:24-25a; cf. Jn. 3:16-18, 5:24; Rom 4:4-6; Gal. 4:4-5). This fundamental tenet of our Christian faith, according to Martin Luther, is where the Church stands or falls. 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is
not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works
so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9) 

Now what do we exactly mean when we say we are saved by grace? We simply mean that we never deserved to be saved (because we are sinners), yet God saved us free of charge (Rom. 4:4-6). We are saved not according to worth. The word "grace" basically means undeserved favor. Hence, it is NOT given because of anything we do or anything in us. And since grace is wholly undeserved, it logically follows that it should be freely given without us needing to fulfill any requirement. For if there's a requirement imposed, the fulfillment of that requirement will be the determining factor of worth. And if something's received according to worth, then obviously it cannot be properly considered grace (Rom. 4:4, 11:6).

However, the Bible is also clear that faith is the proper means (or requirement) through which sinners obtain the grace of justification. (Rom. 5:1-2).  All who receive Christ are given eternal life, and without faith, nobody gets saved (Jn. 3:18; Heb. 11:6). So here's a good question: Why is it that salvation is referred to in the Bible as given according to grace, when in fact no one receives it without performing a certain act, that is, faith? Is salvation really by grace, then?


Who makes thee to differ?

According to popular opinion among the evangelicals, God has sent His Son to die on the cross and offer free salvation to all, but it is up to our own autonomous freewill to receive it or not. In this framework, Salvation is "by grace" only in the sense that it was God who initiated the attempt to save sinners (and graciously did most of the work), but it is our own choice which seals the deal at the end of the day. Thus, Salvation is only "by grace as offered", but not "by grace entirely and ultimately" since there's still something required from us that lies entirely on our own power, namely faith. In the final analysis, the sinner's positive response to the Gospel then turns into some kind of work that made him worthy for Salvation, which in turn creates room for boasting on the part of the redeemed and defeats the very meaning of "salvation by grace."

Let's try to put it this way. If asked, "What makes you to differ from unbelievers?", how would you respond? Perhaps you'd say: "Well, obviously, it is my faith which makes me to differ." Nice answer. But how did you come to finally believe in Christ? You might say: "Because I willed to believe" or "I made a decision." Good for you. But may I ask, what made you willing to believe? Or what caused you to make that decision to trust in Christ? Look around you. Some of your unbelieving friends or relatives may have also heard the Gospel at one point in their lives, but they remain unwilling to embrace Christ as you did. What then is that particular quality that you have, which is lacking in those who do not believe, that caused you to come to Christ? Is it because your intelligence is more superior than theirs? Then salvation would be based on human intelligence, which cannot be (Mat. 11:25; 1 Cor. 1:27). Is it because you're more kind than them? Then salvation would be based on human kindness, which also cannot be (Rom. 4:5; 1 Tim. 1:15-16). Or perhaps it is because you're more receptive than them or that your heart is more sensitive than theirs? Tell me, then, what is it that made your heart more receptive or more sensitive than those who remain unwilling to receive Christ (Eze. 36:26; Ac. 16:14)? Is it because of some innate goodness in your nature? But the Bible says we are all equally by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3; cf. Mat. 12:33; Jer. 13:23), dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-2), and have a depraved heart that is desperately wicked and beyond cure (Jer. 17:9). How come, then, that you ended up believing in Christ alone for Salvation? What made you to differ?

These series of questions could go endlessly, and in responding to these, an average professing Christian—convinced with the humanistic philosophy that asserts that we are the author of our own destinies—will always search for something in and of himself as the distinguishing factor between him and unbelievers. Yet again, it should be kept in mind that if the final arbiter of salvation lies upon anything coming from us, then our salvation would ultimately be based on worth; and therefore, not by grace.

So how do we solve this problem? St. Paul provides the answer:  

"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor. 4:7, NIV)  

Paul rebukes the prideful hearts of the Corinthian believers who set divisions among themselves (1 Cor. 1:11-13, 4:6), asking them these questions: "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?" Apparently, Paul's main purpose in asking these questions isn't really to solicit answers. He wants to make something obvious. He is implying that whatever good thing it is that we possess which makes us [or makes us think we are] better than those whom we look down, does not really have its origin from ourselves but from God (Jas. 1:17). It is God's grace which makes us to differ, so we've no right to boast! Observe Paul's last question: "And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" The same principle applies to our coming to Christ for Salvation. Say, "My faith makes me to differ; I had the willingness; I chose Christ; I surrendered my life to Him; I responded to the Gospel; I made a decision." Well that's true, but what do you have that you did not receive? If faith doesn't come from God as a gift, then it isn't God's grace which makes the redeemed to differ from those who perish but the merit of their own faith; and thus, grace is no longer grace (Rom. 11:5). Such cannot be the case.


Faith is God's work

The truth is, left in our own sinful nature, none of us will ever turn to God for salvation because "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" (Rom. 8:7); and again, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14; cf. 2 Cor. 4:4-5). Our rebellion was so deep and so complete that the Bible describes us as having been dead in our Sins and transgressions (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13), and that we wouldn't have seen the beauty of Christ and finally trusted in Him alone for Salvation had not God spiritually quickened us by His mercy (Eze. 37:14; Jn. 1:13, 3:5-6; Eph. 2:4-5; 1 Pe. 1:3; Jas. 1:18).

Faith is a gift from God. When the Lord confronted the Jews concerning their unbelief, He told them: "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father" (Jn. 6:65). It is the Father who grants conversion or one's coming to (faith in) Christ. When Peter confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Lord responded to him saying: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mat. 16:17). When Jesus Christ was asked by His disciples about His usage of parables (which makes His teachings indiscernible to most of His hearers), He answered them: "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given" (Mat. 13:11). When the apostles Paul and Silas were on an evangelical mission in Philippi, the Bible records the conversion of a certain woman named Lydia, who came to believe the Gospel because "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul" (Ac. 16:14, cf. Eze. 36:26-27). In Philippians 1:29 St. Paul wrote: "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." These and many other passages testify that faith itself must be a gift from God.


Where then is boasting? 

Now we already know the solution to the question why the Bible considers justification as grace, even though it still requires something from sinners (i.e., faith). It is because faith itself is a gift of God's grace! It is not our work. It is God's work! "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent" (Jn. 6:29). Where then is boasting? It is excluded! For "if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor. 4:7, NIV; 1 Cor. 15:10). It is by God's power that "[we] are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'." (1 Cor. 1:26-30).

With these being said, it is NOT, therefore, true that God works everything which pertains to our salvation except our coming to Christ. Listen to Christ's words: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (Jn. 6:44). Therefore we should glory not in ourselves, but in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:30-31), acknowledging every tiny detail of our Salvation, from first to last, including our conversion and perseverance in the faith, as coming from the gracious sovereign hand God, "who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began" (2 Tim. 1:9; cf. Psa. 29:2; Jon. 2:9; Jn. 15:16; Rom. 8:29-9:21; Eph. 1:3-5, 11; Php. 1:6).

Salvation is by grace, and grace alone.

"If any man doth ascribe aught of salvation, even the very 

least, to the free-will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, 
and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright."

~Martin Luther, the Reformer

To God alone be the glory!

- Jeph

Did James Teach Salvation By Works? (Part II)

 (Read the first part here)

Sinners are justified (or counted as righteous) before God the moment they begin to trust in the promises of the Gospel with all their heart. Paul used Abraham as an example:

"What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.'" (Rom. 4:1-3, ESV)

According to Paul, Abraham wasn't made right with God by his works but by faith. However, James seems to contradict this idea when he said that Abraham was justified by his works. In James 2:21 to 24 we read:

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." (ESV)

Here we are confronted with an apparent contradiction of statements between two divinely inspired New Testament writers. Was Abraham justified by works or by faith? How do we reconcile the seeming contradiction? Again, the key is in the respective context of the verses in question.

While both Paul and James use the same Greek word dikaioō (G1344) for "justified," they don't however make the same application of the word because they don't address the same subject matter (see the illustration below). Paul is discussing how a sinner is declared righteous before God through faith alone (Rom. 3:20). James, on the other hand, talks about how believers are shown to be righteous in the sight of other people by what they do. This is very evident in verse 18:

"But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I WILL SHOW YOU my faith by my deeds." (Jm. 2:18, 24, NIV)

Notice the "your" and "you" in the verse. James is not saying he will show God his faith by his deeds. Rather, James will show his faith to other people who cannot see through the heart of another (see also Mat. 5:16). There is no need for God to look over our deeds for Him to determine whether we have faith or not. He looks directly at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7, cf. 2 Chr. 6:30). This is why Paul says in Rom. 4:1-3 that if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but NOT BEFORE GOD.

When God saw Abraham's wholehearted trust in Him, He considered him as righteous in His sight right then and there (Rom. 4:1-3). Then prompted by his faith, Abraham obeyed the Lord as an outward confirmation that he was really made right with God through faith (Jm. 2:21-24). Here we see the teachings of Paul and James perfectly in harmony with each other. Paul is looking at the root of our salvation, while James is looking at the fruit of our salvation.

Conclusion:

James 2:14-24 is just one of the many passages in the Word of God detractors of the Evangelical faith are quick to take out of context in their desire to disprove the God-glorifying, biblical doctrine of Sola Fide. James is not saying here that we can earn our way to heaven by our works. No. Salvation is by grace alone, that is: "it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace" (Rom. 11:6, ESV).

True, James is concerned with the importance of good works, NOT as means to attain Salvation, but as necessary evidence of our saving faith in Christ to the glory of God who saved us gratuitously (cf. Mat. 5:14-16; Eph. 2:10).

Saving faith (Eph 1:11-14), the kind that results in following Christ’s example, comes from God (Phil 1:29; 2 Pet 1:1; John 6:44). If we have true, saving faith then we are heaven-bound (Heb 10:19-22; John 5:24; John 6:37; John 10:27-28; Rom 8:38-39). Whatever works come after that, whatever commands are followed, are because of a transformed heart (Deut. 30:6; Eze. 36:26-27; Eph 3:17), a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), and a spirit-filled life (Romans 8:9) all of which are indicative of the saving faith, not a contribution towards it (Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6; Phil 2:13).

To God be the Glory!

-Jeph

Did James Teach Salvation By Works? (Part I)

As an Evangelical Christian, I firmly believe that sinners are saved (justified or made right with God) as a free gift through faith alone in Jesus Christ. The Bible is crystal clear in affirming this doctrine:

"However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:..." (Rom. 4:5-6, NIV-UK)

"...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,.." (Tit. 3:5, NIV-UK)

(See also: Jn. 1:12, 3:15-18, 36, 5:24, 6:27-29, 40, 47, 11:25-26, 40, 20:31; Acts 10:43, 13:39, 15:9-11, 16:30-31, 26:18; Rom. 1:16-17, 3:22-28; 4:1-4, 16, 24, 5:1, 9:30-33, 10:4, 9-11, 11:5; 1 Cor. 1:21; Gal. 2:16, 3:6, 8-11, 22, 24-26, 5:6;  Eph. 2:8-10, 3:12, 17; Php. 3:9; 1 Tim. 4:10; Heb. 4:3, 11:6; Jm. 2:23; 1 Jn. 5:1, 12-13; 1 Pet. 1:9)

If we are to pursue working our way to heaven, we need to be completely sinless in God's sight for us to be saved. The Bible explicitly tells us that "nothing impure will ever enter" God's kingdom (Rev. 21:27, NIV; cf. Rom. 2:7; Mat. 5:48). Why? Because God is a just and holy God. His eyes "are too pure to look on evil" (Hab. 1:13). Being just and holy, He will not let any sin go unpunished (Rom. 6:23). 

The question now is whether our works (good deeds) would be enough for us to attain the perfection that God requires. The answer, obviously, is NO because: "Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard" (Rom. 3:23, NCV; cf. Ec. 7:20). King David realized this and wrote in his psalm: "If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?" (Psa. 130:3, NIV; cf. 143:2). In other words, no one can be saved by doing good or by obeying God's precepts (Rom. 3:20). It is through faith in Christ that sinners are made right with God on the sole basis of Christ's atoning death and perfect obedience to God's law (Mat. 5:17; Rom. 3:24-25, 5:19, 10:4; Gal. 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21). This doctrine is widely known as Sola Fide (Latin meaning "faith only").

However, opponents of the Evangelical faith (who believe we can be saved by our own efforts) will quote James 2:14-24 to try and refute this doctrine. From this passage they conclude that faith is not sufficient to save sinners unless coupled with works. They put emphasis on verse 24 which says:

"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." (NIV)

As Christians we are bound to believe that the Bible, in so far as it is divinely inspired (2 Tim. 3:15-16), never contradicts itself. That being said, the idea that James 2:14-24 teaches salvation by works must be immediately repudiated as we have already shown above how the Bible affirms overwhelmingly that we are saved through faith alone in Christ. The key to a correct understanding and sound interpretation of this passage in James must be sought from an honest exegetical examination of the passages in question.


What James is really up to

The apostle is not discussing how to attain salvation, but he is addressing the problem of people who falsely profess to have faith (and thereby claims they are saved). In verse 14 we read:

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

These people (who are most likely Jewish converts to Christianity) profess to have faith but their claim is not supported by concrete evidence in their works. The apostle asked them a very important question, "Can such faith save him?" The answer is obviously negative: such faith won't save anybody. Why not? Because such faith is nothing more than a mere confession of faith or "mental assent" over theological facts as we can see in verse 19:

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (NIV)

Can you imagine how the Jewish Christians reacted when they read these words? When they saw the words, "You believe that there is one God," they might have immediately recalled Moses' proclamation in Deut. 6, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" That was foundational! James says, however, that having a good theology is in itself unprofitable because even the demons believe, and shudder. The demons know the truth, and perhaps have a far better theology than all of us combined. But are they saved? No.

Paul wrote: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Rom. 10:10-11). Saving faith is not merely assenting to the truths of God, but it primarily involves a wholehearted trust in Jesus Christ alone for Salvation (Psa. 37:5-6). Unlike the kind of faith which James criticizes in his letter, saving faith is living and active; it produces good works! (Eph. 2:10;1 Thes. 1:3). Thus, a true believer of the Gospel, being a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), is expected to exhibit outward manifestations of his saving faith through his works (Gal. 5:6).

Some have argued that James taught that faith dies (or ceases to be genuine) with the absence of works, or that we should work in order for us to have a living (saving) faith when he said: "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (Jm. 2:17, NKJV). But this is not what he was trying to say! The Greek word used for "dead" is nekros, which always denotes uselessness, insensitivity, and inability like that of a rotten corpse. It is the same word used in Rom. 4:19 to describe Abraham and Sarah's inability to bear a child. Now it would sound completely absurd to say that the couple became barren because they don't bear children when it is the other way around. Correspondingly, you don't tell dead people in the cemetery to get up on their knees and work their fingers to the bone so that they could once again live! That's absurd.

James, therefore, is simply telling us that dead faith is recognized by its lack of works for "a tree is known by its fruits" (Mat. 12:33). It is not the vitality or existence of saving faith which depends upon good works; it is the converse. True believers do good works because they have a genuine, living faith in Christ.

(End of part I. Click here to read the second part)

-Jeph