AND is a man, then, justified by works? Scripture is clear enough in the matter. It decides positively that he is: “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.” (James 2:2424Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:24).) That is a perfectly sufficient answer to the question, so far as the question goes. And a great mass of even Scripture readers are content to leave it there. With light thoughts about sin, and no proper knowledge of themselves, they are content to believe the matter settled. They have never perhaps really faced the question as to whether they could meet God in the day of judgment on that ground. Or have they made the fatal mistake of mixing up God’s mercy with His justice in that day, when the day of mercy will be over. Thus persuading themselves that God will “not be extreme to mark what we have done amiss,” they suppose it will not be so hard to find these justifying works and to pass the easy trial. “They have never wronged their neighbors (is their thought); they have lived respectably, have given to the poor, have gone to church, and perhaps to sacrament. If it went hard with them, it would go hard with a great many more.” So they are persuaded that if people can’t be saved by their works, at any rate they can’t he saved without them, and think it a dreadful thing to say that “just faith alone” will save anybody.
But another class of readers are in real and deep perplexity. They have begun to find out what sin is and what they are; have made perhaps many serious efforts to be better; have found themselves as well “without strength” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)) as “ungodly;” have learned that God is holy as well as merciful; and cannot think of “the day when God shall judge the secrets of men” so easily. They would fain believe “in Him that justifieth the ungodly,” even “him that worketh not,” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)) through the sufficient work of One who “died for the ungodly.” But the question of the day of judgment remains yet a dark cloud upon their hearts. Are men to be justified by works then? If so, with a heart “deceitful above all things,” suppose they do their best, how can they be sure it will be accepted? May not God have other thoughts than theirs?
But both these classes of people, very far apart otherwise, have introduced really into the question with which we begin this paper, two things which make it entirely different from the simple one, “Is a man justified by works?” To that question there can be but one answer, that the Apostle James says, he is. People add to this, in their own thoughts, “Is a man justified by works in the day of judgment?” Now that is a wholly different thing; and from not attending to the difference the most serious results follow. Souls, are darkened, perplexity and confusion introduced into the Word of God, self-righteousness built up, and often whole systems of error founded as in this case, upon what is really at bottom inattention to what the Scripture does say. It is well known that Luther, — man of God as he was, — ventured to pronounce the epistle of James “an epistle of straw,” because he thought it contradicted Paul’s doctrine of “righteousness without works.” Others have more commonly, on the other hand, taken the words of James, as meant to guard against taking the words of Paul in the full extent of their plain meaning. But in reality both Scriptures are plain, and as far as possible froth contradicting one another.
The simple truth is that to introduce “the judgment day” into this passage in James is just to bring in all the perplexity for which we would make the inspired writer responsible. He is not speaking of it. Was Abraham’s justification by works “in the day of judgment”.
Clearly not, but as James says, ― “when he had offered. Isaac his son upon the altar.” (2:21.) Or again, was “Rahab the harlot justified by works” in the day of judgment? Nay, but “when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way” (verse 26). Plainly this justification by works, then, that he speaks of, is in this life, and not in the future one at all.
But there is still another thing which we have introduced into this text in James, and which is not in it. Let us see if Paul’s statement as to this very Abraham, taken up by him to show that men are justified by faith without works, is not just as clear, and just as free from contradicting the doctrine of the Apostle here, as need be. We shall find that it is rather Paul that guards from any misconception of what he says, than James for him. This then is his doctrine: — “For if Abraham were justified by works” — which James saps he was, “he Hath whereof to glory.” And then, what does he say Abraham was not so justified? That would be indeed to contradict what James says; but there is no fear of Scripture doing this. No, but he guards us from misapprehending both himself and James. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but NOT before GOD.” (Rom. 4:22For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (Romans 4:2).)
That is the whole matter. Now does James say that we are, or that Abraham was, justified by works before God? If he did, he would contradict Paul, but he says no such thing. He does say, what God forbid one should seek to lessen the force of, that the faith which saves is a living faith, not a dead one, and therefore does produce works. And then he tells us that we must show to others that we have this living faith by our works. “A man may say, Thou hast faith and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works” — it is impossible, — “and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (verse l8).
There is no other way. Men must be justified by works before men (he never says, before God) and not by faith only. So was Abraham, when he offered up Isaac. We see then “the Scripture fulfilled, which Beth, Abraham believed God.” It was plain he did believe God, when he gave that proof of it. But God had seen that faith and “counted it to him for righteousness” before Isaac was born. God did not wait to justify him till He saw the works. He could see the faith man could not see.
And finally, James does not teach us we must see our own works to know that we have faith. Faith is in Christ, not self. I might say, I believe I have faith, and be mistaken; and many a poor soul is in darkness, looking into himself to see if his faith is of the right kind. I am to trust Jesus, not my faith, or anything in which my poor heart can deceive me. Jesus died for sinners, that is sure. I am one, that is as sure. Then and as that, I am made fully welcome to Him.