In my latest Watch Tower Wednesday on the Reachout Facebook page I asked, ‘what is Salvation?’
On their website Jehovah’s Witnesses say salvation seems conflicted between ‘God’s gift’ of salvation and the Bible injunction to Christians to live a saved life. They write:
‘To gain salvation you must exercise faith in Jesus and demonstrate that faith by obeying his commands – Acts 4:10,12; Romans 10:9; Hebrews 5:9. You can read the Watch Tower article here.
This is a struggle many have when they try and square the idea of a gift with the idea of works? How would you discuss this issue with a Jehovah's Witness? How would you reconcile Eph.2:8,9, 'By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God,' with James 2:24-26, 'Faith without works is dead?' What hope and assurance can you bring a Jehovah's Witness?
I am grateful to Dawn Llisone for providing as good and clear an answer as you will find to help resolve this issue and bless a JW. It is Dawn we must thank for this article.
Does James Contradict Paul
Paul writes to the Ephesian Church:
‘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.’ - Ephesians 2:8,9 ESV.
In his letter James says:
‘What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.’ - James 2:14-17 ESV
Paul says that salvation is not as a result of works. James says that faith alone, if it does not have works, is dead. Is this a contradiction? James does not contradict Paul, in fact they are in perfect harmony. This is how.
God Enables
A summary of James reads like this:
‘James emphasizes that God enables a life of faith that works itself out in action, especially with mercy for those most vulnerable.’ The reason I quote this is because it's a great little statement. James says that God enables a life of faith that works itself out in action. In other words, God enables where, otherwise, we would be unable.
Therefore, what both Paul and James are saying is this:
a) A person has faith (in what Jesus did and repents), a faith that brings to the believer a salvation that cannot be earned.
b) This salvation enables the person to live a life of faith that works itself out in action (works). This is because of the enabling power of God's Holy Spirit upon you and your life.
In his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul explains this as nothing less than a new creation - 2 Cor 5:17.
The Fruit of – You?
As a Christian, the fruit you bear is not the fruit of you. The fruit is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23). This means that you wouldn't have this fruit if you didn't have the Spirit!
Therefore, what James is NOT saying is - Faith + your own Works = Salvation. That would contradict the entire book of Romans and everything that Paul wrote. So what are these good works?
Many people (including atheists) can do good and charitable works, helping others. The difference with Christians is that they are working in accordance with God's Will because of the work of the Holy Spirit inside them. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, continues:
‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’ - Eph 2:10.
James agrees with Paul by pointing out that we know a person's faith is alive because they show good works. If their faith was dead they'd have no good works (that are in accord with God's will).
Faith and Works
This all becomes clear when the book of James is simply read in it's entirety, offering full context (See my website article about reading whole books of the Bible). James is rebuking people who don't show good works and encouraging them to make more effort. But that is not so that they can be saved. Notice what he says:
‘What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?’ - James 2:14.
So he clearly knows and teaches that it is faith that saves. He's simply saying that if you don't have works then that faith won't save because that type of faith, that doesn’t produce fruit in the form of works, is void of the Spirit and therefore is dead. He continues:
‘But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’ - James 2:18.
Here he says, ‘I will show you my faith by my works.’ What will I show you? My faith. How will I show it? By how it works out in my life. This again is showing that faith which is alive is identified by good works.
Both Paul and James confirm that our salvation is a gift from God and the changes within us are enabled by God.
‘For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ - Titus 3:4-7.
Comments