James 2: Faith Alone Saves, but It Is Never Alone

Introduction

How do you know someone is a Christian? And what makes someone a Christian? Mark, who preaches at the 5 pm service at Holy Trinity Doncaster, opens his message with these two questions. He offers a list of possible answers: having ticked "Christian" on the last census, having been baptized, confessing Jesus as Lord, living like Jesus, or "all of the above." He asks everyone to fix their answer in their mind and not forget it.

The church has begun a series on the letter of James. That evening, the text is James 2:14-26, read alongside Genesis 22, the sacrifice of Isaac. The question is an old one and has sparked plenty of debate: do you need good works to be saved? Faith alone, or faith and works?

The preacher first shows that faith without works is dead and useless. He then clarifies the relationship between faith and good works, before coming back to his two opening questions and offering three portraits in which you can place yourself.

Outline of the Message

1. Faith Without Works Is Dead Faith

By good works, Mark means everything that involves doing good: controlling your tongue, keeping yourself unstained by the moral pollution of the world, listening to the Word and putting it into practice. Works involve actions, but words too.
James asks rhetorical questions whose answer should be obvious: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him?" (James 2:14). In other words, can someone who has faith without works really be a Christian? The answer is no.
The example of the brother or sister without clothes and without food shows it: even kind and comforting words are not enough. To care for that person, concrete help is needed.
James speaks of dead faith: it is not alive, it is fake. Like an artificial flower, it can look real from a distance. Sometimes you have to come close and touch it to know whether it is plastic or fabric.
A fake faith can look like faithful attendance at church, singing, saying "amen," and using religious phrases such as "if the Lord wills." But nothing follows. And you can end up deceiving yourself into thinking you have a real faith.
"You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder" (James 2:19). Acknowledging that God exists or that Jesus is the Son of God is a good and necessary beginning. Without works to support it, that faith is no better than the faith of the demons.
Faith and works cannot be separated. "I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18): where real faith exists, good works follow.

2. Abraham: A Faith Already Counted, Then Tested

James gives two heroes of faith from the Old Testament, Abraham and Rahab, to show that a faith without works is just as useless: it does not fulfill God's purpose.
Mark points out a nuance in the text he reads: Abraham is not made righteous by what he did, he is shown to be righteous by what he did. He was already righteous before, and his act demonstrated it.
When James says that faith was made perfect by works (James 2:22), it does not mean that Abraham's works were necessary to save him. His faith reached its logical conclusion, its right response.
The quotation "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" does not come from Genesis 22 but from Genesis 15:6, about thirty years earlier. Abraham was still childless, wondering whether Eliezer of Damascus, his servant, would be his heir, and God promised him a son. No action was asked of him: he believed, and he was saved by faith alone.
In Genesis 22, that same faith is tested after the birth of Isaac, the son he deeply loved. Abraham responds with obedience.
The account gives clues. In verse 5, Abraham tells his servants: "we will worship, and come back to you." We, not I. In verse 8: "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." Hebrews 11:19 explains what he was thinking: God is able to raise the dead.
The name given to the place confirms it: "Yahweh will provide" (Genesis 22:14), not "Yahweh has provided." Abraham believed in advance that God would provide.

3. Rahab and God's Purpose in the Trial

Rahab sheltered Israel's spies at the risk of her life. Hebrews 11:31 says that by faith she did not perish with those who were disobedient. The text does not speak of rebels or of the ignorant, but of the disobedient, in contrast with Rahab, who obeyed.
In both cases, the testing of faith allowed God to fulfill his purposes, in their lives but also for Israel and for the world: "In your offspring will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:18).
The same is true for us. Faith is given to be tested, and God's goal is our maturity, as James said as early as chapter 1: the testing of faith produces patience, so that you may be perfect and complete (James 1:2-4).

4. What Matters Is the Object of Your Faith

Love and patience are practiced in every circumstance: God does not ask you to choose whom you will love. Faith, however, is exercised with discernment, according to its object.
If a scammer calls you, by all means do not put your faith in him: the object of your faith is not good. It is often right to trust your leaders, but with caution, because they can let you down.
For God and for his Son, we are asked to trust them completely, all the time, without holding back, because they are always trustworthy. Having faith in a general sense is not very useful: you need to have faith in Jesus.
By testing our faith, God wants to teach us to rely on him more and more. We never become so mature that we no longer need faith: growing in maturity means growing in faith and depending entirely on him, to endure suffering and temptation.
A faith that does not turn into life-giving obedience is not put to work for God's purpose. It is useless.

5. Faith Alone Saves, but the Faith That Saves Is Never Alone

Paul speaks of salvation by faith alone, James of faith and works. Mark returns to the formula he gave at the start of the series: faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone. It is accompanied by good works.
Good works are the inevitable proof of faith. When faith is tested, they show that it is real.
They are not the foundation of salvation. It is the death of Jesus on the cross that saves you and removes the penalty for your sins. That does not change, no matter how many good works you do or how mature you are.
They are the fruit of salvation. Once saved, you have the Holy Spirit in you, the life of Christ in you. You do not do good to earn God's favor and forgiveness, but out of gratitude for the grace you have already received.
They are not the assurance of salvation. When the Christian life is hard and you feel discouraged, do not try to reassure yourself by doing more good works. Come back to the cross: Jesus died for you, you are saved, your sins are forgiven. That is the only sure foundation, and it is what will allow you to grow.
Over time, they confirm that your faith is genuine. You are not assured of salvation by your works, but your works confirm that your faith in Jesus is real.

6. The Fruit Is Not the Tree

Mark shows the picture of a beautiful, plump piece of fruit: "probably full of pesticides," he jokes. You do not pick healthy fruit from a diseased tree.
Your good works are the fruit, not the tree. They do not replace faith. When faith is healthy and real, good fruit follows and shows that it is true.
That is why motivation matters. If you do good out of trust in God and gratitude for your salvation, your works are the proof of a real faith. If you do it because you think it proves your worth before God or qualifies you for his kingdom, works take the place of faith. This is called legalism, salvation by works, and the Bible says it does not exist.
Back to the two opening questions. What makes someone a Christian? Faith in Jesus. How do you know someone is a Christian? In part by the good works that spring from their faith. We cannot see hearts: we see fruit that suggests a real faith, but in the end, each person will answer to God for what is in their heart.

7. Three Portraits: Where Are You?

First portrait: the person who says they have faith but has no works. They come to church, may have been baptized as a child, love the songs, and even the theological debates of Bible studies. But deep down they have no desire to fight sin, love others, obey the Word and share the gospel. Why? Perhaps they are not convinced of their own sin and their need for grace. Or perhaps they do believe, but let themselves be distracted by the world, by success without God and by the approval of others.
Second portrait: the person who has works but no faith. They resemble Martha, very busy, ready to serve everywhere. But it does not come from faith: they cannot remember the last time they prayed to depend on God, and the Bible they read has no effect on them. Often they become bitter because others are not doing enough, or judgmental because they are doing more. Perhaps they have forgotten the grace of the gospel or lost their first love for God.
Third portrait: the Christian whose faith is at work. They have the joy and peace that come from faith in Jesus, a real gratitude. But they do not stop there: they want to serve, to be like Jesus, to bear the fruit of the Spirit and to do everything God commands in his Word.
To nourish this faith, we must first listen to the Word and put it into practice, letting the Word planted in us transform us (James 1:21-22).
Then we must do it together, in community: as iron sharpens iron, we stir one another up to love and good works. This takes intentionality when we gather, and humility, to receive with joy a word that calls for repentance and to put it into practice.

Key Takeaways

A faith without works is dead: it may look alive, like an artificial flower, but it is fake.
Abraham was declared righteous by faith alone in Genesis 15. In Genesis 22, that same faith is tested and shown through obedience.
It is not faith in general that matters, but its object: Jesus is always worthy of trust.
Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone. Works are the proof of faith and the fruit of salvation, never its foundation or its assurance.
Your assurance always comes back to the cross: Jesus died for you, your sins are forgiven.

Personal Application

If someone looked at the way you live, what evidence would they see that your faith is genuine? Where is that evidence missing?
Which good works is God already growing in your life as the fruit of your faith? Where would you like to see that fruit grow?
Which of the three portraits do you recognize yourself in right now? Are you happy with it, and what could you change?
When you feel discouraged, do you try to reassure yourself with what you do, or do you come back to what Jesus did for you on the cross?
How do you come to church and to your group: out of habit, or with the intention of letting the Word transform you and move you to good works?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

Does James contradict Paul on salvation by faith alone?

No. The preacher sums it up this way: faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone. The foundation of salvation is the death of Jesus on the cross, received by faith. Good works are not the basis of salvation; they are the inevitable proof of faith and the fruit of salvation.

What does "faith without works is dead" mean?

A faith without works is like an artificial flower: it may look alive, but it is fake. Even the demons believe that there is one God, and they shudder. A real faith shows itself in actions, such as giving clothes and food to someone who lacks them.

Should you look at your good works to be sure of your salvation?

No. The assurance of salvation always comes back to the cross: Jesus died for you, your sins are forgiven. Good works confirm that faith is genuine, but they do not give assurance. Above all, do not try to reassure yourself by doing more good works.