Christianity: Faith and Works sample essay

For centuries now, finding the way to heaven has been an endeavor of great importance for many religions, sects and people. With different people declaring before the masses that their way is the only way, two ensuing forms take place: getting to heaven through one’s own faith and getting to heaven by displaying one’s faith through his works. Christian circles have taken this to a new level in the past two centuries using mainly the Holy Bible to support their two differing views of how one is justified, or receives salvation. Some argue that the only thing that Christians need to get to heaven is their faith, while others strongly argue that, faith by itself, if unaccompanied by works or actions, is dead. Apostle Paul and James the half-brother of Jesus are two pivotal figures upon which these arguments are based: Paul declares, “[Christians] have been saved through faith…and…not of works”, while James states that “faith without works, is dead” (Eph 13:8-9; Jas 2:20). Their differing stands make for what almost seem to be contradictions in the Holy Bible itself, but after analysis and justifications through supporting scriptures, a conclusion can be drawn utilizing both Paul’s and James’ opinions on faith versus works. “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8, 9).

With an incredible background as a Jew, the Apostle Paul, formerly know as Saul, takes a stand that favors faith over works. Prior to becoming a Christian, Paul’s life was based on the law, which gave him unique experience in living life, by the works of the flesh. Paul best describes his life in Philippians where he challenges any Jew, “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless” (Phil 3: 4-6). It is hardly possible for there to be another Jew who had more zeal for what he believed in, but what should be known is that Paul changed. He recognized that his works, zeal and assumptions about the law were wrong and would not get him into heaven, because “whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ…not having righteousness of my own that comes from the law…but that which is through faith in Christ” (Phil 3:7-9). Paul here recognized that he is not going to be justified through his works, but is rather acknowledging how futile one’s works really are when it comes to salvation. When we are neither following, nor acknowledging the law, we will catch ourselves in an act of sin. Because of this, almost all Jews, including Paul, were not able to find the loving relationship that they really wanted with God. It wasn’t until the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ that “all of (Paul’s) burden of guilt and frustration was lifted” (Metzger 242). This background in a religion of works, “a religion which can open an account with God and seek to obtain salvation by merit,” led Paul to his stand on justification by faith (Metzger 242). And so in his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul frustratingly asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith...having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal 3:2-4). By asking these rhetorical questions, Paul is basically saying that it is foolish for someone to believe that they are justified through the law or through works. Instead our line of thought should be that our justification comes by declaring in one’s heart that they believe in Christ Jesus and him crucified.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes a sharp and incisive epistle directed mainly at the Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire (Jas 1:1). His emphasis seems to be on the fact that a Christian is justified by his faith accompanied by works rather than just by his faith alone. It is important to acknowledge though that James never once speaks of doing works without faith. Further, it seems apparent that James is not questioning whether the recipients were genuine believers because he repeatedly calls them “brethren,” “my brethren,” or “my beloved brethren” (Jas 2:1, 14). Rather, they are clearly people who were exercising saving faith. Thus, James is discussing faith that is alone, meaning, without works. He calls faith without works, “dead,” indicating that it was faith once alive (Jas 2:17, 26). James feels that works should be a natural result of faith because when a person truly believes in something, he will act on that belief instead of relying solely on his faith. This is true when one considers the fact that any lack of zeal for what one believes in should be looked down upon. For those who think that James is writing his epistle to counteract what Paul feels about a Christian being justified by faith apart from works, it should be known that research and archaeology show that James’ book is perhaps one of the oldest books in the New Testament, and most likely older than the epistles of Paul. James was not writing to counteract what Paul said in Romans 4 about Abraham being made righteous through his faith and before his circumcision. Thus, one should conclude that something else was urging James to write his epistle, which was his own unique understanding of how works should be applied to the faith that every Christian posses.

In the Old Testament, there is an account of Jehoash, one of the Kings of Israel who exemplifies the state of believing in a single situation and lack acknowledgment of his belief through his actions. Jehoash was one who did evil in the sight of the Lord. One day he came weeping to Elisha, a prophet of God, and asked for deliverance from his enemies in Syria.” Elisha told him to take a bow and some arrows, and then told him to shoot an arrow toward the east—representing “the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria. Then Elisha told Jehoash to take the arrows and strike the ground with them, but Jehoash only struck the ground three times. Infuriated with his lack of zeal, Elisha said, “you should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only Three times” (2 Kin. 13:14-19). Here Jehoash may believe and have complete faith that his country will be delivered like Elisha here declares, but he lacks the one key thing that Elisha points out: the zeal that should manifest what he believes and has faith in. The zeal that is lacking in this case is what James is talking about when he asks, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” (Jas 2:21). Abraham was so zealous in his faith for God that he would have done anything for Him. Without this kind of zeal displayed in one’s actions, like that lack of zeal that Jehoash had when striking the arrows on the ground, there is that displaying of a lack of faith. Further, and to expand on this idea, how can it be said that one does not need works when it is written to “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you” (Mt 5:44). Are these not considered works by which one should and could be looked upon for? It is certain that they are actions that a person with faith should do; Jesus himself even says so when speaking to the Pharisees. Thus when one has declared in his heart that he shall “love they God with all they heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind” he is agreeing to take into account the second greatest commandment, to “love they neighbor as thy self” (Mt 22:37,39). It is by the following of the commandments that Jesus gave us that Christians are able to prove our faith. If they didn’t follow these commandments, Christians would have nothing to prove their belief by because they would be just like ever other person in the world.

A good example of two talked about passages that seemingly contradict each other are Romans 4 and James 2, where both authors describe their stand on faith versus works while citing the life of Abraham and how he was proved to be righteous. Paul says “faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness” and asks and then answers his own question with exclamation, “how then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised” (Romans 4:9-10). Here the circumcision is considered to be a work of the law in which Abraham is obeying, but the point Paul is making is that Abraham had to be given to faith in God before he could show any works. Thus, Abraham was justified by his faith, and sought out his salvation through that which he had faith in. James on the other hand asks whether Abraham was justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar and then declares, “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect…” (Jas 2:21-22). The major point James is trying to get across is that “if faith does not show itself in what we do and the way we behave, it is dead!” (Zondervan 750). It is that lack of zeal that shows us who we really are. When we can’t do what we should be doing, leading by example and showing people what a Christian really does, it becomes easy to question whether someone has faith or not. Shouldn’t the Pastor be the leader of the church as well as the one who teaches the congregation? Yes, he should, but he can’t simply do that by sitting around and proclaiming that all he needs to do is have faith. He needs to be doing those good works not only for example to others, but also to reach those who are lost.

The most serious problem these passages pose is the question of what James 2:24 means: "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." Some imagine that this contradicts Paul in Romans 3:28: "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." John Calvin explained this apparent difficulty:

“It appears certain that [James] is speaking of the manifestation, not of the imputation of righteousness, as if he had said, those who are justified by faith prove their justification by obedience and good works, not by a bare and imaginary semblance of faith. In one word, he is not discussing the mode of justification, but requiring that the justification of all believers shall be operative. And as Paul contends that men are justified without the aid of works, so James will not allow any to be regarded as Justified who are destitute of good works.... Let them twist the words of James as they may, they will never extract out of them more than two propositions: That an empty phantom of faith does not justify, and that the believer, not contented with such an imagination, manifests his justification by good works” (Beveridge 115).

Anyone can make the presumptions necessary to twist someone’s words out of proportion, but in order to really understand what the writer is trying to say, one must listen to the whole work and see it as a whole. James is indeed not “discussing the mode of justification” be he is rather taking faith one step further and encouraging the people to display their faith through their works. Paul too takes to this account of “an empty phantom of faith” into account when he writes, "by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight," (Rom. 3:20),

“He is combating a Jewish legalism which insisted upon the need for works to be justified; James insists upon the need for works in the lives of those who have been justified by faith. Paul insists that no man can ever win justification through his own efforts…James demands that a man who already claims to stand in right relationship with God through faith must, by a life of good works, demonstrate that he has become a new creature in Christ. With this Paul thoroughly agreed. Paul was rooting out 'works' that excluded and destroyed saving faith; James was stimulating a sluggish faith that minimized the results of saving faith in daily life.” (Hiebert 175)

Faith and works are not enemies like so many feel they are. True faith and righteous works go hand in hand. They are two parts of God’s work in us. Faith brings a person to salvation, and works are in effect a way of acting up on faith. Faith is the cause; works are the effect

The Holy Bible can and will be taken literally in the differing opinions which Paul and James suggest in their epistles. Not only is faith a pivotal part of today’s Christianity, but it is even important to those who vow that they are non-religious. Both Paul and James acknowledge that the one thing that is required of all people in the Christian faith is that they believe in the God with all their hearts and souls. This is the quality of admission that Paul and James describe as the only way to reach salvation. But James and Paul both, describe to us that it does not make sense to declare belief in God when one lacks the zeal and works to prove his or her faith because even the Demon’s believe and tremble before Him (James 2:19). People must find a medium in which both faith and works can coexist.

Bibliography

1. Beveridge, Henry, trans., John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion. 3:17:12 Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1966 reprint, 2: 115.

2. Hiebert, D. Edmond, The Epistle of James. 1979. Chicago: Moody, p.175.

3. Metzger, Bruce M. The New Testament: its background growth, and content. 1983. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1965, p.142.

4. The Nelson Study Bible. NKJV. Ed. Earl D. Radmacher. 1997. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

5. Zondervan. Handbook To The Bible. Ed. Mike Butterworth. 1999. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 750.Order custom essay now!