We’re into a series of life lessons from James:

• 1: Wisdom – ask God! (A second blog on wisdom)
• 2: Works – what we do matters!
• 3: Words – what we say matters!
• 4: Wars – “Where do wars and fights come from among you?”
• 5: Waiting – things aren’t all that good now? Wait.

We now go into James 2: Works – what we do matters.

There is often confusion on this simple concept. After all, “We’re saved by grace, right?” A friend of mine’s extended family members are hard over on this. Anything somebody suggests something they might want to DO as believers is rejected out of hand as “works righteousness.” Martin Luther himself was confused about the book of James because of its emphasis on works.

It is well known that Luther deemed it impossible to harmonize the two apostles…and characterized the Epistle of James as an “epistle of straw,” because it had no evangelical character (“keine evangelische Art”).

But James is clear: “Show me your faith without your works, and I’ll show you my faith BY my works.” Grace and faith motivate the works. Contrary to what Martin Luther saw, the Apostle Paul said the same thing:

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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2.8 – 10, ESV, emphasis mine)

That said, what is James asking us to do in chapter 2? Here’s a start: don’t favor one group over another:

My dear brothers and sisters, fellow believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ—how could we say that we have faith in him and yet we favor one group of people above another? Suppose an influential man comes into your worship meeting wearing gold rings and expensive clothing, and also a homeless man in shabby clothes comes in. If you show special attention to the rich man in expensive clothes and say, “Here’s a seat of honor for you right up front!” but you turn and say to the poor beggar dressed in rags, “You can stand over here,” or “Sit over there on the floor in the back,” then you’ve demonstrated gross prejudice among yourselves and used evil standards of judgment! ( James 2.1 – 4, TPT)

How could we miss this? When I was growing up, we wouldn’t even let the homeless man in shabby clothes in, especially if he was black! Not everyone missed it. Less than 20 years after Kate Smith wrote “That’s what darkies are for,” affirming racism, Rogers and Hammerstein wrote South Pacific, including the song “You’ve got to be carefully taught,” decrying racism. (The state of Georgia banned South Pacific as subversive.) 

James is clear: what we do matters. How can we have “faith” and not respect everyone?

James is also clear that warm feelings toward the poor aren’t enough:

For example, if a brother or sister in the faith is poorly clothed and hungry and you leave them saying, “Good-bye. I hope you stay warm and have plenty to eat,” but you don’t provide them with a coat or even a cup of soup, what good is your faith? So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony. (James 2.15 – 17, TPT)

Jesus said the same thing. Works – what we do – matters!

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, ESV, emphasis mine)

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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2.18, 19, ESV)