Faith and Works Must Agree

 

This statement, “faith alone cannot save a man,” may seem to stand in contrast to the following passages.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 “8for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not of works, that no man should glory.”

Acts 16:30-31 “30and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.”

 

However, these passages are not opposed to James 2 above. Rather, they are connected to one another and teach us the will of God more fully.

 

The word “works” in Ephesians 2:9 refers to “works that follow the law,” and we must distinguish these from “works that follow the gospel.” We will consider this in more detail below. Also, we must understand that being saved “through faith” includes not only believing in Jesus with the heart, but also the works that are fitting for that faith. This is because faith and works can never be separated from each other. Though one may act without faith, the truth is that faith without works cannot exist. This is what James 2 explains clearly to us.

 

James 2:20-26 “20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; 23and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. 24Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.”

 

What this passage teaches us is the agreement of faith and works. That is why it says “not only by faith” (James 2:24), and why it tells us that faith without works is barren, or that faith without works is dead. Therefore, even Abraham, our father of faith, had his faith made perfect by offering Isaac. In fact, Abraham had already been counted righteous by God long before Isaac was born.

 

Genesis 15:1-6 “...5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.”

 

But because this was not yet complete, God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer Isaac.

 

Hebrews 11:17 “By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son.”

 

Thus, Abraham offered Isaac to God because faith and works agreed, and his faith was made perfect. Therefore, he was able to receive Isaac back again (Heb. 11:19). Likewise, since we also have been counted righteous by faith in Jesus, freely and by grace (Rom. 4:23-24), we must now, according to the grace given to us, do the words of Jesus, that is, the gospel, and so have perfect faith.

 

Earlier, I mentioned that the word “works” in Ephesians 2:9 refers to “works that follow the law.” The following passage speaks in the same context.

 

Romans 4:1-2 “1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.”

 

The word “works” in this passage also refers to “works that follow the law,” here specifically physical circumcision. Since Abraham was not justified by works of the law in this way, we also can never be justified by works that follow the law. Moreover, for us who have died with Jesus on the cross, obeying the ordinances of the law is now unprofitable.

 

Colossians 2:20-23 “20If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, 21Handle not, nor taste, nor touch 22(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

 

This is because Jesus blotted out for us on the cross the bond written in ordinances that was against us and contrary to us. This does not mean that the law itself is evil (Rom. 7:12-14).

 

Ephesians 2:14-16 “14For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, 15having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; 16and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

Colossians 2:14-15 “14having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; 15having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

 

Therefore, now we must not be those who act according to the law, but those who act according to the gospel. This is because now we do not live by eating the manna that the people of Israel ate in the wilderness, but we receive eternal life by eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking His blood.

 

John 6:48-58 “48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. 54He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. 58This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.”

 

Truly, it is so. Now we must believe and obey the flesh and blood of Jesus, that is, the words of Jesus, in order to live forever. This is because the core of the new covenant, that is, the gospel, is that nothing can be done unless it is through Jesus.

 

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.”

 

Therefore, when the disciples of Jesus heard from Him at the Last Supper that from then on they were to ask in the name of Jesus:

 

John 16:23-24 “23...Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name. 24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.”

 

From that time on, they did not ask in the name of Jehovah, but only in the name of Jesus. For the disciples of Jesus, this act of following the gospel was something that even threatened their lives. Yet they did not count their lives dear to themselves, but called upon the name of Jesus (Acts 5:27-29, 33-42). Because the disciples of Jesus acted by faith in the words of Jesus, they were able to confess the name of Jesus with their mouths.

 

Romans 10:9-14 “9because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: 13for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

 

That is right. Now, according to the gospel, whoever believes in Jesus with the heart and calls upon the name of Jesus with the mouth shall be saved. If a person does not believe the words of Jesus, no one can call upon the name of Jesus by faith. If someone calls upon the name of Jesus without faith, that person will rather be mocked by demons.

 

Acts 19:13-16 “13But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. 15And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

 

What happened to certain Jewish exorcists and the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, when they called upon the name of Jesus without faith and were put to shame by an evil spirit, can also happen to us at any time if faith and works do not agree. On the other hand, we can see that when the apostle Paul called upon the name of Jesus, the demon immediately surrendered.

 

Acts 16:18 “And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.”

 

This result was possible because, in the apostle Paul also, faith in the authority of the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17-19) and the work of confessing the name of Jesus with his mouth worked together. Therefore, for us today also, faith and works must agree. If they do, then the authority and power of the name of Jesus will surely work not only through the apostle Paul, but also through us in the same way!

 

When Jesus soon comes again into the world in glory, He said that He will repay us according to what we have done. Therefore, while we are on this earth, we must diligently do everything, whether in word or in deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). In other words, we must strive and labor in all things to give glory and honor to the name of Jesus (2 Thess. 1:12), and we must also endure patiently while thinking of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:18-21). Then Jesus will surely repay each one with a reward according to what each has done (Matt. 25:14-30).

 

Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.”

 

Revelation 22:10-12 “10And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. 11He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still. 12Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.”

 

2 Chronicles 15:7 “But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded.”

 

Amen.