Studying James

In church group on Sunday evenings we've been studying the book of James.

This has been a good yet challenging book. The book we studied before this was Romans.

Now, if you ever have studied both these books you know that they seem quite different.
Paul, writing Romans, is all about grace. Many times in that book we are reminded that salvation comes from faith and nothing we can do could ever earn our salvation, and nothing we could ever do could take our salvation away once we confess and believe that Jesus is the Christ who came to save us. I love Romans and never tire of reading it and discovering once again God's great love for man.

But then we get to James. It just somehow seems different, doesn't it? The whole Bible teaches us that salvation is by faith not by works, so then why does James talk about faith that works so much? I was confused by this for a long time but little by little things started making more sense. And even now as we are studying James I find myself understanding more and more.

James of course does not teach that salvation is through works. Obviously that would be contrary to what the whole rest of the Word says. But he does talk an awful lot about doing good and thus showing our faith. This was a very difficult concept for me to grasp. Finally I understood. Faith is believing that Jesus came and paid the full price for my salvation. There is nothing I need to do to get this salvation except to accept what He did for me and confess I'm a sinner. But what James is talking about is that if we truly believe in Jesus, our deeds are going to show it. One good example my pastor used was if you are going to take a test, and say "I have faith I'm going to get an A" but never once study, your faith is just empty words. You don't really believe that because you didn't act upon it. So too, if you say "I believe that Jesus is my Savior and saves me from my sin" but never turn from your sinful ways, you're merely just saying empty words.

I loved what my pastor quoted: "James and Paul are not standing in front of each other fighting each other. Instead, they're standing back to back, each fighting different battles"

So once I studied a little more and understood more clearly these books, I could see that really James and Paul aren't that much different.

Paul's books are a joy to read. It reminds you that nothing you do yourself can ever get you to Heaven, it's only by the work that Jesus accomplished on that cross. It's only by grace.

James can seem really harsh, but what he says is true too. If we really believe what we say we do, our actions will no doubt show it. If the only reason people know you're a Christian is because you told them, then you need to examine yourself to see if your faith is real. People should know you are but not because you told them, but because of the way you live your life.

I love James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." I've been thinking of that verse a whole lot. Can people really see my faith through my works? Or is my faith just empty words? It's a sobering thought indeed. May we be a people who live by the grace that Jesus Christ so freely gives to us. And a people who live our faith out loud.
As someone once told me "Our good works are a by-product of our love for Christ"

I don't think I could have said it any better.