Let us turn once again to the
word of God in that portion of scripture that we read in the
general epistle of James and turning to the end of chapter
2 I read again in James chapter 2 from verse 21 to the end of
the chapter Was not Abraham our father justified by works? when
he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. See also how
faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled,
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto
him for righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. Ye
see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith
only. Likewise also was not Rahab the
harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers,
and had sent them out another way? For as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. In particular the words that
we have here in verse 24. You see then how that by works
a man is justified and not by faith only. James chapter 2 and
verse 24 spoken previously on the great subject of the doctrine
of justification certainly in this significant year of 2017
of course The commencement of the Protestant
Reformation and the great stand that was taken by Martin Luther
in nailing those 95 theses to the church door there at the
castle in Wittenberg has been from time to time much upon our
minds and so we considered something again of that doctrine. that
was made so plain to him and for which he so faithfully contended,
the great doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. I thought it would be profitable
to consider another aspect of that doctrine as we have it set
before us here in this epistle of James. His verse that I've
read as our text GC then, how that by works a man is justified
and not by faith only, is a controversial verse because it obviously appears
to be a contradiction of what the Apostle Paul says in his
writings, particularly there in Romans chapter 3 and verse
28. Paul writes, we conclude that a man is not justified by
the deeds of the law." That's a statement that is obviously
counter to what we have here in James' epistle. And Luther, the great champion
of the doctrine of justification, was very dismissal with regards
to James, he said that this epistle was really nothing more than
an epistle of straw and should not be considered as a part of
the canon of Holy Scripture. However, we admire Luther, we
do not altogether agree with Luther, this epistle has been
accepted as part of God's Word, part of the inspired Scriptures.
And so we have to some way or other come to some proper understanding
of James. If this is the word of God, clearly
James is not contradicting Paul, because there's no contradiction
here in the word of God. And it is interesting, I find,
that in that work of William Huntington, which he calls Light
Shining in Darkness, in which he makes an attempt at looking
at some of the difficult portions of Holy Scripture, and the controversial
parts of Holy Scripture, as a whole section in which he seeks to
show the unanimity of Paul and James, that there's no real contradiction. There might be an apparent contradiction,
but the problem is not with the Word of God, the problem is with
us and our understanding. And really the key in many ways
here is to recognize that what James is speaking of is how it
is justifying faith. Justifying faith that is justified
by works. The whole context here is one
in which he is seeking to make a contrast between that faith
that is living and true, and that faith that is but a dead
faith. He makes the contrast then between
true faith and false faith. And true faith, that faith that
is associated with justification, will be evidenced by those works
that follow. And we see that here, certainly
in the passage from verse 14 right through to the end. In
verse 14, James writes, What doth he profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith
save him? In other words, his faith, though
he says he has faith, is not a real faith, a genuine faith.
If it was, it would be evidenced, it would be justified by the
works that follow. And then again, at verse 17,
he says, even so faith, if it hath not worked, is dead, being
alone. There is a faith that is false
and dead. It's not the genuine article. And then again, when we come
to the end of the chapter, he says, as the body without the
spirit is dead, so faith, without works is dead also." He is not
so much speaking of the sinner's justification before God, but
he is speaking of how real, genuine faith is justified itself and
justified by those works that followed. And he illustrates
his point really Here in verses 21 to 26, by making reference
to Abraham and Rahab, that the truth that James is contending
for is illustrated in the lives and the experiences of these
two Old Testament saints. Verse 21, he says, Was not Abraham
our father justified by works? and verse 25, likewise also was
not Rahab the harlot justified by works. In other words it is
their faith and the reality of their faith that was justified
by those works. Well I want as we come to consider
this subject of faith as it is justified by works. I want to
divide what I'm going to say into two parts. First of all
to deal with the negative, and then secondly to come to the
positive. Now the negative is this, that
justification by works is not before God. Justification by
works is not before God. Now that is quite evident from
what we read in Paul. He says again there in that epistle
to the Romans, chapter 3 and verse 20, "...by the deeds of
the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight." In other words,
by the deeds of the law, nobody is justified in the sight of
God. Again in chapter 4 and verse
2 of Romans, Paul says, "...if Abraham were justified by works,
he hath whereof to glory, but not before God." Mark the words
again, he's speaking of the faith of Abraham, and Abraham standing
before God. If Abraham were justified by
works, he hath whereof to glory, but not, but not, he says, before
God. Now, we have to remind ourselves
concerning the great doctrine of justification. And remember
that sentence from the American theologian Robert Louis Dabney,
a great Presbyterian divine back in the 19th century. He said,
the Holy Ghost, by justification, intends a forensic acts. In other words, justification
is that that has to do with law and the person standing before
the law. And in particular, of course,
in Scripture with justification it is the person standing before
the law of God. And back in the Old Testament,
in the books of Moses, we're reminded there in Deuteronomy
25, of the works of the judges in Israel, where there is controversy,
and the matter is brought before the judges. If there be a controversy
between men and they come unto judgment, that the judges may
judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the
wicked. how they are to do that that
is right and equitable in the sight of the law in the matter
of controversy. Here in verse 1 of Deuteronomy
25, they are to justify the righteous, to acquit the righteous, and
they are to condemn the wicked. Justification has to do with
the law. And with regards to the Great Doctrine, we are to
think of God in terms of His justice. when we think of God
and all the divine attributes, in particular when it comes to
considering a proper understanding of the doctrine of justification. It is the justice of God. It
is God as we see Him as the Great Judge. And that's what we have
in those scriptures that we just referred to back in Romans. It's
in His sight. It's before God. by the deeds
of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, in the
sight of God there is no justification by the law and again with regards
to Abraham if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory
but not but not before God the sinner must be condemned if he
stands before God simply in his own person. He is lost, he is
undone. He must suffer the consequence
of his transgression of the Lord of Gods. Or doesn't God say as
much in the Lord, Exodus 23 verse 7, I will not justify the wicked,
says God. I will not justify the wicked. And that's That's a tremendous
statement that we find in the Proverbs of Solomon in chapter
17 and verse 15. He that justifies the wicked
and he that condemns the just, even both are an abomination
to the Lord. That is the words of wisdom. It is abomination in God's sight. If the man who is guilty is declared to be righteous,
surely that person should be condemned in his sin. God will not account the wicked
man a righteous man. This is the constant demand that
we find in the Lord of God. It requires a complete, perfect
obedience of every commandment of God. If a man should keep
the whole law, we read here at verse 10, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all. Oh, this is what the Lord demands.
It shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all the commandments. It says at the end of Deuteronomy
chapter 6. We have to observe, we have to
do every one of those commandments. Again, Leviticus 18 and verse
5, Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and judgments, which
if a man do, he shall live in them. there is to be observation,
there is to be the doing, the performance of all those commandments. Without any transgression at
all, it's so stark, the statement that we have here in verse 10,
you keep the whole law, you keep it all your days and yet there's
just one occasion when you sin, it might be in It might be only
in thought, but it's a sin nonetheless. And because of that one sin,
you're condemned by the Lord of God. Whosoever shall keep the whole
Lord, and yet offend him one point, he is guilty of all. This is what God requires. This
is what God's law requires. perfect obedience to every one
of the commandments of God. Now, justification before God
cannot be by the works of the law. There is not a just man
upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. We read in the
book of Ecclesiastes Remember what we said, that the point
that that James is endeavouring to
make here at the end of this chapter is illustrated in the
lives of these two people, Abraham and Rahab. Now, what do we read concerning Abraham? Here in verse 21. was not Abraham our father justified
by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. What was this work of Abraham? Was it obedience to the Lord
of God? Was it obedience to the Ten Commandments
of God? You know the portion that is
being referred to, it's that strange account that we find
back in the 22nd chapter of Genesis where God actually commands him
to do that that is contrary to the law. The sixth commandment
says, Thou shalt not kill. We have reference to that commandment
here in verse 11. He that said do not commit adultery
said also do not kill. though if thou commit no adultery,
yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. And yet this is the very thing
that God commands Abraham to do, to kill, to slay his own
son. He came to pass after these things
that God did tempt or test Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham, and
he said, Behold, Here I am. And he said, Take there thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the
land of Moriah, and offer him therefore a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains, which I will tell thee of. And now Abraham
is obedient to this command, this strange command. He takes
his son Verse 9, They came to the place
which God had told him of, and Abraham built an altar there,
and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid
him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his
hands, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of
the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham. And he said, Here am I. And he
said, Lay not thy hand upon the lads, neither do they anything
unto him. The command is there. He is to kill his son. What does it say here in verse
21? Our father Abram was justified by works. But this is not a work
that is the doing of the law of God. But not only is the illustration
Abraham, but also there's mention of Rahab. Verse 25, Likewise also was not
Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received
the messengers, the spies, those who had gone out from Israel
to spy out the land? She had received the messengers
and had sent them out another way. What did Rahab do? What was his work? Well, she
broke the law of God. That ninth commandment, it says,
Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not bear false witness,
says the Lord of God. And yet, she tells a lie. There we have it. We have it
recorded in scripture, faithfully recorded there in the second
chapter of the book of Joshua. In Joshua chapter 2, verse 2 following, He was told the king of Jericho,
saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children
of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent
unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee,
which are entered into thine house. For they be come to search
out all the country. And the woman took the two men
and hid them. And said thus, There came men
unto me, but I wist not whence they were. And it came to pass
about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark,
that the men went out. Whither the men went, I want
not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them. But
she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them
with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the
roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the
fords, And as soon as they which pursued after them were gone
out, they shut the gates. And what does the woman do? As
we see in the following verses, she sends away the spies another
way, and they escape. How was it? She told a falsehood. What is
this work then of Rahab? It says that she was justified
by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them
out another way. Clearly, these works that we
read of in connection with Abraham and also in connection with Rahab,
it's not the keeping of the commandments. It's not the keeping of the commandments.
But that should not surprise us because there can be no justification
through the keeping of the law. In no way is James contradicting
the words of the Apostle Paul. Concerning the law, clearly Paul
speaks of what the ministry of the law is. It's that ministry
of condemnation. It condemns the sinner. It's
a ministration of death, there's no life, there's no forgiveness
there. He says in Romans 3 verse 19
and following, We know that what things soever the law said, it
said to them who were under the law, that every mass may be stopped,
and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore by the
deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. by the law is the knowledge of
sin. And yet, when we come to the
Gospel, we discover this remarkable truth. It is the contrast between
law and grace. In the Gospel, God justifies
the ungodly. Romans chapter 4 and verse 5.
And how is it that God is able to justify the ungodly? It is
all that great work that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself came
to accomplish. This is what's preached by the
apostles. This is what we see Paul preaching there at Antioch
in Acts chapter 13. By Him, that is by Christ, all
that believe are justified from all things that they could not
be justified from by the deeds of the Lord. For there is the
gospel, it is all by the Lord Jesus Christ. And Abraham, Abraham
who is the father of the faithful, the friend of God, the father
of all them that believe, is an Abraham, one who is justified
by faith, and by faith in that seed that was promised, which
is the Lord Jesus Christ. one of whom Isaac his son was
such a remarkable type Galatians 3 and verse 16 to Abraham and
his seed it says where the promise is made he says not and to seeds
as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. All the importance, you see,
of the difference between the plural and the singular. Seeds, plural, not of men, but
as of wine, it says. And to thy seed, singular, which
is Christ. Now, Abraham's faith has to do
with the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, we see clearly that
Isaac is such a remarkable type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Back
in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 17, by faith Abraham, when he
was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises
offered up his only begotten Son, of whom it was said, that
in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able
to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received
him in a figure. All what we have there in Genesis
chapter 22 then, concerning the way in which God was testing
him, it's a remarkable type of Christ's sacrifice. and Christ's resurrection from
the dead. Why? It says here in verse 19
of this 11th chapter of Hebrews that when Isaac was spared he received him, it says, in
a figure. God was able to raise him up
even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure. It's a figure, it's a type of
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're to look beyond
Isaac. We're to recognize that it is
Christ that Abraham is really looking to. And Abraham's faith
centers all together in the Lord Jesus Christ. the Lord says as
much himself there in John chapter 8 verse 56 your father Abram
rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad where did
Abram see the day of the Lord Jesus Christ he saw it there
on Mount Moriah when he was ready to offer up his son his only
son Isaac the one in whom the promise sent and he receives
him again from the dead. The Lord Jesus is that one who
is to be discerned then in the experience of Abraham and this
is what Paul says as you know there in that fourth chapter
of the epistle to the Romans of his faith centers all together
in that promised seat. Verse 3 of Romans 4, what says
the scripture, Abram believed God. Abram believed God and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. His justification is not because
of anything that he has done His justification is clearly
by faith. He believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteousness. The important thing, as we know,
is the great object of that faith that he is exercising. It's what
his faith is looking to, the one in whom his faith centers.
As we see at the end of that chapter, verse 20, he staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he
had promised he was able also to perform, and therefore it
was imputed to him for righteousness." Oh, what is the it that was imputed
to him for righteousness? It's the promise. Oh, he was persuaded of what
God had promised. He was able also to perform His
five centres in that blessed promise to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so here, James says exactly the same as what Paul says in
verse 23, Abram believed God and it was imputed to him for
righteousness. What is imputed for righteousness? It's the promise. that centers in that seed, the
Son of promise, who is a wonderful type of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so when we come to this statement
in verse 24, you see there now that by works a man is justified
and not by faith only. Clearly, James is not speaking
of Justification before God is not speaking of justification
in the sight of God. Justification by works is not
before God. But what then? We've dealt, as
it were, with the negative aspect. It's not that it takes place
in the high courts of heaven, in the presence of God. It's
not that justification. It is justification by works
before men. And that is so evident in the
whole context here. We go back to verse 18, he says,
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast works, that thou hast faith,
and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy
works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." It's the relationship between
men. It's a man standing before his fellow man that he's being
spoken of. The words of the Lord Jesus,
He says, let your light so shine before men that they may see
your good works. and glorify your Father which
is in heaven. It's the justifying of the faith. The proving that that faith is
a genuine faith, not a false faith, not a dead faith. Look at what he said previously,
verse 14, What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say
he hath faith and hath not works? Can faith save him? If a brother
or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you
say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding
ye give them not those things which are needful to the body,
what does it profit? Even so faith, if it does not
work, is dead, being alone. You see, over here there is an
emphasis being placed upon those practical works. That life of obedience to the
commandments and the precepts of God. Those things that are
to be seen of men. and the language indicates that
quite plainly here at verse 22 he says seest thou seest thou or the margin says
thou seest thou seest thou faith wrought
with his works and by works was faith made perfect Then again,
the beginning of verse 24, Ye see then how that by works a
man is justified and not by faith only. It is something that is
to be seen of men. Faith is to be demonstrated in
that holiness of life, that life of obedience to the precepts
of the gospel. The Lord Jesus says, by their
fruits ye shall know them. Where there is that justification,
the imputing of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to the
sinner, so he stands there, clothed in those garments of
salvation, that robe of righteousness, As Horatius Bonner puts it, upon
the life I did not live, upon the death I did not die, another's
life, another's death. I hang my whole eternity. He is altogether justified by
Christ's obedience to the Lord of God, justified because Christ
has not only answered the law in respect to all its precepts,
but also answered in respect to all its terrible penalties. He has paid the debt. The sinner
is acquitted of all his guilt, clothed in garments of salvation,
a robe of righteousness. But that sinner is also one who is sanctified. not just the imputing of Christ's
righteousness is also the imparting of a new nature, a divine nature. He's a new man in Christ Jesus. He's sanctified as well as justified
and that sanctification will be seen you will be seen in all
the good fight of faith, all that conflict that he feels between
the old nature and the new nature, that desire to do good, that
desire to live in obedience to all the commandments of God.
Oh, there is an emphasis then here upon those things that will
be seen of men, those practices of godly, holy living. But then also, with regards to
what is seen by men, what is witnessed before men, there is
this trial of his faith as we see concerning Abraham. Was not
Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered
Isaac, his son, upon the altar? Remember the language that we
have back in Hebrews 11, by faith. Abraham when he was tried, offered
up Isaac. It was a trial. What was it a trial of? It was
the trying of his faith. It was the proving of his faith.
And how these things come together time and again in Scripture.
Faith and the trial of faith. Paul at the end of Philippians
chapter 1 tells those Philippians, unto you which is given, in the
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer
for His sake. Both these things are given,
the faith is given, but also the suffering that comes hand
in hand with the faith. The sign we have in 1 Peter 1,
and there at verse 6, he says, now for a season. if need be
are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the triangle
of your faith being much more precious than the gold that perishes
though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Well there
it is, you see. For a season It needs be in manifold
temptations, many, many different aspects to that trial, the trying
of your faith, much more precious than the gold that perishes.
Or he goes on later in that same epistle, thus Peter, and says,
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that
is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.
There's nothing strange. This is the lot of those who
are in possession of that true justifying faith. They are those who know the faith
of Abraham. Was not Abraham our father justified
by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Oh, what a trial it was. What
a trial it was. James speaks of it himself. previously
in the opening part of chapter 1. And there at verse 2 he says,
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations,
knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have a perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. You see what is being said out
of the trial is so necessary for the proving and the maturing
and the perfecting of that justifying faith. That's why the trial is
so necessary. And that's what we have here
in verse 22 speaking of Abraham's faith. Thou seest, if we read
with the margin. Thou seest thou faith wrought
with his works And by works was faith made perfect. It was a justification of his
faith. How faith, it says, wrought with
his works. Now this word that we have, the
word wrought, it's a compound, two words. Literally it means
to work together. To work together. We can think
of wrought iron. How it is taken, it's put in
the furnace, it's tempered, it's hammered, it's worked on, it's
perfected. That's what is being said with
regards to the faith of Abraham. His faith was a justifying faith.
His faith centered in the promise. There's nothing that works But
how that faith had to be proved. Not just raw time, but gold,
gold in the furnace tried, ne'er lose his aught but trust, so
is the Christian purified and bettered by the cross, says Joseph
Hart. Justification by works, it's
before men. It's a demonstration that that
person who has Justifying faith is a genuine disciple of the
Lord Jesus Christ. By their fruits He shall know
them. Oh friends, I trust we see that
we cannot justify ourselves before God. We cannot do that. We rule
as an unclean thing. All our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags, we do all fade as a leaf. Our iniquities like the
wind, they carry us away. What can we do? We cannot change
our natures. We cannot pay the just recompense
that the Lord demands of the sinner, the soul that sinneth
it shall die. And because the offense is against
the eternal God, The punishment must be an infinite punishment,
a never-ending punishment, or we cannot do it, we cannot save
ourselves. Now, we should desire that our
faith might be that which is discovered to be real and genuine,
something that has been accomplished in our souls by God himself and
the God is yet working upon that faith that we might be those
who are fruitful in the Lord Jesus Christ all those practical
works that's testing of trials that's proving before men that
our faith is genuine ye see then how that by works a man is justified,
and not by faith alone. By works he is justified, but
not justified before God. No, this justification is that
that is to be seen of men. Seest thou how that faith wrought
with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. Or the Lord then be pleased to
grant that we might know that faith that is the Lord's gift,
that faith that is of the operation of God, that faith that is saving
and justifying because it centers in the promise even the Lord
Jesus Christ himself, but that faith that is also fruitful in
all the works of righteousness. May the Lord bless His word to
us. Amen. May man to boast forbear, the
knowledge in thy head, the sacred scriptures thus this declare,
faith without works Amen.