Luther’s Trouble
Martin Luther was a man who followed ideas, even uncomfortable ones, to their logical conclusion. As he learned of the many doctrines of the Roman Catholic tradition, he was introduced to a God who’s nature was perfect and who insisted upon perfection in eternity. This same God was also gracious, willing to forgive the sins of those who believe in the name of Jesus.
However, he was also introduced to a system of rites and rituals necessary to attain that forgiveness from Christ. He took to the work of securing that forgiveness with all of his might. Knowing God to be omniscient and holy, no sin was too small to be confessed. However, what about the ones he didn’t notice even in himself? There were indulgences and still more rites to try and account for it all.
Under the unbearable weight of debt his own merit would never repay, Luther found deliverance in understand that the grace of God was a gift and not something to be obtained by the sweat of his brow.
After such a journey, one may be forgiven still another fault, which is that he initially hated the book of James.
Faith Without Works
The book of James starts out encouraging readers to rejoice in trials as a means of being made “perfect and complete” (James 1:4) and this is contrasted with the effects of being drawn away by ones own desires as a path to death (verse 15). It then speaks of a religion that is “worthless” and speaks of good religion.
Having been saved from a system which promised salvation through strict adherence to specific works, the idea that a person’s goal ought to be perfection might be bad enough. However, the next chapter is the one that requires particular care in understanding. The second half of chapter 2 is about how faith without works is incapable of saving anyone.
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
James 2:20
In fact, it even goes so far as to state that, in some sense, it was Abraham’s works which saved him.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
James 2:21
Rahab is likewise mentioned as one who was “saved by works”.
I would be unfair not to acknowledge that Luther eventually did come to understand the book of James. While his initial reaction to the book was to understand it in the context of his experiences and oppose it, eventually he came to appreciate the deep significance of this book.
How do we make sense of someone being “justified by works” but also “saved by faith”?
Inseparable Pair
The importance of this book is in helping believers understand that a true faith is one that is lived. It is a lesson the church in America desperately needs to hear.
It is extremely common to hear people warn of the threat of “cultural Christianity”. The idea being that some who do not trust in Christ will, all the same, act as those who do for the sake of being seen by others should cultural pressure encourage such things. This certainly can happen and to repurpose the language of James 2, this could be considered “dead works”.
Matthew 6 records a lesson from Jesus about the threat of praying, being charitable, and fasting for the reward of being seen by men rather than a heavenly reward from the Father.
However, there is another ditch we must be careful not to fall into, and American Christianity is driving many people headlong into it. That is the ditch of a privatized faith that is no threat to the idea of unrestricted human autonomy.
]Just as acts undertaken without faith have not value, a belief which does not manifest itself in action is likewise dead.
What Do You Believe?
James provides a rhetorical test for those who might reject what he is saying.
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.
James 2:18
Obviously, it would be difficult to “show” someone faith if that faith doesn’t lead to any external display. There are many analogies to make this point. Some ask people if they “trust” a chair, a plane, or a tightrope walker.
The tightrope analogy goes like this: There is a performer walking across a tightrope between two skyscrapers. Many onlookers have gathered to cheer him on. He goes back and forth, doing cartwheels and even flips along the way to the applause of the growing crowd. Some have worked their way up to the floor to which his wire is attached to watch and he stops to speak with them.
He asks a man, “Do you believe I could cross this line with a wheelbarrow?” “Absolutely!”, replies the man. The performer brings the wheelbarrow up onto the line with him. “Even if I have a heavy load in it?”, asks the performer. “Sure, that would be a simple thing!”, he replies. “Fine,” says the performer, “then hop in!”
It was an easy thing to “believe” the man could do it when he wasn’t being asked to go across with him. How much the man believes he could do it is really put to the test only when he must put himself on the line!
These analogies all seek to illustrate one thing. It is easy to “trust” something when it’s a mere acceptance of an idea which we don’t believe impacts us. However, it isn’t really trusting unless you’re willing to live as if it is so.
Cultural Secularity
While we have been endlessly concerned that people may act more righteous than they actually are if culture became “too Christian”, we have been blind to the fact that we are slipping into a cultural milieu which worships autonomy above everything… and many in the church are adopting it.
While we speak in church of affirming that all authority has been given to Christ and that every knee will bow, we live as if other options are just as viable. Further, we accept as wisdom the idea that it is better for people to explore all options even on matters where God has explicitly stated the correct choice already.
By action, many are showing that they have a dead faith in the textbook answers which they can recite so perfectly. They know all the right answers but they live as if those answers are pieces of lore to be discussed the way one might discuss the functionality of a lightsaber.
As the worship of self grows more and more, people with all the right theological answers are increasingly accept the errors of the world as their way of life.
The world will hate a church that actually lives like it believes what it professes. The world needs such a church. Is Jesus just the guy you choose to follow, or is he Lord of all the Earth and worthy of all praise? Did Christ save you from sin to serve him or to be master of your own destiny? Are God’s ways really best for everyone or just those who choose them?
If you know the answers but do not live like it is so, such a faith is dead.
