Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ James

[AGirlNamedAlice]

Hi Jim! My name is Alice, I'm a Leader in my small college Youth Group, I had one of my students ask me a question I couldn't answer, I wasn't sure where to turn so I remembered my friend talked about The 3rd Choice so here I am, and this is my Question.

They asked me What is the TRUE WAY to get into Heaven, and I quoted from memory Ephesians 2:8-9 where it says By Grace we are saved through FAITH not by works. Then they had quoted a verse from James 2 saying that Faith without deeds (works) is dead. Is this a contradiction in itself or is there a truth to both, or is one verse truer than the other?

Thanks for the help! -Alice

[jimwalton]

Glad to help, Alice. Thanks for remembering the 3rd Choice and asking. You're right in quoting Eph. 2.8-9. It is by grace we are saved, through faith...not of works. What James is saying is that real faith shows itself in works. Jesus said the same thing in Matt. 7.16-20. Here's a little bit of a deeper way to understand it:

In Rom. 3.21-5.2, Paul teaches about justification by faith (just as in Eph. 2.8). Paul says a person is not justified by works (Rom. 4.2, 6). Then James (2.21) says Abraham was justified by works. The two passages aren't contradictory because Paul is denying that works can ever be the root of salvation. Paul is writing about Christian conduct, but about how one becomes a Christian. James is not denying faith as the way of salvation, but he is saying that if faith is real, good and godly works will arise from it. Here's a cute way to say it: Paul is looking at the root, James is looking at the fruit. Paul is talking about the beginning of the Christian life, James is talking about how God-inside-you shows Himself. Paul is saying you can't become a Christian by being a good person; James is saying anybody who's really a Christian will be a good person. Ethel Barrett said, "You can't be saved by works. But you can't be saved without producing good works, any more than you can fall in love without wanting to please your loved one." As Jesus said, "If you love me, you'll obey my commands." Does that help?