Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
October 25, 1987
Can Salvation Be Earned?
James 2:14-26, KJV
This has truly been an historic week. In what will now be known forever as "Black Monday", the stock market fell an incredible 508 points. On a percentage basis alone, this is almost twice as bad as the stock market crash in 1929 that triggered the Great Depression. The richest man in America lost more than six hundred million dollars. In one day! His comment was "It's only paper." Many of you here today have pensions and IRA's that dropped 20%.
Most people are uncertain of what is ahead. Back in 1929 the stock market rallied for a while, then went on a long slide. When it was over, the average stock lost 90% of its value. Small investors lost everything they had, and stories have passed down of failed stockbrokers jumping out of office windows. A whole generation lost its sense of financial security.
We want our personal finances to be secure, so we will have something to live on now, and in our old age. But is it the most important security you can have? God's Word disagrees. According to the Bible the only thing you really need to be certain of is your eternal security. Do you know for a fact that you are a member of God's Kingdom?
Most people want to be saved. It is the main feature of every religion and philosophy in the world. There may be differences over just what salvation means, but everyone wants to be delivered into a better life. And I would say that most people think they have the security of salvation. They may not have absolute certainty, but they think they will squeeze in.
Most think they'll get in because of something they have done to earn God's acceptance. They have been good or religious. Some people try very hard. A group of Roman Catholics called "Flagellants" earn their salvation by punishing themselves. They use small whips with bits of metal woven in to beat their backs until blood pools at their feet. On Good Friday they place heavy crosses on their shoulders and then walk on their bare knees over rocky paths. If they suffer enough, God will have mercy on them. Many of the religions of the Far East share this outlook.
A closer example for us would be the Jehovah Witnesses. Their dedication is famous around the world. Why do they put so much effort into their work? Because they have to. The teaching of their group is that they must participate with God to achieve their salvation. The death of Jesus on the cross plus their hard work will earn them a place in God's Kingdom.
This teaching is very widespread. Even many people in Bible-believing churches think they have to help God out. And this passage in James is the one they all point to. It's not hard to see why.
Verse 14 says "faith alone cannot save".
Verse 20 says "faith without works is dead".
Verse 21 says something very dramatic: Abraham was "justified by his works".
The 22nd verse rounds it out: Abraham's faith "wrought", or worked in combination with, his religious works.
The conclusion is in verse 24: "by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone."
I can see why many sincere people feel they must work very hard to be saved. It is a natural way to interpret this passage. But if you have paid attention to any of my sermons in the last 5 years, you know that I don't preach this. Works cannot save you; only faith in Jesus can. The great reformer Martin Luther was so upset with this passage he wanted to cut the whole book of James out of the Bible. He called it "a right strawy epistle," which means it is not worth the paper it is written on. I think Martin went overboard, and I also think he misunderstood James. Make sure you don't misunderstand him, because your salvation is at stake.
This passage is difficult because it seems to flat-out contradict the apostle Paul. Keep in mind James 2:24 - "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Now turn to Romans 3:28. "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." There seems to be a disagreement.
Chapter 4 of Romans continues the problem. Just as James refers to Abraham, and says he was justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice, Paul also refers to Abraham. In Romans 4:2, Paul says Abraham was not justified by works. Now look at verse 4. "To the person who has (a theology of) works, the reward (of salvation) is not considered grace (i.e., a gift), but a debt (something that is owed him)." Both Paul and James use the same Old Testament passages and the same language, but they seem to come to different conclusions. Paul seems to say salvation is by faith alone, while James says it is by faith plus works.
Despite the similarities, both men are talking about different things. Paul is discussing the beginning of the Christian life. To him, the word "justification" means the moment God makes us right with him. We are doomed sinners, but God takes away our sin and accepts us. James is dealing with the rest of the Christian life. To him, "justification" means our faith is active and real. Abraham was already accepted by God before he offered his son as a sacrifice. When he offered Isaac, he showed his faith in God was genuine.
James and Paul also use the word "faith" in slightly different ways. Paul emphasizes faith as the initial acceptance of salvation from God. James emphasizes faith as ongoing trust in God, trust that shows it is real by the fruit it bears.
Faith is never just a mental thing in the Bible, not for Paul and not for James. Nowadays we think we can believe one thing, and do the opposite. In the Bible, the way you live shows what you really believe. This is what James 2:18 means - faith and deeds cannot be separated. If we really believe something, it will have to show up in our actions.
In verse 18, James makes an interesting point. It is a good thing to believe there is only one God. However, the allies of Satan believe this. Does it mean they are going to heaven? They have faith. But what kind of faith? It is often said that the faith the demons have is the intellectual kind. They believe it in their head, but not in their heart. Wrong! James says they believe, and shudder. Their actions reveal the true content of their faith.
It is the same with people. Many Americans are under the delusion that faith is a very "private" thing. It's not something a decent person should talk about, much less try to impose on someone else. Real faith is just the opposite. It doesn't mean you whack people on the head for God, but it means your inner faith will produce fruit that others will notice.
"Fruit" will not get you into heaven. Only faith in the blood of Jesus can do that. But without fruit, your faith will be called into question. Just this week someone told me they were brought up in church, but as they grew older they began to see how shallow most Christians were. The same people he saw in church were the ones who used the dirty language and ran people down. As a result, he drifted away from God.
Faith is not something you just say you have. It's something you show you have. Stanley Brown gives an example we can all relate to. It's about a small boy who was sent to get a dozen eggs for his mother. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke and the sidewalk was a mess. The little boy tried not to cry. A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were. While they shared pity, one man handed the boy a quarter.
Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?" [illustration #1872]
Real faith must produce fruit. And if that faith is in Jesus, what kind of fruit do you think it will be?
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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