Haven of
Truth Article – A Dead Faith?
By Pastor
Barry Black
“Which
hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast.” Hebrews 6.19
What comes to
mind when you think of the word “faith”? The simple,
biblical definition of faith is “to believe”, “to trust or
rely upon”. In
James 2:17 we
read,
Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone. Is it
possible that a person’s faith could be described as
“dead”? If so, what defines a faith that is “dead”? In
fact, a legitimate question we could ask ourselves would
be “Is
my
faith
dead”?
When studying the book of James, it is very important to
remember that the book of James is not a “gospel tract”. In
other words it was not written for the purpose of telling
lost people how to receive eternal life. Rather, the book
of James was written to encourage and urge those who have
already received eternal life (believed upon Christ) toward
practical Christian living.
The
Problem Revealed
James
2.14,24,26:
14 What doth it profit, brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 24 Ye
see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only. 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without works is dead also. “...can faith save
him?”
At first
glance, these verses can seem a little confusing. However
as with any passage of scripture (particularly passages
which at first glance appear unclear, or are often
misinterpreted), there must be careful interpretation
(“rightly
dividing the word” – 2 Timothy 2.15). Remember,
James is not writing to tell readers how to receive eternal
life (i.e. how to be saved). If that were the case, he
would certainly contradict
Ephesians 2:8,9, which
clearly tells us that salvation is by grace alone through
faith alone in Christ alone.
Two, The
Problem Investigated
In
James 2, the
word “dead”
is found
three times in regards to faith and works – verses
17, 20 and 26. Let’s take
a look at the first instance that James mentions:
Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone (James 2:17). Now, to find
out what James is talking about, we need to carefully read
the previous verses –
James 2.15,16:
If
a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed
and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
James puts
the whole problem in perspective in very practical terms.
He then took a very relevant problem to give this issue
clarity. Verse 15 describes a Christian brother or sister
that is in need. James tells us in verse 16 that to simply
say some well-meaning words without giving any help does
not
“profit”. The words
spoken may sound very nice, but when someone is without
clothing or food, kind words simply do not help at all. The
old adage is true, “actions
speak louder than words”. James then
continues in
verse 17,
“faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone.” We know what
faith is, faith means “to
believe, to trust”. But what
does James mean by
“dead”? Does it
mean to no longer exist?
After a storm, you probably have the same problem that I
have – those pesky limbs on the lawn which fell from your
trees as a result of wind or ice. Those same limbs which
once bore fruit, or provided shade; there they are on the
ground – dead. Seeing them there on the ground, you realize
that they are good for little but burning (see
John 15.1-6), or maybe
being made into mulch. When you see those dead limbs, you
would not say, “Oh, look at those limbs which either never
existed, or have ceased to exist”. They exist…they are
simply dead.
Though they were once useful, they are now dead – no longer
of any practical value. James makes the point quite
clear:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also.” (James 2.26).
When a person
dies, their spirit leaves their body. In fact, Paul tells
us that for the believer, to be absent from the body means
that we are with the Lord (see
2 Corinthians 5.1-8). Death
certainly does not mean that the person never existed, or
no longer exists; death means that the body is no longer
alive, it has ceased to function.
Three,
Problem Solved
Another important element in understanding what James is
saying is to realize that the word “saved”
in the Bible has more than one application. The word
“saved”
means “deliverance”
or “to be
delivered from trouble”, etc. It
can refer to being saved/delivered from eternal punishment
in hell by receiving eternal life (as in
Ephesians 2.8,9). It can
refer to saving/delivering someone from physical death, as
in the case of Job –
Job 2.6; or Noah and
his family – see
1 Peter 3.20; 2 Peter 2.5; and those who
sailed with Paul –
Acts 27.31. It can mean
to be delivered from temporal judgment or chastisement
(James
5.19,20; 1 John 5.16,17). It can
also mean to be delivered from losing rewards at the
judgment seat of Christ –
1 Corinthians 3.11-15. It is evident
that James is not referring to salvation in the sense of
eternal life, but rather in the sense of being delivered
from loss of rewards now, or loss of rewards at the
judgment seat of Christ, or possibly both of those. In
summary, James recognizes their faith, but warns them of
the danger that their faith could become unproductive; and
the loss that could incur as a result. So, let’s recap the
highlights:
-
James is not concerned with the reality of the readers’ faith. If you notice, more than once he refers to them as: “brethren” (James 1.2, 2.1, 2.14).
-
If James uses the word “saved” as describing eternal salvation, then he would be implying that eternal salvation is received, or maintained by faith combined with works. This would contradict the gospel of grace, and James would be guilty of the heresy of “another gospel” (2 Corinthians 11.1-4, Galatians 1.6-9).
-
The word “dead” in relation to works does not mean “nonexistent”, it means “unprofitable, of no practical use”.
-
As James clearly illustrates, words without actions cannot meet practical needs (James 2.16).
-
Faith is “invisible”, but is made evident to others by our good works (faith put into action).
-
When good works flow from and combine with our faith, we mature as a Christian.