The Christianity I Had Lost Sight of | Misconception 1 Part 2

Hi everyone!

I meant to post last week, but the passage(s) of Scripture I wanted to post about were puzzling me plenty, and I been considering them much and trying to piece everything together. Here is the result. I decided I would have to split this into two parts however, so this is Misconception 1, Part 2, but Part 3 is coming later Lord willing. Please note: this is how I am interpreting the passages I have put together; I may or may not be right, and my understanding of this topic is developing, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

You may recall the misconception I went over last time that I had (without realizing it) was “It’s okay to stay the same when you become a Christian” (stay the same, as in continue on in sin without striving to live in a more godly way through the Holy Spirit). Or, as I had put it: Come as you are, but stay that way!

Recently I have been memorizing James, and verses caught my attention relating to the misconception. They are the ones that have sparked controversy in the religious world for centuries: James 2:14-26.

James 2:14-26:

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

According to the Catholic Church, these verses mean works are necessary for salvation. I don’t believe that, and likely none of you do. But if that is not what the verses mean, what do they mean? I am answering this question here in part 2 and Lord willing next week I will explain my connection between this and the misconception, because this is a large, complicated topic.

The first thing needing to be understood is the relationship between faith and works. What is faith? It's taking God at His Word that He is who He says He is and that He always does what He says He will do. And what are works?

In Sunday school I learned although faith saves, works are good things to do after one becomes a Christian. True, but I don’t believe this is the full application. Let’s see what the passage says and the two examples it gives.

First let’s look at Abraham. The story referenced is found in Genesis 22. I will not insert the whole passage (it is a rather long one) but you may go read it. Here’s a shorter account from Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:17-19:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Surely Abraham was glad when he realized he would have a son. He doubted at first - he laughed! He didn’t think he and Sarah could have a son. But God promised, and God delivered! So, when God asked for Isaac to be sacrificed, he believed and obeyed. He took God at His Word, and he acted accordingly, though it made no sense. And as always, God delivered.

And Rahab (Hebrews 11:31):

By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

Rahab told the spies that she knew that God had given Jericho to His people. No other Jerichite believed it, but she did. Likely the Lord revealed this to her somehow - I doubt it was speculation on her part, otherwise she would not have said “I know” (read the original passage in Joshua 2 if you want to examine this more deeply). According to her belief, she acted - she hid the spies and let them down a scarlet cord, for her house was on the city wall. And was she delivered? Yes! As always!

Good works are not only a good thing to do after you are saved; they are the manifestation of our faith in Christ. Belief is the faith; works are the testimony. And the works we do after becoming Christians should not be what we do sometimes for admiration from others, but rather a way of life.

How do Abraham’s and Rahab’s works for God relate to us? In Abraham’s case, Isaac’s life was at stake, and in Rahab’s case, her life and the lives of her family members. What’s at stake when we obey God?

One answer is effort. Good works are, well, work. But that’s not all. Most people of the world think people consistently kind and thinking of others before themselves are foolish people. It’s true many people admire kind individuals. But no unsaved person can understand a Christlike view and way of life. To them, there is no God who punishes the evil and rewards the righteous. Therefore they see righteous living as effort for no reward. But we believe God will reward us for righteousness. Check out this verse:

Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

I’ve often heard trust is required for salvation. What’s trust anyway? What’s the difference between trust and belief?

When I was young I heard a story to show the difference between faith and trust. There was a man who was a tightrope walker and he walked on tightropes over great chasms. Once he asked a little girl if she believed he could carry her across the tightrope on his back. She said she did. Then he asked her if she would come across on his back. She said no. The implication was we must believe but also act. But what about Ephesians 2:8-9? Why does James say “faith without works is dead”?

I do not believe action, or works, are what, or a part of what gains us salvation - but when I say salvation I am referring to salvation from hell. The Bible clearly says the believer whose works are unpleasing to God will suffer loss.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15:

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

So why does James say faith without works is dead? Dead in the Bible does not always mean unsaved. For example, Jesus calls the saints of the church in Sardis dead. They must have been Christians. Otherwise they wouldn’t have been called a church and Jesus wouldn’t have rebuked them. I believe this is what James meant. The Bible says repentance and faith are necessary to be saved, but it does not say action is. But without action, we will suffer loss - we should obey God not only by belief but manifestation of belief - works. I know this is a complicated topic and I can’t go completely over it or answer every question in this post, but this is what I have for now.

When discussing the Ephesians 2 verses about grace through faith, we forget verse 10, which I think is a mistake. Those are the verses I close with:

Ephesians 2:8-10:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.