James now turns to two Biblical personalities who proved the reality of their faith by manifesting good works. Many interpreters consider this section of Chapter 2 to be a flat contradiction to what the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 4:1-3. Naturally, those who see contradiction here do not believe in the infallibility and in-errancy of Scripture. They hold very loose views of inspiration.
A little reflection upon the purpose and plan of James will show, however, James doesn't contradict Paul; he complements him. James and Paul essentially agree, but their emphasis is different.
Paul discusses the justification of men before God. He stresses the initial beginning of the Christian life, and discusses the practical outworking of the Christian's faith in Romans 12-16 after he has laid a doctrinal foundation in chapters 1-11.
James is writing to people who already profess to be Christians. He seeks to show the necessity of "putting legs" to their faith. Practical Christian living especially interests him, and so he explains how a believer should act now that he is a member of the household of faith. James answers the question of how a man is justified before other men.
Abraham was acquitted before God and declared righteous through faith before he performed any works. He was justified before he obeyed God's command to introduce the rite of circumcision. Abraham is sometimes called the father of the faithful because every true believer exercises the same quality of faith Abraham exercised.
Abraham had faith in the supernatural and the impossible simply because God gave him His bare Word of promise. Sarah and Abraham had given up all hope of having a son in their advanced years. But God promised something which was contrary to nature, and Abraham believed it because God said it.
Then the time came when God wanted to exhibit Abraham's faith before his household and servants and for all his posterity to see. God asked Abraham, therefore, to slay Isaac, the very son on whom all the fulfillment of the precious promises depended.
Would the faith which stood up against contrariness to nature also stand up against sheer contradiction to logic? How could God keep His promises if Isaac were dead? Abraham did not hesitate or waver (James 2:21). He simply acted in faith, believing if Isaac was slain, God would raise him from the dead on the spot.
Real faith is confidence in God despite seemingly hopeless odds and contradiction. Real faith has reasons of its own which do not conform to fallen limited human logic. Real faith is obedient faith and resurrection faith--that is, faith in the God who raises men from the dead.
By Abraham's act of obedience his faith was made "perfect" (vs. 22). This doesn't mean he never entertained any doubts. It means by his obedience his faith was now complete because visible evidence had been given of it. The experience on Mount Moriah was Abraham's' crowning act of faith. It proved everything God said about him was true.
Likewise, it's obedience to God which alone will satisfy others we are right with God, and it's obedience which will satisfy our own hearts that we have passed from death to life. We have no real assurance we are saved until we begin to notice a new power in ourselves which enables us to feel, think, and decide for God and good. Anyone can say he has received Christ, but not everyone can manifest the power of transformed life.
Any Jew would approve of the example of Abraham, but what about Rahab? She stands at the other end of the social ladder. She was only proselyte to the Jewish faith. What's worse... before she became a proselyte, she had been a Gentile prostitute. In spite of her wicked past, the grace of God worked in her, and she acknowledged the God of Israel as the only true God
Rahab's faith involved more than a mere concession that monotheism was the true religion. Rahab believed what God said He would do to the enemies of Israel, and she acted upon that belief by risking her life and the lives of her parents to shelter the Jewish spies.
She exhibited a kind of faith which motivated her to take sides against her own people and become identified with their foes. Her actions testified to the genuineness of her faith.
This passage in the epistle of James gives Biblical support to the statement in the Homilies of Thomas Cranmer on the subject of good works: "All Holy Scripture agreeably beareth witness, that a true living faith in Christ doth bring forth good works; and therefore every man must examine and try himself diligently, to know whether he have the same true living faith in his heart unfeignedly, or not; which he shall know by the fruits thereof."
Many, today, profess the faith of Christ are in this error. They think they know God, and believe in Him, but their lives and living declare contrary!
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