Another Musick-al Note: # 41
When one reads carefully James 2:14-26, they will see that faith without works of obedience is dead! Most of Hebrews 11 clearly shows the same thing. Each of these men who were saved or blessed by faith were blessed WHEN, AND ONLY WHEN, they did exactly what God said. This is not salvation by works of merit, but simply means that one cannot accept God’s gracious offer of salvation except by the means God has appointed. Any thoughtful reading of Mark 16:15-16, Mt. 28:18-20, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Rom. 6:17-18, 1 Peter 3:21 and any other case having to do with salvation will show that these persons were saved AFTER their faith led them to OBEY.
Now consider what Paul was saying in Romans 4:4-8, 13-17, 20-25. God saves by His grace (free gift). There is nothing that man can do to merit salvation. No man can ever earn salvation by good works, no man is good enough to deserve salvation and no man is rich enough to buy salvation. It is a gift from God (Rom 6:23). God’s grace has appeared for all men to teach us how to live (Titus 2:11-12) and Paul further declares that one must have faith to receive that grace (Romans 4:16 and Ephesians 2:8). Faith must be active in obeying God’s commands to obtain His free gift (James 2:26). God has given stipulations as to what man must do to receive His gifts. He has the right as giver to set any and all regulations for man to receive his gifts. One of the regulations is “faith” which is seen in repenting of sin, confessing the name of Christ before men, being baptized in water and living in newness of life. None of these things “merit” or “earn” salvation for the man who does them, but no man can have the grace of God without doing what God has said either. So James and Paul were really saying the same thing. James said one must have works to show that his faith was living and Paul said one must have faith that results in obedience to receive the grace (gift) of God (Salvation).
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 