"But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’”(James 2:18) 

James continues his explanation of genuine faith versus presumptive faith by engaging in a hypothetical argument. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works’” (James 2:18a). James, however, insists that faith and works are not to be pitted against each other. "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18b).

But isn’t this exactly what Paul does? Doesn’t he stress that salvation is not by works but by faith. “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal. 2:16). 

James is not talking about justification as Paul is. He is not giving us a different formula for salvation. Rather, James is inviting us to sample the fruit of faith to see whether it is wax or real. “Faith apart from works is useless” (Jas. 2:20) because a fruitless faith is a faux faith, and a faux faith is a futile faith. Only true faith is justifying faith. 

As a pastor, I had the privilege and delight along with the elders of the church serving alongside me to examine those who presented themselves for membership. We had the responsibility before God of assessing whether those who were professors of faith were in actuality possessors of it. How did we do that? 

We didn’t have a spiritual x-ray machine to see if their heart of stone had indeed become a heart of flesh by the work of the Holy Spirit. Rather, we had to rely on symptoms of faith. 

Saving faith shows itself in what it does and what it says. A testimony would have to involve more than spouting off religious doctrine. James points out that even Satan has correct knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did. Did they acknowledge their sin, forsake any ability to commend themselves to God, and trust in Christ alone for salvation? 

Moreover, did their lives reflect the lordship of Jesus Christ that sought to obey and serve Him? That’s where works come to bear, not as a resume of righteous deeds but as compulsion of loving, lively faith in Jesus Christ. 

1. In what way are faith and works contrary to one another?

2. In what way are faith and works compatible with one another? 

“Father, help me to know that I belong to the household of faith.”