February 7 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 32—James 2:14–26

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Devotional:

For James, to be "justified" means to be vindicated in your claim that you are a genuine believer. This use of the term can be found elsewhere, for example, in Matthew 11:19 — "Wisdom is justified [proved to be genuine] by her deeds."

Notice when this proof occurs. The "justification" of James's two examples—Abraham and Rahab—occurred after they first believed but before Judgment Day. Abraham was demonstrated to have a genuine faith when he offered his son Isaac in obedience to God's command. Rahab was demonstrated to have a genuine faith when she received the spies sent by Joshua.

Once we see that even though they use the same words, they use them with different meanings, then we see that the conflict between Paul and James is more apparent than real. They do give their own unique insights into the gospel, but these Scriptures are ultimately in perfect harmony with one another. How trustworthy God's Word is!

"The words proceeding from the LORD are flawless,
as pure as silver which by fire is tried,
like silver which, when molten in a furnace,
from it emerges sev'n times purified." (Psalm 12:6, versified)

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.