James 2:20-24 (ESV)

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 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. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

When one talks about living by faith, or walking by faith, the above passage is the one most often pointed to as a rebuttal. But often, those pointing to these verses are functioning under two misunderstandings. First, they misunderstand what it means to live and walk by faith. Somehow the assumption is made that if one is proposing that the Christian life is lived by faith and not works, then we are saying that the Christian doesn’t do anything. The impression is given that the Christian just sits on the couch waiting for the Spirit to move them. If the Spirit doesn’t move, then they are not responsible to act. This is a complete misunderstanding of walking by faith. Faith means that one steps out in faith (action and obedience), trusting God to do through them what they know they cannot do themselves. Faith always moves to action. That is exactly the argument that James is making.

A second misunderstanding surrounds a correct definition of faith. What is faith actually? Works do not equal faith. Many who make James 2 their go to scripture for the Christian life confuse faith with works. If faith without works is dead, then they reason that the Christian life is first and foremost about doing. Works and obedience become central to their focus to such an extent that for all practical purposes works equal faith. But they are not the same thing. Works flow out of faith, but there can be works without faith. Faith without works is dead, but works without faith are also dead. Faith is trusting. Works flow out of faith. What we truly believe, and what we truly trust changes what we do.

There is no disagreement between Paul and James. Paul challenges a world focused on works to first understand that the Christian life is a life of faith. James challenges a church of believers who have been more concerned about what people with wealth and power think of them than what God thinks of them, to re-evaluate their faith and their walk with God. Paul would say, “If you are trusting your works to make or keep you right with God then you have misunderstood the Christian life.” James would say, “If you are claiming faith in Christ, but are more concerned about keeping the wealthy and powerful happy than about being the hands and feet of Jesus to the needy, then you have misunderstood what it means to walk by faith.” Both are correct.

It is not Paul or James, it is Paul and James. Both would agree that if there is a problem with how a believer is living out their walk with God then they need to reevaluate their faith. I didn’t say that they need to reevaluate their salvation. That may or may not be the case. What they need to reevaluate is what they are actually trusting. Paul’s audience was trusting their religious activity. He challenged them to faith. James audience was trusting their relationships with the wealthy and powerful. He challenged them to reevaluate their faith. The question for the day then is: What are you trusting? What is the object of your faith? It will be reflected I how you live.