Mickey:
Okay, James is teaching that works show true faith. But we Catholics insist that James 2:14–26 shows that works are more than mere evidence of faith. Works actually justify. James is speaking about works growing out of faith.
Right, Mickey, they are evidence of saving faith. I know that you believe works justify, but that contradicts scripture.
Mickey:
If works of faith are not a part of our justification, then it is hard to understand why James would say, as he does, that “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?” (Jas. 2:21).
It is not at all hard to understand. James is simply illustrating the point that he wants to make. The context begins in chapter 1 around v 22. That salvation is a gracious of gift of God has already been made by James in 1:17,18. The whole point of the passage is a visible manifestation of faith in works, not so God knows who is justified, but believers. Believers can know who has a true saving faith by works. Again, God already knows whose justified, as He is the justifier (Rom 3:26; 4:5).
The statement “
if someone says he has faith" is key to understanding. This is between humans and humans, not humans and God. God knows who is justified, as He justifies. Read Rom 4, Abraham was justified long before Isaac was born (Gen 15:1-6). The basis of Abraham’s justification was his belief/faith in the ability and trustworthiness of God. Belief/faith have the same Greek root, as do righteousness/justification have the same Greek root. Righteousness and justification are inseparable; they interchangeably mean the same thing.
If, as you claim, James is saying that works justify, then he and Paul are at odds, as Paul clearly, and repeatedly says, works do not justify.
In v18 James says, “show me…I will show you,” and v 24, by works “
you see” that a man is justified.
James here is not talking about the cause of justification, or of the manner of obtaining righteousness, but that his objective is only to show that good works are always connected with faith; therefore, when he says Abraham was justified by works, he is speaking of the proof, not to God, but to Abraham, and those who would read the account in the future.
Salvation has always been, and will always be by faith alone (Rom 1:17); sanctification continues, and true faith is apparent to others by works, as Jesus says, “
you will recognize them by their fruits.” He already knows who is justified
Salvation is a one time act, as illustrated by Rom 5:1, in which Pauls says, “
having been justified…," past perfect tense, i.e., an action completed in the past with continuing results. In Rom 3:28 Paul says, “
…a man is justified by faith apart from works of law,”, the definite article “
the" is absent in the Greek; law is in the genitive case, literally, “of law,” any law, imposed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. There is no specificity in the verse as to what law.
James is merely telling one that he may recognize the true faith of himself, and others, by the presence or absence of works.
