Arguing that faith without works is dead, the Book of James so incensed Martin Luther that the reformer called it ‘a veritable straw epistle that should be thrown into the Rhine River’. Yet James proves that faith without works is dead by pointing to the example of Abraham. It’s not that Abraham was saved by taking Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him in obedience to God. No, James says the work which saved Abraham took place years before that when he simply believed in God (verse 23).
When was Abraham declared to be righteous? As James quotes Genesis 15:6, we understand that Abraham was declared to be righteous when he simply believed God would do what He said He would do when He told Abraham He would make his descendants more numerable than the sand on the seashore. Interestingly, Paul would also point to Abraham as proof that man is justified by faith apart from works (Romans 4:3).
James and Paul are in full agreement because they both maintain that the moment Abraham simply believed God was the moment God imputed righteousness unto him.
It is not faith and works which saves a man. It is not faith or works. It is faith that works. All Abraham was doing on Mt. Mariah was showing the reality of what had taken place in his life years earlier when he simply believed God.
If your faith is real, it will show itself. How? By obeying the Word of God and following the leading of the Lord even though you may not understand where it will lead. At the time, Abraham could not have understood the significance of what he had done on Mt. Mariah. But this side of Calvary, we see it was a perfect picture of what God the Father would do in sending His Son to that same mountain to die for the sins of the world.
You know you’re truly born again when you find yourself obeying God. We’re not saved by obedience. But our obedience proves we’re saved, for true faith works.
When was Abraham declared to be righteous? As James quotes Genesis 15:6, we understand that Abraham was declared to be righteous when he simply believed God would do what He said He would do when He told Abraham He would make his descendants more numerable than the sand on the seashore. Interestingly, Paul would also point to Abraham as proof that man is justified by faith apart from works (Romans 4:3).
James and Paul are in full agreement because they both maintain that the moment Abraham simply believed God was the moment God imputed righteousness unto him.
It is not faith and works which saves a man. It is not faith or works. It is faith that works. All Abraham was doing on Mt. Mariah was showing the reality of what had taken place in his life years earlier when he simply believed God.
If your faith is real, it will show itself. How? By obeying the Word of God and following the leading of the Lord even though you may not understand where it will lead. At the time, Abraham could not have understood the significance of what he had done on Mt. Mariah. But this side of Calvary, we see it was a perfect picture of what God the Father would do in sending His Son to that same mountain to die for the sins of the world.
You know you’re truly born again when you find yourself obeying God. We’re not saved by obedience. But our obedience proves we’re saved, for true faith works.
This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Days Journey" by Pastor Jon. "A Days Journey" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testament.
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