Lookahead: Fast forward to a new millennial (2008) video called Lord, Save Us From Your Followers.  From the street interviews, it was clear that many people were  still suffering from the religiosity of Christians.  Some of the remarks:  “Instead of the Church of Jesus Christ, it has turned into the Church of Being Right…most of the people who have a problem with Christians don’t have a problem with Jesus…the religious conservatives in this country don’t get to set the agenda for God…And so we painted the face of God with our parents, or fathers, or abusers, or something, and we end up with theology that is western, rationalistic, diety-at-a-distance, disapproving, and looking for an excuse to punish….”

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.  James 2:14-26

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In the last post, we ended on…What exactly did Rahab believe?  As that post said, she believed that God was stronger than all those pesky false gods; and that He would save her and her seed from destruction. Boy was she right on that one! Rahab and her family survived while everyone else in Jericho perished, with such a glorious turn-around that she is credited with being in the bloodline of–Jesus Christ.  Women weren’t normally included in a lineage list, and yet here is a woman (a prostitute, in fact) whose name is present.  Talk about the ultimate underdog’s success story!  

And Salmon begat Booz of Rahab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king;  Matthew 1:5,6

As mentioned in the last post, both Abraham and Rahab had to assume the risk of being wrong about the goodness and faithfulness of God.  In Rahab’s case, the risk was amped up because the nation’s king had evidently been looped into the situation.  So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.” Joshua 2:3 For whatever reason, Rahab had visibility at the monarch level.  Also, if they had “brought her in for questioning,” there must have been solid evidence and witnesses. Yet she was unperturbed saying:  “…And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”  Joshua 2:5

Just like the devils in James 2, the Canaanites had heard and trembled (Joshua 2:10-11). Yet Rahab was the only one who really believed that God was stronger than the impregnable walls of Jericho.  And she believed that He had actually performed the miracles–they weren’t just urban legends. However, the Canaanites still trusted in the walls, and the walls let them down (and fell down 🙂 ). 

Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. Heb 11:30,31

Not only did she protect the spies, but she gave them tactical insight into the lay-of-the-land so that they wouldn’t be caught afterwards–effectively saving their lives twice:  And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. Joshua 2:16

Rahab, as well as Abraham, took big risks.  If she was wrong about God, Rahab risked certain death. At the age of ~115, Abraham risked being ostracized (maybe ended) as the ultimate child and family tree abuser.  As a result of moving out on their faith, they were considered righteous in the eyes of God.  

You see then that a man is justified (δικαιόω, dikaioó) by works, and not by faith only.  James 2:24 (underline mine)

Herein is the major sticking point…just about every definition for the “dikaioó” word connotes making us worthy, declaring us not guilty, and freeing us from guilt/punishment. Only Jesus’ work can do that. Although I believe that Abraham and Rahab were each justified because of their works/actions, that is not the case for Believers today:  Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.  Acts 13:39,40   He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  2 Corin 5:21For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.…Ephesians 2:8,9 (underlines mine) We are justified by faith, not by our holy deeds.  However, it has to be genuine faith, in Jesus, as the One Who saves us, in every sense of the sozo word. If we are trying to become righteous by any other means, we can do a whole lot’a damage. 

I watched two documentaries this week that reflected some of that damage that was done in the U.S. over decades.  The first was about yet another celebrity who went on a globe-trot to discover her family roots.  It appeared that her maternal grandmother had changed her name from Rosenberg to Benson when she applied for and became a citizen of the U.S. in the post-depression era.  One of the researchers, in helping the celebrity to determine the reason for the name change, had been investigating the NY economy and job market at that time.  The researcher had actually located Help Wanted sections from old newspapers.  Job after job listing specified “Christian” as a requirement for the position! My initial response was, “Wow! way to witness for Jesus!”  But then I realized that this was tragically (demonically) exclusionary and, in truth, represented an overt sign of anti-semitism (Germany wasn’t alone in the 1930’s 😦 ).  It was not the Christians’ role to punish Jewish people who didn’t accept Jesus as Messiah!  Their role was to love all Jewish people, including Jesus. 

Fast forward to a new millennial (2008) video called Lord, Save Us From Your Followers.  From the street interviews, it was clear that many people were  still suffering from the religiosity of Christians.  Some of the remarks:  “Instead of the Church of Jesus Christ, it has turned into the Church of Being Right…most of the people who have a problem with Christians don’t have a problem with Jesus…the religious conservatives in this country don’t get to set the agenda for God…And so we painted the face of God with our parents, or fathers, or abusers, or something, and we end up with theology that is western, rationalistic, diety-at-a-distance, disapproving, and looking for an excuse to punish….”

Rewind to “just about every definition for the “dikaioó” word connotes making us worthy, declaring us not guilty, and freeing us from guilt/punishment.“ But one of the definitions does not:  “especially in a legal, authoritative sense; to show what is right, i.e. conformed to a proper standard (i.e. “upright”).”  So dikaioó can either mean to make someone righteous or to show or demonstrate that someone is righteous.

If we sub that meaning into the sticky verse, all the controversy goes away:  You see that a man can show or demonstrate our (Jesus’) righteousness by works or good deeds, not only by his faith (believing in Jesus).

And in fact, one of the 46 Bible Hub translations reflects this:  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. NLT

I think James is saying that, if our faith is genuine, it will be perfected and demonstrated by doing genuinely good deeds.  If you say you have faith in something, and then you are not willing to accept the risk and act accordingly, your faith is probably not genuine.  I don’t think James intended to specifically tell us how to demonstrate that faith with the “be warm and filled” verse.  But, back to my example of my Christian sister who, instead of emptying her wallet, offered to pray for the evicted woman…in my view, the former may have demonstrated a higher level of faith–faith that God would hear and rapidly answer her prayers…according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.   

Prayer can provide food, as well as warmth, for the body! I read about an American missionary who was imprisoned by the Japanese in New Guinea during the second World War.  She was in solitary confinement, being systematically starved and tortured.  Thanks to God, the missionary had recovered from bouts with dysentery and beriberi, but was skin and bones with barely enough energy to stand on her feet.  She developed a craving for bananas and began praying that the LORD would send her a banana.  Two days later, a Japanese guard walked into her cell (as she was crying out to God for the strength to get to her feet and bow to him without passing out).  Instead of the guard beating her or dragging her out for torture, he laid 90-ish bananas at her feet!  And then there’s the testimony of George Muller who ran an orphanage and warmed/fed thousands of children for over 60 years in England…without ever publicly soliciting funds.  He and his wife made the decision that they would make their needs known only to God–personally in prayer.  In the early years, sometimes the “cupboard would be totally bare,” and provision would arrive at the door as they sat praying at the table.  Perhaps God had moved on a baker at 2 a.m., to get up and bake a bunch of bread for the Muller children.  Or a milkman’s cart had broken down near the orphanage and he decided to give away the milk before it spoiled.  Or the Lord had prepared someone in advance to give Muller a highly specific $ (shilling or pound) amount.  

In sum, I believe that it’s not the action that makes us righteous–it’s the faith. The action is merely a demonstration of that faith. Further, if we believe that God told us to do something, that He is Good, that He cannot fail–and we act according to our faith–and not because we’re trying to please the pastor–then…”them are” some meaningful, effectual, life-giving works.  

Finally, James provided further elucidation on this 3-post passage…in the next chapter.  In speaking about wisdom, he wrote:  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.  Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-16 

Similarly...faith by itself, if it does not have (God-inspired and God-directed) works, is meaningless and powerless and possibly, not real.