Faith and works

James 2 talk about faith without deeds. Recently my small group studied and we got into a debate on the role of deeds or works in christian life. The whole problem is that James says that Faith without works is dead... but if your faith is dead then how can it save you? But Paul would say that we are saved by faith and not by works so that no man can boast. Is the bible contradicting itself? Do Paul and James have different theologies on salvation? By no means... so what then is the answer?

I think the key is in defining what we mean by works. If I had to read that verse I would equate works with obedience. We do what we do (works) out of obedience to God. This also answers an important ethical question - Does command us to do good or is what God commands good because He commanded it? I would hold to the latter and say in life we are faced with many decisions of differing roads to take... most often the road holds no inherent good or bad, right or wrong value in and of itself. What makes a certain way good or bad is whether we take it out of obedience to God.

An example from the Bible... a ship went to Tarshish, and many chose to board it. The journey to Tarshish in and of itself was not wrong... but for Jonah it was because he was there out of disobedience to God.

Realising this truth is very liberating, because you suddenly realise that good deeds are good when they are ordered by the Lord. God in His own wisdom has not called us to win the whole world to Him, but to play our own tiny part in His winning the world to Himself. When we realise that we are set free from the bondage of trying to be a savior to all who need saving and we start to show validate our faith by our obedience... our works. Hence Salvation comes from faith, not works... but just as wet grass is the natural outcome of a rainy day... so too works of obedience are the natural outcome of a faith in and relationship with a Heavenly Father.

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