I never understood the whole debate on fiath vs works
James doesn't open it up for debate. He emphatically states:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.
James 2: 14-19.
Both sides work together, so there should be no debate at all. There are two very important points he is making here:
1. Works without faith will not save you
2. There is no
evidence of your faith without works
It's a bit tricky, isn't it? On one hand, you have Paul emphatically stating in
Ephesians 2:8-9 that you cannot be saved through works. But then you have James very forcefully telling us that faith without works is dead. it seems contradictory, doesn't it?
I agree with the commentary of Thomas Constable and others who agree that James wasn't even talking about salvation here. He was merely stating that even though we are saved by faith, we are pretty useless to God if we don't do anything with it. It becomes a "dead" faith.
We should never let
James 2: 14-19 be an excuse to try and save ourselves by merely working through charity organizations.
Neither should we use
Ephesians 2:8-9 as an excuse for not giving of our time, talent, and treasure to the poor and needy.