Why Will "Works" Save Us?
Paul wrote, "By grace are ye saved through faith...NOT OF WORKS, lest any
man should boast" (Eph.2:8-9). But James wrote, "BY WORKS a
man is justified, and not by faith only" (Jam.2:24).
Again, James says: "Faith without works is dead...Was not Abraham justified by
works?" (Jam.2:20-21), while Paul argued, "If Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof to glory...but to him that worketh not, but believeth on [God],
his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom.4:2,5).
How could both these apostles be correct, when one was saying "not of works", while the
other said, "by works"? This has been a puzzling enigma for many throughout the
history of the elect. However the mystery is solved, and the perfect harmony of their teachings is
seen, once we realize that Paul and James were speaking of different kinds of
works. In the books of the new testament, there are many kinds of works
listed: "good works", "works of Abraham", "works of God", "works of repentance", "works
of men's hands", "works of the flesh", "works of the devil", and so on.
When "works" is mentioned in our Bible, we must be careful to make certain what
kind of works the writer is referring to, so that we do not misunderstand the
meaning; the end result of our error being confusion, and even damnation in some cases. When the
apostle Paul taught on "works", he was most often referring to the works of the Mosaic
Law.
Paul held that the "works of the Law were good and holy: "Wherefore the law
is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom.7:12). Jesus
too, showed great respect and deep love for the Law, and he told his disciples to do the
same. Unfortunately, his devotion to the Law sometimes caused conflict with traditions
that had developed in Israel, and for that he was despised and hated; on the other hand,
Jesus never despised the traditions if they did not conflict with Moses' Law. When
forced to choose between obeying the laws of Moses, or the traditions of the elders, he
always chose to obey the Law, and in the end was killed, that being one of the chief
reasons.
Paul knew that Christ came to fulfill the "works of the Law" which spake of him.
Because Christ fulfilled the law, Paul taught that it was pointless to continue to perform
ceremonies and rituals that pointed to a messiah that had already come. This is what
Paul was speaking of when he said to Gentile believers, who had already received the
holy Ghost and been cleansed of their sins by Jesus: "A man is not justified by
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ...for by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified" (Gal.2:16) . For this reason the works (the ceremonial
deeds of the Mosaic Law) are now called: "dead works" (Heb.6:1, 9:14). Circumcision,
animal sacrifices, the priesthood, the temple worship, had all been done away with. The
way of Christ is a new and living way, not a way of symbols and ceremonies. This means
that only the blood of Christ secures atonement for sin (Heb.9:12); only Jesus's baptism
(of the Spirit) cleanses us (Eh.4:5); only his intercession avails upon the Father for our
mercy (T.2:5). As the writer of Hebrews states it: "For the Law having a
shadow of good things to come... can never with those sacrifices which they offered year
by year, continually, make the comers thereunto perfect...And every priest standeth daily
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
But this man [Jesus], after he offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the
right hand of God....For by one offering hath he perfected for ever them that are
sanctified. Whereof the holy Ghost is a witness to us..." (Heb.10).
James does not contradict Paul, because he was not referring to the works of the Law.
The "works" of James' letter are the "good works", the "moral deeds" of obedience to
God. James knew as well as Paul knew, that performing ceremonies would now justify
no one. James was reminding the believers that man's eternal destination will be
determined by his behavior, or "works" in this life. Only by holy living will anyone ever
be saved in the end! (He.12:14).
Every voice that God has used from the beginning of the world to this moment, has
warned us that how men live will determine where they spend eternity: "All that
are in the graves shall come forth, they that have DONE GOOD, unto the resurrection
of life, and they that have DONE EVIL, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-
29). Every account of the final judgment is an account of men being judged
on the basis of their deeds. John, exiled to the isle of Pathos, saw this final moment of
judgment so clearly in his book of Revelation: "And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, And
there were judged every man according to their WORKS" , and again:
"and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their WORKS".
Paul, the man who wrote "by grace are ye saved through faith...not of works", also wrote:
"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good
or bad" (2.Car.5:10).
In conclusion, while Paul taught that performing symbolic, ceremonial works of the Law
means nothing, he strongly insisted that doing good works is essential for salvation, and
that eternal life will only be given to those who "by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honor and immortality".
Now you see, friends, how it is that Paul and James were in perfect accord in their
doctrines. Paul was correct in saying that we cannot be saved by (symbolic) works, and
James was correct in saying that we cannot be saved without (good and moral) works.
They both would have given the other a hearty "Amen". So may we.
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