The great, honorable, mighty, valiant, but leprous Naaman, the proud captain of Syria’s hosts, thought that he could get cured of his leprosy when he brought with him ten talents of silver, also six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment to present to the prophet of Israel. But no, the prophet quickly let him know, to the wounding of his pride, and the grief of his heart, that the cure could not be obtained for money.
“What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” was the question addressed to the Lord by the motley crowd of John 6.
He answered: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” (Verse 29).
“What must I do to be saved?” was the all-important and momentous inquiry made by the awakened jailor, of the servants of Christ he had so unjustly beaten. The answer was: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
When the sense of guilt is felt, when the sinner is aroused to a true sense of his awful condition in God’s sight, then distress about the past, and solemn dread of the future bring such soul agony that the awakened man seems almost to skirt the very abyss of despair. What a critical moment this is in the soul’s history, and one not by any means to be trifled with. Better to be awakened on earth where God’s mercy is shown, than to wake up in hell, where one drop of water (the smallest conceivable mercy) was denied the man who fared sumptuously every day while here upon earth.
But a person may say, Are we not told in James that Abraham was justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac upon the altar? And does Paul not also say, “By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain?”
Both statements are quite true, and although they may at first seem difficult to reconcile, do not in reality clash with what has been said in the beginning of this paper.
We must ever remember that Scripture never contradicts itself. There may be, and doubtless there are, difficulties, but we may rest assured the ignorance is in us, and the Holy Spirit, who indited the Word, is the One who alone can make it plain, and will to those who in simplicity and lowliness desire to learn.
It is important to see that James takes a man on the profession of his faith, and asks him to show his faith by his works. He rightly says, “What loth it profit, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works”? He is not content with the mere saving or confession of a man’s lips, he says, “Show me thy faith without thy works,” and I “will show thee my faith by my works.” As much as to say, I cannot read your heart to see whether you have faith, but I can see your conduct; and he brings Abraham forward to prove his point.
The apparent conflict between Paul and James vanishes when we see that Paul speaks of our justification before God alone, which is by faith only, while James speaks of our justification not before God but before men. Paul speaks of Abraham’s justification before Isaac was born, when God promised him a son, from whom a seed should spring which would be more numerous than the stars of the sky and the sand by the sea shore. He believed God, and was thus accounted righteous.
When Isaac was not only born, but had grown up to manhood, God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to offer up his only son, from whom all this seed was to spring. God had no need of any proof of Abraham’s faith. He knew it was there already, but men cannot see where God’s eye sees, and hence they look for us to prove our faith by a consistent life of true godliness and good works. All works to be acceptable to God must have faith as their spring, else they would be what Scripture calls “dead works.” For “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. l 1:6). And though faith could not be called a work, yet “it worketh by love”.
As to “believing in vain”, a reference to the context will show at once what the apostle meant. Paul devotes nearly all 1 Corinthians 15, in which this statement occurs, to prove what some among the Corinthians were boldly denying, namely, the resurrection of the dead. He refreshes their minds with the gospel he preached when he was among men, which was that “Christ died for our sins, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures”, and divinely assures them, “By which also ye are saved, unless ye have believed in vain.” He then brings forth evidence to prove that Christ was raised. There were those who saw Him after His resurrection. And so strongly does he speak on the subject (thus showing its great importance) that in the 14th verse he says, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith (or believing) is also vain.” And again he asserts in the 17th verse, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins”. But, thank God, Christ is risen, having died for our sins and having borne the judgment of them. He settled the whole question of them with God, and eternally vindicated God’s righteousness in doing so; and as the righteous answer to His finished work, God raised Him from the dead, and enthroned Him in the highest glory, where Paul saw Him, and from whence he was converted through Him. So then the believer is no longer in his sins, nor has he believed in vain.
What a glorious triumph was the resurrection of Christ. It was the fullest vindication of Him and His finished work that God could possibly have shown. And He being raised as “the first-fruits” the harvest is sure to follow. All who are Christ’s will be raised like Him, as Romans 8:1111But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11) says, “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
As to continuing in the faith, we ought to do so, and will, if we are truly saved, as Peter says, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” And Paul said to the Hebrews, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (Heb. 6:99But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. (Hebrews 6:9)).
“Far as is east from west, are sundered wide
Thou and thy sins: no whirling tide
Of righteous condemnation e’er shall roll
O’er thee, believing sinner—Christ has died
To save thy soul,
Has died and lives, to show the work complete:
Kneel, kneel, adoring, at the feet
Of Him, Jehovah-Jesus, Christ, the Word
That was—is—shall be. With hosannas greet
Our coming Lord.
Coming to judge the earth and all therein
With us—the Bride He died to win;
Caught up, in mid-air, to His loving breast;
No more vain longings—ah, and no more sin;
‘Tis peace and rest.”