“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Rom. 3:1818There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:18).)
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” “Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” (Jas. 2:21, 24, 2521Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (James 2:21)
24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? (James 2:24‑25).)
At first sight these verses might seem to some to be contradictory, but there cannot possibly be a shadow of a contradiction in the inspired word of God. God speaking to us in His word is a great reality. Here all is truth. It is evident, however, from the above statements, that it is of all importance rightly to understand the purpose and scope of each part, or book, of holy scripture. We shall find this not only removes all contradiction, but also shows the greatest harmony.
Let us then first take the subject of justification by faith. The blessed declaration of the gospel is this: “Through Jesus is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things.” This is an absolute fact: that all who believe in Jesus, and believe the forgiveness preached through Him, are justified. The Epistle to the Romans also distinctly recognizes the believer in this justified state—accounted righteous by faith: and thus having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are justified, and they have peace with God. This much is established by the word of God.
Now just as there might be two photographs taken of one house, the front and the back—both equally perfect, yet the contrast, though not contradictory, might be very striking—so there is also in our all-important subject. There is a front view, and a back. There is what God sees, and what man sees—justification by faith, and justification by works. Romans brings out or photographs the former, and James the latter; but both are equally perfect.
What is man when placed in the front, and the full ray of divine light falls upon him as seen of God? Take man in his Gentile condition. What a black negative! (Read Rom. 1:21-3221Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:21‑32).) What a description: “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,” &c. This is the true photograph of man in his most polished Gentile condition. All history bears witness to the terrible truth of every word in this chapter.
Place the Jew in the light. He had had great privileges for fifteen centuries. He had the advantage of the law, the Psalms, and the prophets. Have the full rays of inspired truth and light upon him, will you not get a better negative? No, he says, “ In no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable,” &c. Examine the photograph in every detail, all proved guilty. This is the truth as to every one—Gentile or Jew, religious or profane-when brought into the powerful light of the presence of God. All are guilty.
Is it not also evident, this being man’s condition, that the law cannot possibly mend matters, it can only righteously condemn such wickedness as this: and this is what man is. The law cannot justify wickedness. And yet on this question of righteousness, all that can be said on man’s side is, that he is guilty and under judgment. There may be great difference before men. But we are now examining man before God; and the testimony of the word of God is as to this, that “ there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
It is not then the righteousness of man, for in His sight, in God’s sight, he has none. But it is the righteousness of God that is revealed; and is the great subject of this epistle. “Even the righteousness of God—by faith of Jesus Christ;” “being justified freely by [not here works of our own but] his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Thus after proving man’s guilt, (Jew and Gentile) righteousness is now wholly of God. God hath set forth the propitiation through faith in His blood. Two things God hath done, they are these: He gave His beloved Son to bear our sins, “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, and believing God, we are accounted righteous,” or justified. And this gives perfect peace with God according to all that God is. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We call attention to the fact that Abraham is cited for proof of both these justifications; his justification by works is not for a moment denied in its proper place, as we shall see in James. “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Thus it was faith apart from all works that was counted for righteousness. This is most clear if we turn to the scripture, and examine the passage. “Behold the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels, shall be thine heir,” &c. “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it unto him for righteousness.” (Gen. 17) “ He considered not his own body clearly he believed the bare word of the Lord. And this faith: apart from all works here, was counted for righteousness. Is it not exactly so with the believer? If he considers himself, he never can have peace, for there is nothing in sinful self for faith to rest in. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” And then we have David’s description of “ the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Yea, even still more, “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Wonderful as this is, it must be so; God says it. Through the atoning death of Jesus (not by works) God is righteous in forgiving our sins. By that judgment of sin, the root, in the sacrifice of Christ, God is righteous in not imputing it (sin) to us. Nay, having once laid it on Jesus, He would not, could not, be righteous in imputing it to us. What blessed reality all this is: our sins forgiven: and sin, our very nature, not reckoned. And it was not written for Abraham’s sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” There is this difference, however: Abraham believed the promise of God; we believe the fact. Redemption, His death for us, is an accomplished fact. His resurrection from among the dead for our justification: to be our subsisting righteousness is an accomplished fact. But this matter is entirely of God: not a particle of our works in this case. Justified freely. Justified by faith without the works of the law. This is “to be justified in his sight.” By the accomplished work of Christ, God is just and the Justifier of him that believeth.
All this love commended to us; all done for us when enemies, and without strength; then Christ died for us. Believing God, we are accounted righteous in His sight. Thus justified by faith, we have peace with God. But this entirely through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus all works of man are entirely excluded, where it is a question of justification in His sight, of peace with God. If this righteousness be of the law, or of works, then Christ died in vain. (Gal. 2:2121I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21).) To turn to the law, or works, for additional righteousness, Christ shall profit you nothing, (Gal. 5:1-41Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:1‑4).) Both in the first eight chapters of the Romans, and the Epistle to the Galatians, these truths are clear, and undeniable.
Equally clear and most important is the truth of justification by works in the Epistle of James. Only mark, the righteousness of God through the accomplished redemption by the blood of Jesus, forms no part of the subject of James. The Spirit of God has quite another object here. Christian practice is the theme in James. It is not the question either of being justified in God’s sight, or having peace with God; though divine sovereignty is fully owned. It is justification by works in man’s sight. “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou [or thou seest] how faith wrought with his works?” And again, “Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” Just then, as in Romans, it is the great question of justification in God’s sight; and there man has no righteousness, he has black sins against God. Righteousness, then, being wholly of God, through the propitiation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And thus, by faith, without works of law, the believer is accounted righteous in God’s sight. So in James, living faith produces fruit in the sight of men: and if it does not produce the fruit of obedience to God, and subjection of the will, it is the mere assent of the mind—such a belief as the devils have. It is simply the quality of the faith proved by the works, in the sight, not of God, but before men.
Suppose we walk over a field in early spring. The farmer says, “This is a field of barley.” “Field of barley,” you say, “why we do not see a single blade.” The farmer may know the quality of the seed sown, but you do not. It may be dead and worthless stuff, or every grain may have the germ of life. You might say to the farmer, “Show me thy field of barley without a crop!” How could be, if never a blade or ear appeared? Let us come months, and months after—you watch the steady growth. God has watered it with His clouds, and warmed it with His sun: and now ye see the truth of what the farmer said before. It is not a field of barley in the complete sense, until the seed sown has fulfilled its growth. Only mark, the farmer never expects the crop without the seed sown first. It is only in spiritual things that man is so blind, as to expect the fruit before the seed.
This is exactly how the Spirit of God, both by Paul and James, refers to Abraham. Where Paul speaks of justification in the sight of God, he takes us to Gen. 15. There Abraham believed the bare word of God; and faith was reckoned to him for righteousness. God spake; Abraham believed. Not a blade of works. But faith is a mighty power in the soul. Years and years passed on. Ishmael was fourteen years old when Isaac was born. There was blade, and stalk, and the full ripe ear of faith in God, fulfilled in the offering up that very son in whom centered the promises of God. “Ye see how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.” Apart from the obedience of faith, neither the act of Abraham, nor of Rahab, was good works; but nothing could more strikingly demonstrate the power of faith before men.
There is no more contradiction between justification in the sight of God, by faith without works; and justification in the sight of man by works of faith, than there would be between the description of a field, when the seed alone was buried in the soil and not a blade to be seen; and a description of that same field, as the fruit of that seed browns in the sun, in the days of harvest. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” The inspired Epistle, then, of James, is of immense importance to the child of God who desires not only to be a hearer, but a doer of the word. We are convinced it is especially needed at this time. It was addressed to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. Great numbers professed to be christians, though still attending the synagogue. With many, as in this day, it was a mere dead, empty profession of faith—the lamp without the oil. And hence the importance of pressing practical christian walk.