Paul says we are 'justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law' (Romans 3:28). James says 'you see that a man is justified by works, and NOT BY FAITH ONLY.' (James 2:24) It should not surprise us that many view this as a clear contradiction in Scripture. But those of us who believe that all Scripture is 'God-breathed' (2 Timothy 3:16), and that 'Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit' (2 Peter 1:21) believe they COULD NOT have been contradicting each other, but that they were simply developing the same truth from different angles, and with different ends in view. James was not saying 'faith + works = salvation.' James was saying 'faith = salvation + works.' In other words, we are justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that IS ALONE. As Calvin put it, 'Christ justifies no one whom He does not at the same time sanctify.' He sets them apart, and begins the process that will eventually lead to their glorification. James is warning against the sort of faith that so many have today, a faith that is all verbal, which has resulted in no fruit---no change of life. This is why James says 'faith without works is dead.' How about you? Do you have a supernatural life force at work within you, or do you just go through the motions of being a Christian? Are you nothing more than a wooden marionette, a Pinnochio Christian, or have you become a living, breathing child of God?
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Born and raised in Baltimore MD, then moving to Florida in his youth, Russ came to faith in Christ as a third year college student through the testimony of his brother Doug. Russ transferred from the University of Florida to Shelton College which is affiliated with the Bible...
