James 2

Thursday, March 7, 2013

James 2

A brief introduction to this book of the Bible described this epistle as one of the catholic epistles - meaning "universal" or to the whole church, as opposed to all of Paul's letters by place.  But this chapter definitely feels like the Catholic one, because there's a pretty no-ambiguity, complete with "you ignoramus!" at opposition argument that faith without works is dead and thus we are not saved by faith alone.

Which reminds me of when my sister was counselor for a Protestant Christian summer camp.  She described the way the religious lessons she was trained to teach would sometimes hit her with the example of a worksheet that had the question: How are we saved?  There were three circles, one that said "Works Alone" one that said "Faith and Works" in the middle and then on the far side "Faith Alone".  Erin said, and we agreed, that the obvious answer she assumed was "Faith and Works" whereas to the camp the obvious answer was "Faith Alone".

I suppose if you believe, as I do, that it's not our faith that saves us but God's faithfulness, His love, and His faith in us, if you believe that everyone is saved they just don't know it yet in some cases, then you can't fathom the point of religion if it is not to do good works.  If it is to bring us comfort, then why does it challenge us?  If it is to shame us, then why are we instructed to love unconditionally?

No, faith is to make us better people and bring us closer to God while we are on earth.  Faith is for us to have a way of coming to grips with the awesome love of God that will make us try to improve the world around us.  To make it more fit for His return, to make it more fit for the Holy Spirit that still abides here.  To make it a place more fit for the love He showers on us.

"18 Show me your faith without works, and I will show you the faith that underlies my works!"

It's related to C.S. Lewis's elegant solution to the problem of good people of different faiths - that it is impossible to do good without God's spirit being underneath it.  That doing good is faith in action even if that is not what you call it.  When there is good done in the world, there is always God behind it.  There is always faith at its heart.