Romans 3:28

NASB	NLT	VOICE
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.	28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.	28 We hold that people are, that is, made right with God through faith, which has nothing to do with the deeds the law prescribes.

James 2:14

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?	14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith and save anyone?	14 Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t make any sense to say you have faith and act in a way that denies that faith. Mere talk never gets you very far, and a commitment to Jesus only in words will not save you.

Faith vs. Works

Are we made right with God through our faith, or through our works? Paul mentions that by our faith, our relationship with God is restored. James asks how we show our faith in God without our works. But if works don’t make us right, why do we need them to showcase our faith? This wrestling is the contradiction that I am going to talk about today.

Atonement Through Faith

To be made right, in the context of Paul’s writing, it describes God’s act of removing guilt and the penalty of sin while sharing that sinners are righteous through Jesus’s atoning sacrifice. Faith is how we receive justification. We receive justification through what I mentioned above – God’s removal of our guilt, the penalty of sin, and that we’re declared righteous. Faith comes from trusting and relying on Jesus and his work on the cross. Paul argues that following the laws doesn’t achieve justification. The law is our way to reveal sins and not remove it.

REFELECTION CHECKPOINT: The Bible says that belief in Jesus’s atoning act is sufficient. How does that make you feel.

James is questioning the practical value of faith. In the early church, faith was supposed to show through our works, so that it can benefit our community. The question is asking: If someone has faith in God, but does not show it through their good works for their community, how can this faith be considered genuine? The early church struggled with people who claimed they had faith but didn’t live it out. Deeds/Works are the evidence of genuine faith, which connects back to the older Jewish understanding with faith being linked to actions. The question of this faith can save them echoes what Jesus’ teachings. Jesus warned against the empty professions of faith. It describes how a living faith can produce fruit.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: James describes how true our faith is through our acts. What does that mean in your life?

Faith and Works Work Together

So, which is it? Does our faith bring us atonement or do our works justify our salvation? Scripture shows us that we are made right by God alone – but our faith always shows itself through our works. Our belief should be the source of our works. What do we believe about God? How do we interpret his teachings? The more we understand about who God is, what He stands for, and how we are supposed to respond to his teachings, the more we can align our words and actions to share that message to the world. This shows that our actions are a response to our faith. We believe that Christ died for our sins, and our response to that sacrifice to is to live in a way that honors that sacrifice and brings more people to understand who Christ is. This isn’t a case of one versus the other. Our faith and our works go together, bringing the focus to God and honoring His creation to the world.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Take some time to reflect what you believe about God and about the world. Do your beliefs align with God? If not, how can you work to align your beliefs with God’s will?