Saved by Works or Not Saved by Works?
by Dave Brown
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Harmonizing Alleged Bible Contradictions Series ...


Introduction

The alleged bible contradiction is between the following two passages:

Romans 4:2-3, 5
2 For if Abraham was justified by works , he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
3 For what says the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. …
5 But to him that works not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.

James 2:21
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?

These two passages would seem to be totally contradictory on the surface, so let’s go beneath the surface to see how they harmonize.  The context will show that these two passages are teaching the same thing but in two different ways to two different sets of readers.  But before exploring the context, let’s apply the principles of our general articles on harmonization.  Recall the general principles: 

• Milk and meat.  What does your basic knowledge of the Old Testament tell you with regard to people who were obedient to God as opposed to those who thought (i.e., believed) they were serving him but were not observing his commands.  Did the fact that they thought they were serving God make it so?  Is it not a basic principle that in order to be saved we must do the will of God?  Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone that says unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  It cannot get any simpler and more basic than that.  Of course, if faith is the only thing that is the “will of the Father,” then so be it.  But I think we all have a much better sense of what the “will of the Father” is than that.  If this is what Jesus was trying to say in Mt. 7:21, he would have just come right out and said it
• Consider figurative language.  In this case verse 5 contains a not-but statement.  It is underlined.  Works not, but believes.  The basic concept of the not-but statement is that the “not” part of the statement is not absolute and literal, but it is being used for contrast to illustrate the more important idea, in this case the necessity of not only faith, but the system of faith given in the gospel (see Romans 1:16-17).
• Comprehensive approach.  In this case the comprehensive approach starts with the immediate context of the two passages, which we will consider here.  But it should not be limited to that, and a totally comprehensive study of what it means to “not be saved by works” is given here.  We can harmonize these two passages by looking at their immediate contexts.  Consider the following.

Paul was writing to Jews who were wanting to go back under the Old Testament laws; whereas James was writing to some people who felt they could be saved by faith only.

Context of Romans 4

While the church at Rome was composed of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, it seems clear that this part of the letter is specifically addressed to Jews and perhaps also Gentiles who were being influenced by Jews to go back under the Old Testament laws.  To see that it is necessary to go all the way back to Rom. 2:17 where he addresses them directly.  Start there and read through Chapter 3.  You will see he is addressing Jews and showing that the advantage that they had was that they had the Old Testament scriptures (oracles of God).  He goes on to show that both Jew and Gentile are in the same boat as far as their sin and condemnation without the gospel is concerned.  The law that we are under now is not the Old Testament law, but it is “a law of faith” (Rom. 3:27).  He is not stating that the Old Testament law is “of none effect,” but rather than because of Jesus death on the cross, it’s principles have been established and its requirements for forgiveness have now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  With this backdrop he goes on to demonstrate to them the superiority of faith in Jesus Christ over that faith system of the Old Testament.  Since there is no set of works by which we can justify ourselves, it is essential that we put our full trust in the New Testament that Jesus had delivered to us through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

It should be clear that in this context the “works” by which we cannot be saved are the works of the Old Testament law.  In many other places Paul was emphatic about this, e.g., Gal 5:2-4: “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing .  Yea, I testify again to every man that receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.”  It can hardly be any plainer than that, and we should not be surprised then, when Abraham is used for an example – a man of faith, who was saved by his faith in God, hundreds of years before the Law of Moses was even given.  If you want to see how that faith is defined in changing Abraham's life, see Hebrews 11:11-19.

Context of James 2

The purpose of James was completely different from that of Paul.  He was not at all speaking to Jews who were striving to go back under the Old Testament laws.  Far from it, these were Christians who somehow got the idea that they did not really need to do anything to be saved; so they believed they could be saved by some abstract mental process called “faith only.”  This is clear from the very first verse of this passage … James 2:14  “What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?” 

This is a rhetorical question, and most rhetorical questions do not require a response.  However, there are far too many people who call themselves Christians today who would answer this question with a resounding YES!.  If you read the rest of the chapter, however, you will see that that was NOT at all the answer that James provides.  The language here is so plain as to make it a milk passage.  Those who take it for what it says have to have considerable help in order to misunderstand it.  Perhaps long articles explaining why “save” does not mean save, and other equally as absurd concepts that are should further illustrate the depths that their error has taken them.

It is quite interesting that James uses Abraham as an example – the same example that Paul used.  This seems to be providential, and the same Holy Spirit inspired both of them.  Possibly some that James addresses had read Romans 4, or perhaps the Holy Spirit anticipated the misunderstandings that would be made of that writing (see 2 Peter 3:16).  In any event it seemed that they had taken the intent of Paul in Romans 4 way too far, to the point they felt that their lives did not  need to undergo any transformation.  In fact, if you take Paul’s inferences too far you might get the idea that doing any good work is sinful.  Obviously they are if the only intent in doing them is to justify ourselves or purchase our salvation.  But to put all of the commands of the New Testament in the category of meritorious works that would only be done to earn our salvation is obviously calling evil good and good evil (Isa. 5:20) – it would make immorality a virtue.  God expects us to be reasonable in understanding His word; e.g., Eph. 5:17: ”Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  Let us look at the closer context:

James 2:21-24
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;
23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

When you consider the extent to which Abraham’s faith transformed his life (Heb. 11:11-19), it gives us a definition of what true faith is, and it clearly is NOT “faith only.”  Abraham’s faith was not only in his brain.  It was a true and living faith that produced works – not the works of his invention, but the works that God had prepared for him.  And so it is for us, Eph. 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.”  But neither does James state that Abraham was saved by “works only.”  Rather, his faith led him to believe every promise that God ever gave, and every condition that God placed on those promises.  And his transformed life totally demonstrates what true faith is for us today.

Conclusion

To sum it up in just a few words, both Romans 4:2-5 and James 2:21 are perfectly true and there is no contradiction.  Romans 4 condemns trying to be saved by the works of the Old Testament, and by extension to any work of our own making, no matter how great and good mankind believes it to be.  If it is not from God then it is not according to the faith that saves, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16-17).  On the other hand James was trying to counter the idea that all works, even those commanded of God were counter to our salvation.  He went beyond that to indicate that if we have saving faith it will compel us to seek God’s will and to build our lives around it.  The purposes of these two passages are completely different.  To see a contradiction, one must fail to understand these obvious facts from the context.


What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?

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