Stepping out in Faith

"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." - James 2:24-26

Rahab, a prostitute, was a woman who didn't have much. She would most likely have been quite poor. Not only that, but she was a terrible sinner. In the book of Joshua, the Israelites desire to view the promised land, Jericho, before they enter it. Sending spies to go and view the land, the spies lodge at this harlots house. The King of Jericho, upon finding out that there are spies in their land who are staying with Rahab, sends word to Rahab telling her to give them the men who are staying lodged at her home. Rahab, by this point, has hid the men, and she responds to the officials at her door by saying she doesn't know who the men were and they left some time ago. The officials then leave and go looking for the spies. Rahab hurries up to the roof where she hid the spies and tells them,
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“I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 

The spies told her that they would deal kindly with her and her family as she asked. This story being referenced by James is a powerful story of a sinful woman who turned to God and trusted not in people, but in God. It is the story of a woman who risked everything because she was sure of the truth the Israelites believed. Why was she sure? Because she had heard of the great deeds of God and believed them. Rahab knew very well that the body apart from the spirit is dead. That is why she stepped out in faith, she knew that God would destroy them and so she chose the correct side in order that God might spare her life when destroying the rest of Jericho. 

If we are to be physically alive, our spirit must have a body, without the body, we are not physically alive. We may have personality and emotion, but without a body to express these characteristics, we cannot really be a full person. The same is true with faith. We may have faith, but if this faith is not being expressed through works externally, than we can not really have a complete faith. In order to be spiritually alive, we must have faith, and show that faith through our actions. Rahab's faith came before her works. The only reason she hid the spies was because she believed that God did exist and did have the power to destroy her if she fought against him.

If we really believe what we say we believe about God, are we willing to risk it all? Are we willing to risk our lives and trust in God alone? Are we willing to leap out in faith and put our life at the mercy of God? Only once we have done and are willing to do this will we once again have a living faith. A faith that refreshes us every day because we are bold to live for God. A faith that is willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of Christ. The most refreshing thing you can do for your faith is step out in faith. 

Caught by the Hands of a Gracious God

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“Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’ --and he was called a friend of God.” - James 2:20-23

Once again, we return to our study of the second chapter of James. The passages we are dealing with at this point are some of the most disputed and difficult chapters of the Bible. Romans is often held up against James because Romans seems to argue that salvation is through faith, whereas James seems to argue that salvation is through works. It is my hope that we can reconcile these books together, as we are told that scripture can not contradict itself. 

The passage of scripture that James quotes here is Genesis 15:6. Interestingly, this is the same passage that is quoted by Paul in Romans 4:5 to seemingly argue the exact opposite of what James is arguing. Romans 4:3-5 says,

“For what does scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

Here are two different people, James and Paul, arguing seemingly different points with the exact same piece of Old Testament Scripture. Either one of them doesn’t understand the Old Testament Scriptures well, because the Old Testament scriptures can only mean one thing, or they are arguing different but reconcilable points using the same piece of scripture. I would like to propose the latter. 

Lets take the piece of scripture in Romans. In this piece of scripture, Paul is talking about how one gets salvation, whether it is through works, or through faith in Christ. Paul argues correctly that salvation is earned through faith in Christ. Now in James, James is arguing for something quite different from that of Paul. James is arguing for what makes the faith needed for salvation a living, real, and worthwhile faith. Paul is arguing that faith is needed for salvation, James is arguing that works are the representation of one’s saving faith. 

In the passage of Genesis 15:6, Abraham has already faithfully offered his son, Isaac, up on the altar. The part that is being quoted by Paul and James is after all the works have taken place and Abraham believes that God will bless him for what his works showed. Where Genesis 15:6 says, “Abraham believed God,” it is assumed that the believing it is talking about is Abraham’s belief in God revealed through his willingness to offer his son as a sacrifice. But the belief this verse is actually talking about is quite different from that. After Abraham has faithfully offered Isaac up and after God has faithfully provided a Lamb to take the place of Isaac, God promises to bless Abraham and to make his descendants as many as the stars of the sky. At this point, the scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” The belief this scripture is talking about is Abraham’s belief in God’s promise to bless Abraham and his descendants. 

Why does all of this matter? Because it has greatly to do with the point James is trying to make. James says, “you see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” My question for you is this; would Abraham have been able to believe in God’s promised blessing if he had not offered up his son? Of course not. Had he disobeyed God, there would have been no way for Abraham to believe in a promised blessing that came because he obeyed God. The point is this, often times works have to come before we can truly believe. Sure, I can believe that water will quench my thirst, but if I never try it, how am I to believe? I can believe a computer works, but if I have never seen one function, do I really believe? Would not using a computer perhaps enhance my faith that the computer really does work? Jumping out in faith and trusting God actually enhances our faith. This is what Abraham did, not knowing what was going to happen, he took a knife to his son, faithfully obeying God, and when God provided for him, he was reassured of the promise that God will bless and protect his children. 

Do you desire greater faith? Do you desire to be more trusting in God? It might sound like an oxymoron, but the first step is trusting God. If you never allow God to catch you, why would you trust that he actually will? Once you have stepped out in faith and God has caught you, write that time down, do not forget it. And once your faith has began to fade and you have become content, remind yourself of when God caught you and let him do it again.