How did James prove that `faith apart from works, is dead'?
James began his exposition on faith and works by calling upon Christians to be doers of the word and not deceive themselves as men of faith by not doing what they profess, for if they are mere hearers, they are like a man who observes his face in a mirror, but as soon as he goes away, forgets what his face looks like. He who has heard the perfect law, the gospel of Christ (which liberates us from the curse of the law) and perseveres in it by his actions, shall be blessed in his doing. For somebody to be truly religious, he must bridle his tongue or else his religion is in vain and he is deceiving himself. Pure and undiluted religion involves visiting orphans/widows (in their affliction)and keeping away from the stain of sin.
To butress his teaching, James cited the biblical instances of faith and works operating in unison. He spoke about Abraham's justification not merely because of his faith, but for matching his faith with requisite work. When he heard and obeyed God and showed his readiness to sacrifice his son-Isaac, he proved that his faith would have been incomplete without taking the appropriate action. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned for him as righteousness. Consequently, he was called the friend of God, having been justified by his works, and not by faith alone.
Again, Rahab had faith in the God of Israel and proved it by receiving God's messengers. She then deceived even her own people who came to capture and to slay the messengers by sending them on a wild goose chase and ensuring the escape of the messengers and was thus justified by her actions. In conclusion, James said that as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
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