FAITH AND WORKS

St. James wrote: "faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead", James 2:17; "faith without works is useless", James 2:20; "(f)or just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead", James 2:26. (NABRE)

St. Paul on the other hand, asserted:  “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2; “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26; “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NABRE, underlinings supplied).

From these apparently contradictory statements of St. James and St. Paul, there is supposedly a big contrast between works and faith. Presumably ‘works’ proceed from law (the Ten Commandments plus traditional Jewish religious tenets) and ‘faith’ from the grace and mercy brought forth by Jesus.

Might this not be a false contrast?

For from the heart comes most every manner of human behavior. Reasons and passions stew in the heart of mind and the mind of heart, and steam forth or manifest as actions or works.

So, would this contrast not be a contradistinction of (a) basis, cause, origin or source [faith, belief] against (b) consequence, effect, outcome, product, result or upshot [actions, works]?

Why not compare and contrast beliefs, expectations, intentions and motivations? That is: cause vs. cause, not cause vs. effect?

Are we not really making the following distinction?

On one hand, one might believe and have faith that he, by himself alone, relying solely on his own reason and mental power, can do right things and actions, and thus generate desired results and outcomes, even including to be like or more than God, without the help and favor of any deity. Isn’t this the presupposed doctrine of works?

On the other hand, another might believe and have faith that he, by himself alone, while able to take right actions even as he must eat by the sweat of his brow, cannot really generate right things without God’s grace or unmerited favor, like a builder building in vain or a farmer planting fruitlessly, and therefore he must do works in alignment with and based on faith in God’s grace, word and light, and doing so, expect the best results. Isn’t this the declared law of grace?

The first, observing cause and effect principles, puts into action the established predictable causes to bring about predictable results, as experience, knowledge, reason and science would tell him; in dealing with the unpredictable, the first prepares for all the future scenarios he can possibly conceive and leaves it at that.

The second, initially looks at situations and problems from known predictable factors, then goes beyond them, beyond what nature appears to warrant and, in faith, speaks the promises of God to the conditions then acts in congruence with those promises; in dealing with the unexpected, while also preparing for eventualities using both predictabilities and divine promises, the second readily concedes that all scenarios cannot really be envisaged and so, concomitantly, prays for, and keeps his hopes high in the belief of, unmerited favor (or grace) from the Almighty.

In the end, I submit, the contradiction might be re-framed in terms of effect vs. effect, manifestation vs. manifestation. This can also be stated as a contrast between: “works based on belief in reason alone, excluding God or His Grace” versus “works based not only on faith in reason as a gift of God but more importantly on faith in God Himself, His Promises and His Grace”.

Another way of re-framing the apparent opposition is in terms of cause vs. cause, belief vs. belief. Thus: “belief that one can reach heaven by simply following the letters of the law” vs “belief that one can reach heaven by faith in the grace (unmerited favor) of God, through faith in Jesus the Supreme Sacrifice who, in unity with the Holy Spirit, enables us to obey the law of love.”

This tension can be settled only by the gift of free will or our power to choose. Exercise it (elect to do things with or without God) and then just do the things you choose (by your lonesome self or in, with, and through God!)