The debate of justification by faith alone, which started with Martin Luther in the 16th century, is still ongoing today. There are two sides of this debate: the one side that reads Paul’s verses in the Bible and says “by faith” and the other that reads James’ and says “by works”.

But Paul and James are not in opposition. Actually, they are in agreement with one another. And that’s what I’ll explain.

Paul writes in Romans 3:20-26: “Therefore by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his [God’s] sight: for by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin. But now is the righteousness of God made manifest without the Law, having witness of the Law and the Prophets, to wit, the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all that believe. For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness, by the forgiveness of the sins that are passed through the patience of God, to show at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and a justifier of him which is of the faith in Jesus.”

(27-28) “Where is then the rejoicing? It is excluded. By what Law? of works? Nay: but by the Law of faith.” Therefore, we can conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law.

It is then clear by Scripture that a person is justified by faith only. That is, faith in Christ Jesus, and solely in Christ, as he was the only begotten Son of God who paid the penalty for our sins, and not ours alone but the whole world’s, by his death on the cross, fulfilling the promise of God that He would sent a Messiah to save us. This is what justification by faith alone means.

But then James (2:17-18) says, “Even so the faith, if it have no works, is dead in itself. But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I have works: Show me thy faith out of thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

Now James is not saying here that justification is by works. James is actually saying that if a person has faith in Christ Jesus, as he or she says, then that person must by their (new) nature -- because Christ dwells within them and is thus the vine that produces their good fruit -- do good works.

See, where Paul is calling out the person who says they are saved because they perform the Law (and rituals of the Law), saying, no, it is by faith in Christ that one is saved as Christ fulfilled the Law by his blood, James, in agreement with Paul mind you but from an alternative side, calls out the hypocrite who says they have “faith” but their actions reflect otherwise. In other words, their faith does not produce anything good.

So when James says that Abraham was justified by works and Paul says that Abraham was justified by faith, although on the surface it seems they are in disagreement, they are not; they actually agree. Because it was Abraham’s belief that God would fulfill His promise that led to his faith in God; his faith in God that He would fulfill his promise, in turn, led to his action of obedience to God. Thus, we see Abraham’s faith by his action (works) to God’s command. So where Paul is looking at the faith, James is looking at the faith that leads to action.

Remember, Christ said, “By their fruits you shall know them.”

We see who has true faith in Christ by their actions.

James says, “For if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace: warm yourselves, and fill your bellies, not withstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body, what helpeth it?” (James 2:15-16)

John in agreement says, “And whosoever hath this world’s good and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I John 3:17)

However, if a person does “good” works yet they have not faith solely in Christ — for it is “by grace through faith” we are saved, “not of works, lest any man should boast”, and thus claim they deserve salvation because they have earned it — their “good” works mean absolutely nothing - because salvation is a gift of God that is freely given to all who put their faith in His son, Christ Jesus.

How do we know if a person’s good works are produced by faith in Christ only? Because they profess Jesus as Lord and Savior and worship no other — neither man, mother, angel, saint, servant, or service.

“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…I will profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity,” Jesus said.

What proceeds out of the mouth must be in agreement with one’s actions. If, however, there is a contradiction between a person’s speech and their actions, then you know they know not the Lord Jesus because either their tongue is lying or their actions are deceiving; thus their faith is dead.

So, is there a contradiction between Paul’s faith and James’ works? No. They are actually in agreement with one another; they are looking at the same understanding, of the same doctrine, of the same faith but from different perspectives.

(Bible versus from the Geneva Bible of 1560.)