Christ for Us

Serve the Better God: Trinity 15 Sermon

Trinity 15 sermon preached by Rev. James Preus on Matthew 6:24-34 in 2024.
 
Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
25  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
 
 
Trinity 15
Matthew 6:24-34
Serve the Better God
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
September 8, 2024
 
Jesus instructs us that we cannot serve two masters, therefore, we cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is earthly wealth. You will either love and cling to God and hate and despise Mammon, or you will love and cling to Mammon and hate and despise God. So, you have a choice of which god you will serve. Will you serve mammon, the god of earthly wealth? Or will you serve God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Jesus presents us with a perfectly logical argument why God is the better Master to serve and why we should stop serving the false god Mammon.
First, how do you serve Mammon? You serve Mammon by being anxious, that is, by caring for the things of this life. In other words, by worrying. But Jesus tells us not to worry, not to be anxious, because our heavenly Father cares for all our needs without us offering incense to Mammon with our worrying. He begins by using the logical argument, that if the greater is true, so is the lesser. Consider the birds of the air. They do not toil as you do. They don’t stay up at night worrying. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Of how much more value are you than they? Study the lilies of the field. They do not spin nor sow, but your Father in heaven clothes them more majestically than Solomon the Great. Is it not self-evident that God cares more for you than the grass of the field which is gone tomorrow?
Did God create the birds in His own image? Did He give them dominion over the earth? Did God take on the flesh and nature of birds to become their Redeemer? Did He send His Son to die for the flowers in the field? No. But He has done that for you! God the Son took on our human flesh and blood, lived under the Law for our sake, and was crucified for our sins! How much more does God care for you than for birds and grass! And yet, your Father in heaven does not fail to care for these lesser creatures. How much more will He provide for you!
In that same vein, God has given us much greater blessings than food for the belly and clothing for the body. St. Paul employs this same logical argument of Christ’s when he writes to the Romans in chapter 8, “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (vs. 32) If God did not withhold His own Son from bitter pain and death for your sake, would He hold back from you any good thing? Would He deprive you of food and drink, shoes, and clothing? If God has remembered you from before the foundation of the earth, will He forget you today? If God chose you in Christ from before He created the earth for eternal life, will He fail to keep your life today? He who offers the Holy Spirit without measure for drink for your soul (John 3:34; 7:37-39), will He fail to give you water to drink for your body? He who offers His own Son as food and drink for our souls and invites you to an eternal wedding banquet, will He fail to feed your body today? He who has clothed your soul in a robe of righteousness and gave you Christ Himself as a holy garment (Isaiah 61:10; Gal. 3:27), will He fail to clothe your body today?
And so, you see, if you truly believed the Gospel of Christ, you would put away all worrying and anxiety. If God gives you much more than you desire for the soul, He will not fail to give you the lesser things for the body. If He cares for that which is of lesser value in His eyes, He will certainly care for you, who are the apple of His eye. This is why Jesus repeatedly calls God our Father. Even an earthly father will give good gifts to his children, even though he is evil and weak in his nature (Luke 11:13). How much more will your heavenly Father, who is good and all-powerful give you what you ask for?
So, you see that your heavenly Father is a much better God than that imposter Mammon. While Mammon demands that you worry, yet promises nothing in return, your heavenly Father bids you to stop worrying and to cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). It is God, who provides for all you need in this life. Yes, He commands you to work, but not to worry. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for He gives to His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127) Do not think that your work has given you all that you have. There are many who have worked much harder than you and have had less. And there are those who have worked far less and have more. It is God who provides according to His own generosity at His discretion and according to His purpose.
Finally, Christ crushes the false worship you offer Mammon by pointing out that it is utterly useless. Who, by worrying, ever added an hour to his life or a cubit to his stature? Yet, those who put away worry do not lack any good thing. Jesus wins us over to worship the true God with the comforting words, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Mammon promises nothing, but forces you to worry. The Father promises you everything, and tells you not to worry.
Yet, there are some of you who think you do not serve Mammon, because you do not worry. You have enough food and drink and clothing. You sleep like a baby at night after telling your soul that you have goods stored up for many years, so relax, eat, drink, and be merry (Luke 12:19). Yet, do not think that you are not worshiping Mammon with this attitude. While Mammon tortures most of its followers with anxiety and worry that they will not have enough, it drugs others into a complacent stupor with the riches and pleasures of this life until it finally chokes out the word of God from their hearts (Luke 8:14). Remember, that word for be anxious does not simply mean to worry. It means to care for.
So, what do you care for? What do you serve? The true God or mammon? Are you more concerned with increasing your earthly possessions than storing up treasures in heaven? Do set your mind more on that next vacation, that next vehicle, that next financial milestone, than you do in your own sanctification? Do you plan more for your children’s financial future, for their worldly education, future career, or even their hobbies and sports than you do for their eternal salvation? You could leave your children and grandchildren millions of dollars, yet leave them in the greatest poverty without the kingdom of heaven. Do you take salvation for granted and serve the things that are perishing instead fighting the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7)? Remember Jesus’ solemn warning, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
It is easy to strive after earthly riches. And you will have much company doing it. That is why no one bats an eye when you set aside worship and God’s Word to pursue the pleasures of this life. Yet, that broad way leads to destruction. But the narrow hard way involves crucifying your flesh, repenting of your covetousness and love of earthly riches, and to seek after the heavenly treasure Christ has won for you. It is hard, because it involves daily repentance. It is narrow, because only through faith in Christ may you enter it. Yet, it is the only way that leads to everlasting life.
Many, by striving after riches, have wandered away from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10). It is hard to confront your love of money and riches. It is difficult to tear yourself away from service to Mammon. Yet, when you turn from it, you have the certainty of eternal riches in heaven. Jesus warned earlier in His Sermon on the Mount not to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up your treasure in heaven where it is safe, concluding, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
And this is what Jesus is teaching us about: The service of your heart. You may have nothing, but in your heart are the riches of this world as you worry and long after them. You may be rich like King David, yet call yourself poor and needy (Psalm 70:5). That’s what it means to be poor in spirit and so possess the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). You may not worry, because you think you have everything you need in earthly possessions. Yet everything you love will be taken from you. And since you filled your heart with these perishable treasures, you will be locked out of the true riches in heaven. If you sow after that which is perishable, you will reap corruption.
This is why Jesus concludes, “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness, and the rest will be added unto you.” He is speaking about your service in your heart. Do not set your heart on the riches of this world. God gives them to whom He pleases. They will not satisfy you. They will eventually leave you. Yet, your service to them will lock you out of heaven. Rather, set your heart on the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness, and the rest will be added unto you. Here, Jesus concludes His logical argument of “if the greater is true, so is the lesser.” If you seek from God that which is greater, His kingdom and righteousness, then He will certainly add the rest of these lesser things to you.
Yet, how do you seek God’s kingdom? By seeking His righteousness. God reveals His righteousness through faith in the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17). Through faith in Christ, you receive the righteousness of God, which gives you access and ownership of the greatest riches in heaven: the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, eternal life, adoption as God’s children, heirs of Christ. Christ won this righteousness for you through His bitter sufferings and death on the cross, when He died hungry, thirsty, and naked, foregoing the earthly riches we so long for. And Jesus gives this righteousness to us through His Word and Sacraments. Here, He feeds us with heavenly food for our souls and clothes us with a heavenly robe of righteousness. We eat this heavenly food and clothe ourselves with this heavenly garment through faith, when we believe and trust in the promise God attaches to these means of grace. This is the greater food and greater clothing, which if you have, you will not worry about the lesser. The kingdom of heaven is before you in Christ’s Word and Sacrament. So, seek after this with all your heart. And God will not neglect to add to you whatever you need for each day. Amen.
 
 

Episode 21: Interview with Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau, President of Luther Classical College

President of Luther Classical College, Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau visited my congregation and we sat down for a podcast conversation. Apologies on the audio. I have difficulties with interview. I'll improve it before my next interview. However, it is audible. 
 
 

Christ's Power over Death: Trinity 16 Sermon by Rolf Preus 2009

Trinity 16 sermon preached by Rev. Rolf Preus on Luke 7:11-17 in 2009. You can read the entire sermon at Christforus.org. 

Giving Thanks for Salvation: Trinity 14 Sermon

Trinity 14 sermon preached by Rev. James Preus on the text Luke 7:11-19. 

Episode 20: Must Christians Abstain from Unclean Foods and Keep the Sabbath

Episode 20 of the Christ for Us Bible Study Podcast deals with the question whether Christians must obey the Levitical laws concerning clean and unclean foods as well as the laws governing the Sabbath. You can read along to the outline at Christforus.org. 

Why Worry? Trinity 15 sermon by Rev. Rolf Preus 2008

Sermon preached for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2008 on Matthew 6:24-34 by Rolf Preus. You can read the text of the sermon on Christforus.org. 

Faith Healing: Trinity 14 Sermon by Rev. Rolf Preus 2012

Sermon by Rev. Rolf Preus preached on Luke 17:11-19 for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 2012. 
You can read the text of the sermon at Christforus.org. 

Episode 19: The Course of Error in the Church, C. P. Krauth

In Episode 19, Pastor Preus discusses the course of error in the Church as described by Charles Porterfield Krauth in his book, "The Conservative Reformation." Enters the Church in three stages: 
1. Asking for tolerance. 2. Demanding Equality. 3. Asserting Supremacy. 
Listen to how this progression of error is taught in Scripture, seen in history, and how it takes root in the present day, including in our own lives. You can read the quote and outline to the Bible Study at Christforus.org. 
#Theology #Krauth #errorinthechurch #Lutheran #Biblestudy
 
After recording this episode, I discovered that Charles Porterfield Krauth’s “Conservative Reformation” is available free online at lutheranlibrary.org as a pdf. You can find it here. You can also purchase “Conservative Reformation” from CPH .
Course of Error in the Church
By Charles Porterfield Krauth
When error is admitted into the Church, it will be found that the stages of its progress are always three. It begins by asking toleration. Its friends say to the majority: You need not be afraid of us; we are few, and weak; only let us alone; we shall not disturb the faith of others. The Church has her standards of doctrine; of course we shall never interfere with them; we only ask for ourselves to be spared interference with our private opinions. Indulged in this for a time, error goes on to assert equal rights. Truth and error are two balanced forces. The Church shall do nothing which looks like deciding between them; that would be partiality. It is bigotry to assert any superior right for the truth. We are to agree to differ, and any favoring of the truth, because it is truth, is partisanship. What the friends of truth and error hold in common is fundamental. Anything on which they differ is ipso facto non-essential. Anybody who makes account of such a thing is a disturber of the peace of the church. Truth and error are two co-ordinate powers, and the great secret of church-statesmanship is to preserve the balance between them. From this point error soon goes on to its natural end, which is to assert supremacy Truth started with tolerating; it comes to be merely tolerated, and that only for a time. Error claims a preference for its judgments on all disputed points. It puts men into positions, not as at first in spite of their departure from the Church’s faith, but in consequence of it. There recommendation is that they repudiate faith, and position is given them to teach others to repudiate it, and to make them skilful [sic] in combating it. Charles Porterfield Krauth, Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, CPH, St. Louis, 195-196.
Summary of Krauth’s Thesis on Error in the Church
Error enters the Church in three stages:
Asking for Toleration.
Demanding Equal Rights.
Asserting Supremacy.
Biblical Evidence of Krauth’s Thesis on Error in the Church
The High Places, God’s prohibition to let the pagan nations abide with them.
Solomon tolerated the high places. 1 Kings 3; 11
Soon the kings of Judah and Israel worshiped the other gods as equals to the true God. 1 Kings 12:25-33
Ahab and Jezabel as well as Athaliah and Manasseh forbid true worship. 1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 11; 21
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Galatians 5:9
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. Romans 16:17
Evidence in History
The Roman Catholic Church on the doctrine of justification by works.
The Reformed Church verses the Lutheran Church and forced unions, Rationalism, Higher Criticism, Unionism, etc.
C. P. Krauth’s experience with Protestant Unionism in America, Samuel Simon Schmucker (1799-1873), organizer of the General Synod, founder of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and Pennsylvania College. He among others pushed for union among the protestants in America, even removing five articles from the twenty-eight articles of the Augsburg Confession.  
What we are seeing today!
In the Church/Synod
Feminism, universalism, and higher criticism in the Church
Open Communion                                                                                                                
Evolution, relativism
Unionism, thinking that Lutheran is equal to other denominations and it is just a matter of preference.  
In the Nation
Sexual Revolution
Abortion
“LGBT”
In Yourself!
What sins and errors have you tolerated?
What opinions have you accepted as equal to the teaching of Scripture?
What opinions and errors and sins have you permitted to rule over you in regards to your faith and morals instead of what Scripture teaches.
First Petition of the Lord’s Prayer from Luther’s Small Catechism
Hallowed be Thy name. What does this mean? God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God’s name kept holy? God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God’s Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!

The Law in Service to the Gospel: Trinity 13 Sermon 2024

Trinity 13 sermon preached by Rev. James Preus on Luke 10:23-37. You can read the text at Christforus.org. 
What is the first way the law serves the Gospel? 
How is Jesus the Good Samaritan?
What is another way the law serves the Gospel? 

Episode 18: Does James Disagree with Paul on Justification?

Episode 18 deals with the apparent disagreement between St. James and St. Paul on the doctrine of justification. Is a sinner justified by faith alone apart from works (Romans 3:28) or is a sinner justified by works and not faith alone (James 2:24)? How do we reconcile the two? 
You can read and follow along to the Bible study at Christforus.org. 
#theology #Lutheran #StPaul #StJames #Justification #Faith #Works
 
Augsburg Confession IV
Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4).
Romans 3:21-28
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Romans 4:4-8
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
According to Paul, a sinner is clearly justified before God apart from works through faith alone.
Galatians 2:16
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 3:10-14
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Philippians 3:8-9
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
Does James disagree with Paul on Justification?
James 2:14-26 (especially verse 24)
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 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. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 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? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
“From James 2:24, they cite, ‘You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.’ No other passage is supposed to be more contrary to our belief. But the reply is easy and plain. If the adversaries do not attach their own opinions about the merits of works, the words of James have in them nothing that is unhelpful to us.” Ap. V (III). 123.
What Paul writes in Romans 3 and 4 and Galatians 2 and 3 appears to disagree with what St. James writes in James 2. How can we deal with this apparent contradiction?  
To solve this problem, we have several options.
Admit that Paul and James disagree. Some have determined along with some in the ancient church that James is not authentic, so it cannot be used against Paul. Paul’s letters belong to the classification of homologoumena, which are the books of the New Testament which had unanimous support among the early church. James falls under the classification of antilegomena, because, as Eusebius writes, “since few of the ancients quote it,” and he included it among the disputed books.
This is why Martin Luther called James “an epistle of straw.” However, He still found it useful. Luther writes concerning the Epistle of James:
Though this epistle of St. James was rejected by the ancients, I praise it and consider it a good book, because it sets up no doctrines of men but vigorously promulgates the law of God. However, to state my own opinion about it, though without prejudice to anyone, I do not regard it as the writing of an apostle; and my reasons follow.In the first place it is flatly against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture in ascribing justification to works [2:24]. It says that Abraham was justified by his works when he offered his son Isaac [2:21]; though in Romans 4:2-22 St. Paul teaches to the contrary that Abraham was justified apart from works, by his faith alone, before he had offered his son, and proves it by Moses in Genesis 15:6. Now although this epistle might be helped and an interpretation devised for this justification by works, it cannot be defended in its application to works [Jas. 2:23] of Moses’ statement in Genesis 15:6. For Moses is speaking here only of Abraham’s faith, and not of his works, as St. Paul demonstrates in Romans 4. This fault, therefore, proves that this epistle is not the work of any apostle. AE 35:395-96.
Luther gives a couple more reasons for rejecting James as apostolic, and which you can read in AE 35:396-97, and concludes, “Therefore I cannot include him among the chief books, though I would not thereby prevent anyone from including or extolling him as he pleases, for there are otherwise many good sayings in him.” AE:35:397.
 
The second option is to do as the Roman Catholics have done and interpret Paul in light of James. To do this, they will interpret the words “law” and “works” differently to say that Paul meant only the ceremonial law of the Jews or the ceremonial works of the Jews, which no Christians today believe Christians are obligated to keep (see Colossians 2:16-17).
The weakness in this argument is that Paul clearly speaks not simply of the ceremonial law of the Jews, but of the moral law. See Romans 3:9-20
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands;     no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14     “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16     in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.”18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (especially verse 20)
And Romans 7:7-17. 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
It is untenable that when Paul says that a person is justified apart from works of the Law that he only means ceremonial laws of the Jews and does not refer to all works.
Do as the Lutherans have done (despite Luther Himself not doing it) and interpret James in light of Paul. They do this by clarifying that James uses the word faith and justification in a different way than Paul does. To do this, we need to answer a few questions.
What does Paul mean by faith in Romans 3:21-28 and Galatians 2:16 and 3:10-14?
Paul means faith that holds onto and trusts the promise that God is reconciled to you and forgives you for Christ’s sake. This faith can only come about through rebirth by the Holy Spirit.
What does James mean by faith that does not justify without works in James 2:19, 24 and 26?
James is speaking of an historical faith, one that only holds to knowledge, but does not trust truly trust the promise. James is making a distinction between historical knowledge and true saving faith.
“He made a distinction between dead and living faith. He says that faith that does not bring forth good works is dead. He also says that a living faith brings forth good works. Furthermore, we have shown already several times what we mean by faith. For we do not mean passive knowledge, such as devils have. Instead, we mean faith that resists the terrors of conscience and encourages and comforts terrified hearts.” Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Article V (III). Love and Fulfilling the Law, 128 [249].
What does Paul mean by justify? Read Romans 4:2-8.
By justify, Paul means to be declared righteous and innocent before God’s judgment throne, to be reconciled with God and to truly have peace with Him (Romans 5:1). To be justified means that you will be saved.
What does James mean by justify in James 2:24?
James is not speaking of being justified before the judgment seat of God, whereby, a person is accounted righteous before God by his works. Rather, James uses justify to mean vindication, that a person’s justifying faith is outwardly proved by his good works.
“Here ‘to be justified’ does not mean that a righteous person is made from a wicked person. It means to be pronounced righteous in a judicial sense, as in Romans 2:13, ‘For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.’ These words ‘doers of the law who will be justified’ contain nothing contrary to our doctrine. We, too, believe about James’s words, ‘A person is justified by works and not by faith alone’ (2:24) because people are certainly pronounced righteous having faith and good works. As we have said, the saints’ good works are righteous and please God because of faith. For James praises only works produced by faith, as he testifies when he says of Abraham, ‘Faith was completed by his works’ (2:22). ‘Doers of the law who will be justified, ‘namely, those who believe God from the heart are pronounced righteous. Afterward, they have good fruit, which please Him because of faith. So they are the fulfillment of the Law. These things, simply put, contain nothing incorrect. However, they are distorted by the adversaries, who attach to them godless opinions made in their mind. For it does not follow that (a) works earn the forgiveness of sins, (b) works regenerate hearts, (c) works are an atoning sacrifice, (d) works please without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice, and (e) works do not need Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice. James says nothing about these things. Yet, the adversaries shamelessly conclude such things from James’s words.” Ap. V (III) 131 [252]-132 [253]
Examination of the Council of Trent vol. 1:539: “It is clear that James is disputing about the demonstrations or manifestation of faith against the idle opinion of an empty faith and justification, for he says: ‘If a man says he has faith, let him show his faith by his works.’ And he takes the example of Abraham, which the angel himself interprets of the proof or manifestation, when he says: ‘Now I know that you fear the Lord.’ James, therefore, is speaking of this, that the obedience and good works of Abraham declared and furnished proof that He had truly been justified by faith. For to James ‘to be justified’ means to be declared righteous through external testimonies.”
Many will object to the attempt to reconcile Paul and James by saying that they are using the same words in different ways, but this is common in all languages. Words do not always have the same meaning and must be understood in their context. James himself uses several words with different meanings.
In James 1:13, James says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts (πειράζει) no one.” Yet, in John 6:6, John records the exact same word in Greek (πειράζω) to say, “Jesus said this to test πειράζων him, for He Himself knew what He was about to do.” It is the same word in Greek, but in different contexts it can mean to test, which God does to strengthen our faith, or it can mean to tempt, which Satan, the world, and our sinful flesh do to destroy our faith.
In James 1, James uses the word faith with a different meaning than he does in chapter 2. In verse 6, he says, “But let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…” With these words, James describes saving faith, which not only has knowledge, but steadfast trust to receive what one believes. Yet, in chapter 2, he describes a dead faith, which only has knowledge, a faith which even the demons have! (vs 19). James certainly is using the word faith in more than one way in this short letter. It is certainly possible that James and Paul could use the word faith in two different ways in completely different letters.
Melanchthon makes several other good points regarding James and justification.
He quotes St. Paul in 1 Tim. 1:5, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
He points out that James speaks of works that follow faith.
He points out that James does not teach that a person is regenerated by works, but rather explicitly says that one is born again of the Word: “James said a little earlier that regeneration happens through the Gospel. For he says in James 1:18, ‘Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.’ When James says that we have been reborn by the Gospel, he teaches that we have been born again and justified through faith. For the promise about Christ is grasped only through faith when we set it against the terrors of sin and of death. James does not, therefore, think that we are born again through our works.” Ap. V (III): 126.
Chemnitz also clarifies in the Solid Declaration Article II:41: “This should not be understood as though justification and renewal were separated from each other in such a way that a genuine faith sometimes could exist and continue for a time together with evil intention.”
It is equally important to point out as Chemnitz does in SD II:43, “For faith makes righteous only because, as a means and instrument, it lays hold of, and accepts, God’s grace and Christ’s merit in the Gospel promise.”
This is an important distinction. Faith produces good works. These good works justify us in the sense that they prove the existence of saving faith and justification before God. But we are never justified before God on account of our works, because our works are insufficient to make atonement for our sins and satisfy God’s wrath. Only Christ can do this. Faith justifies only by clinging to Christ Jesus, His atonement, and forgiveness for His sake.
Conclusion:
Paul and James do not disagree. It is untenable to try to make Paul say what the Roman Catholics assert James says, because Paul agrees with the rest of Scripture that sinners are saved by faith alone apart from their works (John 3:16; Genesis 15:6; Psalm 103; etc.). It makes much more sense to interpret James, not only in light of Paul, but in light of the rest of Scripture. In this way, and in reading James in context, we see that James affirms that a person is saved by the power of God’s Word according to His will (James 1:18). James uses faith in chapter 2 differently than saving faith. Likewise, he uses justified not as being declared righteous and innocent of all sin before God for salvation before His judgment throne, but as a proof of the justifying faith that exists in the person’s heart.
There is no better summary of James’s position on justification by faith and works than what Chemnitz writes in the Examination, as quoted earlier: Examination of the Council of Trent vol. 1:539: “It is clear that James is disputing about the demonstrations or manifestation of faith against the idle opinion of an empty faith and justification, for he says: ‘If a man says he has faith, let him show his faith by his works.’ And he takes the example of Abraham, which the angel himself interprets of the proof or manifestation, when he says: ‘Now I know that you fear the Lord.’ James, therefore, is speaking of this, that the obedience and good works of Abraham declared and furnished proof that He had truly been justified by faith. For to James ‘to be justified’ means to be declared righteous through external testimonies.”