Holy Trinity Sunday (NTA)

James 2:18-26

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.

Many people have balked at this text. Some have done their best to twist the words of this text. Some may even ask: “What is meant by ‘works’ ‘justified’ ‘faith’? There is part of me that wants to talk about these various points, but here is the part I am going to address: “when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way.”

I always thought that they were spies. But I find it interesting that James refers to them as messengers. When people of Israel moved around from place to place, they were messengers always proclaiming the word of God. Many people illustrate this by living out the Christian life. James would support this idea.

If you are a “Christian” who continues to act or practice a life contrary to the Word of God, you are not really a Christian. Maybe this is worded badly; if you continue to practice sinning, you can not be a Christian. I don’t think that was worded much better. If you don’t recognize or struggle with your sinful practices, then you are not really a Christian.

This does not seem right, but it sounds like the text. We are witnesses to what it means to be a Christian, by the way we live our life. This does not mean our practices of acceptance, forgiveness, tolerance, grace and mercy. This means our practices of telling the truth, not stealing, not hating or murdering, not performing sexual immorality, nor disrespecting our parents or authorities. These are the actions you are supposed to do!

The problem is that no Christian can ever be a Christian. Thus, the Holy Spirit calls us and gathers us around the Word of God. He works to strengthen us in the true faith. He helps us to lead better lives. But most importantly it is the message that we become. You are a forgiven child of God. Christ has redeemed you, and made you his own.