When I was growing up, there was song on the radio that had the chorus, “Friends, how many of us have them?
Friends, the ones you can depend on.
Before we go any further let’s be friends.” – Whodini
After challenging the Christians of his day about their faith development, James relies on their collective historical knowledge to drive the point home. Father Abraham, the one who God declared He would make a great nation, the arbiter of God’s covenant, the one who we sing “had many sons.” Abraham is brought up because his belief was counted to him as righteousness (Gen 15:6). Abraham believed God for a son (after initial laughter), then took that same son to be sacrificed. Only for the angel of the Lord to stop him (Gen. 22:11).
Why did James cite this particular episode? Did James actually believe that Abraham himself was saved from his sins because he was willing to sacrifice Isaac? Is that the reason why he says Abraham was justified by works?
James believed no such thing! He had read his Old Testament well and knew that Abraham was actually declared righteous (‘justified’) by God long before he was called to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 15:6).
His willingness to sacrifice Isaac was, therefore, not the means by which he secured salvation. He already possessed that! It was rather Abraham showing by his obedience that he truly had faith.
James’s point is plain. Just as Abraham showed that he had faith by his works, so his readers were to do the same. And we are to be doing the same as well.1
In the end, James lets us know that having a faith that is visible through our actions can place us in friendship with God.
Prayer focus
- What Bible characters inspire your faith?
- How do your actions today speak, or represent your faith?
- Pray to be faith’s action hero
1 Ellsworth, R. (2009). Opening up James (pp. 98–99). Leominster: Day One Publications.