A scripture, a story and an observation on Faith vs. Works or should it be Faith and Works

THE SCRIPTURE: James 2:18-26 (The Message)
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape - that seamless unity of believing and doing - what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

THE STORY:
A rich woman died and was received by the angel Gabriel at the gate of Heaven. He took her to see where she was to live, and on the way she admired a splendid house built of gold and precious stones. On asking who lived there she was told the name of a man she had known on earth, and she exclaimed vehemently because he had been so poor and unimportant. “Yes,” agreed Gabriel, “but he was able to send these materials up to us.” They passed a house built of ivory and lovely-colored marble, and the lady was disgusted to hear it was that of a woman who had been a slum dweller on earth. She had, however, sent up the materials so that his handsome house could be built. Presently a wretched little mud hovel was reached, and the angel intimated that it was the new arrival’s house. She exclaimed in horror. “We are very, very sorry,” said her guide, “but we did our best with the materials you sent up.”

THE OBSERVATION:
Faith vs. works has been a debate that has lingered within the hollow halls of the church since the time of Christ. Martin Luther disliked the book of James for its emphasis on works. He actually felt that the book should be removed from the New Testament for that very reason and called it, “The book of straw.”

Sorry, Dr. Luther, I would disagree. The real issue facing Christians is not to choose between the two Faith or Works, rather the challenge is to find the push-pull of the two working together. Failing to do so creates the criticism best summoned up by the old adage: “He/she is so heaven bound that they are no earthly good.”

While the story hammers home the point that what we do here on earth matters, we have to be careful not to take it literally because the heavenly reward is the same for all of us regardless of how long we have been believers or how much we have attempt/accomplished for the Kingdom of God. And yet, the story is still effective in reminding us that what we do here on earth should matter AS IF it determines our future in heaven.

Actually, the truth still remains, what we do here on planet earth grows out of our relationship with Christ, our faith relationship, which drives us to accomplish Kingdom work … and our Kingdom work drives us back to strengthen our faith. One leads us to the other, each getting stronger in each cycle. Those with great faith will accomplish great things.

It is like the motto over the arches at Scarritt College in Nashville: Attempt Great Things For God … Expect Great Things From God …

Now, go forth and multiple!