Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

soul should be united to constitute a living man” (A. Barnes, quoted in Motyer,
110).
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Topical Focus # 13: Faith and Deeds
Scripture in its totality confirms James’ teaching, in the light of both the nature of faith
and the object of faith. Faith has three elements, a root, an essence and a fruit. Just as
the root of unbelief is rebellion (Deut. 1:26-29), the root of faith is surrender. The essence
of faith is embrace, appropriation (Westminster Confession of Faith, XIV, 2).
The fruit of faith is self-abandonment. While James focuses on the fruit, the evidence,
of faith in the life of Abraham, as portrayed in Genesis 22, the other two elements are
present in Abraham as well. Abraham’s surrender to the promises of God and the God
of these promises is described in Genesis 12-14. Abraham’s heartfelt embrace of both
is the subject of Genesis 15. The NT pictures the intimacy of this embrace with regard
to Christ figuratively and graphically as “eating his flesh and drinking his blood” (John
6:51ff). Incidentally, such intimate closing with Christ is not something that man can
produce. It is, and must be, a gift (John 6:44, 65). Now on to the details of the essence
and object of faith!
With regard to the nature or essence of faith:
a. Faith closes with Christ from a broken heart--this corresponds with the broken
Christ on the cross--in conviction of the exceeding sinfulness of sin as an offense
against God (Ps. 51:4) and in recognition of one’s deepest self as the root of sin
(Ps. 51:5).
b. Faith closes with Christ from an undivided heart--this corresponds with the undivided
love of Christ (John 17:9)--in turning away from sin and self to him, who
alone is sufficient (Lk. 4:12; 18:8; Phil. 3:3,7-9), as the only object of our love
(Mt. 6:24; 13:22; 45-46), without any “ifs, ands, or buts.”
c. Faith closes with Christ from a committed heart--this corresponds with the committed
love of Christ (John 13:1)--in seeking him as prophet, priest, and king (Ph.
2:10), without regard for the “inconveniences” (Mt. 8:19-20; Mk. 10:28; Phil.
3:8).
With regard to the object of faith:
a. The Savior answers the problem of our rebellious heart (Ezek. 36:26) in providing
for his children a new heart by including them in his death (destruction of the
old disposition) and resurrection (producing a new man) (Rom. 6:6-11). Mark
that this new heart, man, or disposition is implanted in God’s child in his rebirth,
through the Spirit, and evidences itself in faith and repentance. Of this new heart,
1 John 3:9 says that it “cannot sin.” Inasmuch as it thirsts for forgiveness and holiness,
sin is repugnant to it, and contrary to its nature. Hence, the born again man
will never plunge himself deliberately into sin (1 John 5:18).