Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN
answer expressing so much in so few words that mean so
much to the human race? That Call to Abraiiz aid
Abraids respoiise changed the eiitire cowrse of huinan.
history,
2. Abram heard the Call, and Abram obeyed.
(1)
His faith led to works of faith. Me hear a great deal
about “faith only” as equivalent to conversion. There is
no such thing as “faith only”: the Bible does not teach
salvation by “faith only” any more than it teaches salvation
by “baptism only” (1 Pet. 3:21). What would
“faith only” be? What could it be but a pseudo-intellectual
acquiescence that lacks any kind of real commitment?
But Christian faith includes not only belief and confession
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt.
16:16, 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-lo), but also the commitment
of the whole man-in spirit and soul and body (1
Thess, 5:23; cf. Rom. 12:1-2)-to the authority and example
of Christ (Col. 3:17). (2) Hence, the testimony
of James that “as the body apart from the spirit is dead,
even so faith apart from works is dead” (Jas. 2:14-26).
James’ argument is twofold: (a) Faith that does not manifest
itself in works (acts) of faith is dead, because it is
only profession without practice; (b) even the devils
believe and tremble: how worthless, then, must be faith
alone! But does not this contradict what the Apostle Paul
says in Rom. 3:20, “By works of law shall no flesh be
justified” (accounted righteous) in God’s sight. At first
glance this statement from James appears to be diametrically
opposed to Paul’s teaching: for (1) Paul says, Rom.
3:28, “We reckon that a man is justified by faith apart
from works of law,” whereas James asserts that “faith
without works is dead,” and that man is “justified by
works and not only by faith” (Jas. 2:26, 24). (2) Paul
speaks of Abraham as justified by faith (Rom. 4, Gal. 3:6
ff.), James says that he was justified by worlts (v. 21).
(3) Paul, or the writer of Hebrews, appeals to the case
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