In the early days of Christianity, it would have been hard to find anyone in Jerusalem more zealous for God than this one particular person.  Born into a religious family, his father was a Godly leader among the people. Like most boys his age, he studied the writings of Moses and the prophets diligently.  This student wanted so much to follow in his father’s footsteps that he excelled in his studies and advanced well beyond his peers. He boasted about his knowledge of the scriptures and strove to live by them.  Eventually, he rose to a respected position within the religious councils of Jerusalem and gained their approval for his own personal mission.

This well-respected religious leader was Paul, and his mission involved hunting down followers of Christ to jail them, which sometimes led to murder.

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Many people talk about God and the importance of following him and his teachings.  And sometimes they are actually talking about the God of the Bible.  We hear this from leaders in social and civil organizations, businesses, politics, churches, schools, acquaintances, and friends.  However, as we just read about Paul, knowing about God doesn’t necessarily equate to knowing God and having a right relationship with Him.

The Bible offers us many more examples besides Paul.  Of the few people that Jesus ever warned his disciples about, the ones he mentioned most were the Pharisees (the sect to which Paul belonged) and the Sadducees (Matt. 16:11-12).  This may have been a surprise to those around him, as the Pharisees and Sadducees were the religious leaders of their day. They were the experts in the scriptures and taught the people about God. It could have been argued that they were viewed as the highest representatives for God’s chosen people.  Yet, Jesus was more likely to criticize the Pharisees and instead associate with the tax collectors, who were considered thieves and traitors by the Jews. He accused these religious leaders of placing the letter of the Law over the spirit of the Law, preaching and praying in public to exalt themselves before others while placing burdens on the Jewish people that kept them from experiencing God’s love, justice, and mercy (Matt. 23:1-36).

This wasn’t just a problem with the Pharisees, however. This has been a problem with Israel since they became a people.   God rescued them from Egypt, taught them directly, and dwelt among them in the Temple.  If anyone had knowledge of God, it would have been Israel, particularly Judah.  They made the required offerings and kept the appointed feasts.  However, their lives did not reflect the way God expected them to live. They knew a lot about God, but that was not enough to keep them from exile. (Isaiah 1:11-15). 

If you are Christian or have read some of my past articles, you know that God’s saving power isn’t a result of how much we know. Let’s face it, even demons, God’s enemies, know who He is and what He can do (James 2:19).  What binds a person to God is faith in the redeeming work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. [1] But in a world where knowledge is highly valued and a person is often defined by what they know, how can we be sure that the person talking about God is also following God?  What is the proof?

PAUL’S PUTTING

As we’ve already seen, Paul is the perfect example of someone who had vast knowledge of God and thought of himself as His champion, but, in reality, was persecuting God (Acts 9:4-5). God showed Paul grace, and the Pharisee turned his life around to become known as a great leader of the early Christian church.  His change was so dramatic that he grew to be respected by those he used to persecute, while being persecuted by those who used to respect him.

Paul described this process as putting off the old self and putting on the new self. Putting off the old self meant avoiding lying, stealing, hateful or demoralizing speech, bitterness, wrath, unjustified anger, slander and malice.   Conversely, putting on the new self meant speaking truth, forgiving others, sharing, offering encouragement, being kind and tenderhearted (Eph. 4:20-32). Throughout the Bible, we are told to correct oppression, care for widows and orphans, seek justice, help foreigners, protect life (Isiah 1:17, Jer. 7:5-7), be joyous and kind, practice patience, control our desires, be peaceful and gentle, seek the benefit of others and work for their flourishing (Gal. 5:22-24), respect others (1 Pet. 2:17), and act selflessly (Phil. 2:4).  And the list goes on.

These good works are important, but Paul makes it clear that their purpose is not to save us. In Ephesians, long before he mentioned putting on the new self, he wrote, “. . . You are no longer stranger and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God . . .” (Eph. 2:19).  The apostle’s audience had already been adopted by God, so it couldn’t have been because they demonstrated good works.   If so, Paul would not have needed to encourage them to change their behaviors.

It’s no question that Christians should perform good works. But many others do, as well. People of all religions demonstrate worthwhile virtues.  Some of the greatest philanthropists and humanitarian activists are atheists and non-Christians.  The bottom line is, following God isn’t necessary to be selfless, caring, encouraging, or helpful. So how can these traits help us determine who is a true follower of God?  To figure that out, we need to spend some time with James.

JAMES’ PROOVING

Despite being the brother of Jesus, James’ letter to the church has been looked at critically in the past. The reason is because it seems to contradict Paul’s teaching of grace.  Statements such as “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone (Jam. 2: 24)” and “Faith apart from works is dead (2: 26)” appear to suggest that God requires more than just faith.  You must earn your salvation through work. However, a closer look at what James is saying reveals a deeper understanding of the relationship between works and faith.

While I couldn’t find any specific event or group that James was addressing in his letter, it is safe to assume that there was a habit among the new believers to boast about their new-found faith, yet still act judgmental, speak harshly, and be greedy and stingy. [2] Sound familiar?  Like Paul, James encourages them to change their behavior, primarily in the areas of speech, relationships, and money.  However, James takes it one step further by suggesting that not growing in those areas could be an indication that you were never truly saved in the first place.

Hearing the word but not doing it, James says, is akin to being a deceiver.  It’s like forgetting what you look like once you turn away from the mirror (1:22-24). To those who are religious but speak and act with no regard for others, the apostle is blunt, telling them their religion is worthless. (1:26) He even lays down a challenge: “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (2:18)”

Nothing James writes contradicts Paul message of salvation resulting solely from faith.  However, he does feel that faith and good works are so intrinsically complimentary, whoever is justified by God will experience both (2:24). Saving faith must be genuine, and the only proof of its genuineness are the accompanying good works. Anyone can say they are saved.  But words are cheap.  It is only by living a life that outwardly honors God’s good commands that others can see that a person’s faith is real and not just lip-service.

LOOK FOR THE PROOF

Sanctification, or growing in good works, is a process. By no means am I suggesting that salvation requires perfection.  That’s the whole reason Jesus was crucified, to fill in the gaps, or chasms, between our works.  We can’t truly know a person’s heart, but when we hear a businessman, athlete, politician, actor, public speaker, co-worker, friend, or even family member claim to be a Christian, but witness them being continuously harsh, selfish, immoral, deceitful, prideful, and worldly, I feel it’s fair to question if their salvation is genuine. Are they putting off the old self and putting on the new? Or to put it another way . . . Is there Proof in their Putting?

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[1] For some examples, see Recovering Our Identity or The “Job” Assumption.

[2] ‌Atton Bryant, T. (Ed.). (1967). The New Compact Bible Dictionary. Zondervan. P. 266.

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