for he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
Verse 6.
3. How only can we truly know God?
"Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal Him." Matt. 11:27.
4. In whom must we believe in order to be saved?
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John
3:16.
5. What challenge does the apostle James make as to the evidence that one has
genuine faith?
"Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by
my works." James 2:18.
6. How did Abraham show that he had perfect faith in God?
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his
son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect?" Verses 21,22.
7. By what practical example does the apostle illustrate the difference between
genuine, living faith, and a dead faith?
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say
unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not
those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" Verses 15,16.
8. How necessary are works in maintaining living faith?
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? . . . . For
as the body without the spirit [margin, breath] is dead, so faith without
works is dead also." Verses 20-26.
NOTES.-The apostle was not here arguing for justification or salvation by faith and
works, but for a living faith- a faith that works. "There are two errors against
which the children of God- particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace-
especially need to guard. The first. . . is that of looking to their own works, trusting
to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to
become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that
man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ
alone, through faith, that can make us holy. The opposite and no less dangerous error is
that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone
we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our
redemption. . . . Obedience- the service and allegiance of love- is the true sign of
discipleship. . . . Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only,
that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience. We
do not earn salvation by our obedience for salvation is the free gift of God, to be
received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. . . . That so-called faith in
Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not
faith, but presumption."- "Steps to Christ," pages 64-66.
Says Luther: "If Christ alone takes away sin, we cannot do so by all our works. But
good works follow redemption as surely as fruit appears upon a living tree."- D'
Aubigne's "History of the Reformation," book 2, chap. 6.
