“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” (James 2:21-25).
Who wants to purchase at great expense something that is worthless? What right thinking person would knowingly invest in one of Satan’s worthless scams called “faith” when he can have the invaluable genuine?
People in human history as diverse as the Hebrew man named Abraham and the Gentile woman called Rahab were able to exercise faith which pleased God and resulted in justification—being accounted before God as righteous. They did not “get lucky”. They got it right.
Their faith prompted and provoked works. Their works consummated and completed their faith.
Faith and works are not polar opposites. They are not like oil and water. Rather, they are like you. Just as you are a spirit within a physical body, so faith is the life force which results in works of obedience. It was the synergy of faith and works which justified Abraham and Rahab.
That same synergistic combination of faith and works is what justifies today.
