
Originally Posted by
Ironside
Ro 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
There are those who harass Christians with verses that SEEMINGLY contradict the clear Bible teaching that justification is by faith alone and not by works. They would try to make it appear before Christians that Romans is in collision with James. But nothing is further from the truth. The justification that James is talking about is merely an aspect of the wide doctrine of justification. It is not contradictory but complementary. Actually there are six aspects of justification. And I would like to present them here very briefly:
The Six aspects of justification
1) Justified by Grace
Ro 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
2) Justified by Faith
Ro 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
3) Justified by power [as exerted in the resurrection of Christ
Ro 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification
4) Justified by God
Ro 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
5) Justified by Christ’s blood
Ro 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
6) Justified by works
Jas 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Question: There are six aspects of justification, how do we put these together in a cohesive whole?
This: We are declared perfectly righteous by God by grace through receiving it by faith alone based on the blood of the Savior shed on the cross, through the power of God as exerted in the resurrection of Christ manifested to men by works.
Two Justifications : Before God and before men.
Study James in context [please] and you will see that James is talking about the latter. James has this idea:
Jas 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works [in the eyes of men], and not by [profession of] faith only.
Oh yes, works can justify but not before God
Ro 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God
In the original Greek, there are no commas. Abraham maybe justified by works BUT NOT BEFORE GOD. He may have something to boast about BUT NOT BEFORE GOD.
If not before God can works justify then to whom can works justify? Before men. I am justified before God by faith alone in Christ alone. My brethren cannot see my faith in Christ alone that resides in my heart [since faith is invisible to the human eye] but they can see that I am indeed justified by the change in my life.
They cant see my heart whether I am truly a believer or not but they can see my actions and be able to say: "Ah this one is truly a believer in Christ. He has been justified all right. I can see it in his life. He is a genuine brother. He has shown me his faith by his works."