The gospel is the core of our faith. It is not a message of moral improvement or religious striving—it is the good news that sinners are made right with God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.
That’s why Paul’s words in Romans 3:28 are so foundational: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” But then, in James 2:24, we come across a verse that seems to push in the opposite direction: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” One says we are justified by faith. The other says we’re not justified by faith alone.
What are we to make of this?
For many believers, this tension creates inner conflict. It raises questions that go straight to the heart: Is my faith real? Have I done enough? Can I really have peace with God? Misunderstanding James doesn’t just create confusion—it can steal the very assurance the gospel was meant to give.
But Scripture does not contradict itself. We believe the Bible is God’s perfect Word—breathed out by Him, unified in its message, and trustworthy in every way (2 Timothy 3:16)—we don’t resolve this tension by ignoring it. We resolve it by slowing down, listening carefully, and recognizing just what Paul and James are trying to say. They are standing back-to-back, guarding the same gospel from two different threats.
If we can hear them both rightly, we won’t just come away with sharper theology—we’ll find rest for our hearts. Real peace comes not from balancing faith and works, but from understanding where each one truly fits into the life of a believer.
Justified by Faith: Paul’s Message to a Legalistic World
When Paul defends justification by faith, he is confronting those who believe righteousness can be earned. In his letters—especially Romans and Galatians—he addresses a group of Jewish false teachers who insist that circumcision, dietary laws, and religious observances are necessary to stand right before God. In essence required to for salvation.
Paul pulls no punches. “By works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20). In fact, the law’s purpose was never to save—it was to reveal our sin and drive us to grace.
In Ephesians 2:8–9, Paul leaves no room for misunderstanding: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
For Paul, justification means being declared righteous before God. It is a legal standing—God, the righteous Judge, looks at the believer and sees not guilt, but righteousness. And this righteousness comes not through obedience, but through faith in the One who obeyed perfectly on our behalf – specifically Christ Jesus.
This is why Paul is so fierce in Galatians 2:16: “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ… because by works of the law no one will be justified.” To mix works with grace is to nullify grace altogether.
He says it plainly in Galatians 2:21: “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” But Christ did not die in vain. He died because we could not save ourselves.
And what did He say as He gave up His spirit? “It is finished” (John 19:30). With those words, Jesus declared that the work of redemption was complete. Nothing more needs to be done. Nothing can be added. The debt is paid. The wrath is satisfied. The way is open.
This is the gospel Paul preached. Salvation is not about what we do, but what Christ has already done. To trust in Christ is to rest in a finished work.
Faith That Works: James Confronts a Dead Faith
As we turn to James though – we find that his message is different, however it is not contradictory.
James is writing to believers—people who claim to have faith. But something’s missing. Their lives don’t match their confession. They speak the right words, but there’s no fruit, no love, no obedience. James doesn’t deny they’ve heard the gospel—he questions whether they’ve believed it.
“What good is it, my brothers,” he asks, “if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14). The implied answer is no.
James’s concern isn’t legalism—it’s complacency. His readers have grown comfortable with a version of “faith” that makes no demands, bears no fruit, and changes nothing. That, James says, is not faith. It’s self-deception.
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). Not weak. Not immature. Dead!
James then introduces a dialogue: “You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works,” he says, “and I will show you my faith by my works” (v. 18). In other words, true faith is visible. It shows itself in action. Not because action saves, but because saving faith cannot stay hidden.
James uses Abraham as his example. He points not to Abraham’s initial belief, but to his obedience years later—when he offered up Isaac in faith. “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works” (v. 22).
Was Abraham justified by works? Not in the way Paul means it. But his faith was proven—demonstrated to be genuine—by his willingness to obey.
James closes with this striking comparison: “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (v. 26). A lifeless body proves physical death. A lifeless faith proves spiritual death.
Understanding “Justified”: Two Different Uses
At the heart of the confusion is the word “justified.” Paul and James both use it, but they mean different things.
For Paul, to be justified is to be declared righteous by God. It is a courtroom term—a divine verdict rendered by grace through faith.
For James, “justified” means something closer to “proven right” or “shown to be true.” When James says a person is “justified by works,” he means their faith is validated—it’s shown to be real by what it produces.
This is how we often use the word today. If we say someone was “justified in their actions,” we mean the facts bear out their decision. It’s not a legal acquittal—it’s a demonstration of truth. That’s how James uses the term.
So, James is not saying that we are made right with God by works. He is saying that real faith will be evident in works. Paul addresses how we are saved. James addresses how saving faith lives and breathes.
Far from contradicting each other, Paul and James are dealing with different spiritual dangers.
Paul opposes legalism—trying to earn salvation.
James opposes license—claiming salvation without evidence.
Put simply:
Paul defends the root of salvation: faith.
James describes the fruit of salvation: works.
The Two Messages in Harmony
When we hold Paul and James together, we get a fuller, richer picture of the Christian life.
Paul reminds us: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
James reminds us: “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26).
They are not opposing voices but complementary ones.
Paul insists that works cannot save. “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). James insists that real faith will not remain fruitless.
Paul teaches that salvation is a gift: “Not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9). But in the very next verse, he says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Even Paul says in Galatians 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus… what counts is faith working through love.” Not just faith in theory, but faith in action.
The Reformation rightly declared: We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone.
The Danger of “Jesus Plus”
Throughout church history, there has always been the temptation to add something to the finished work of Christ. To make salvation about Jesus plus sacraments, Jesus plus works, Jesus plus effort. But Jesus will not share His glory.
When He cried out “It is finished” on the cross (John 19:30), He declared that the full price had been paid. The work was done. There is no more sacrifice to make. No debt left to settle. No righteousness to earn. To add anything is to deny the sufficiency of Christ.
Paul saw this clearly. That’s why he warned so sharply against any “other gospel” (Galatians 1:6–9). And it’s why he wrote, “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21).
The gospel is not Jesus plus our effort. It’s Jesus, period.
But when we truly believe that—when we rest in His finished work—we are not left unchanged. Grace transforms. Faith bears fruit. The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and all the fruit that reflects Christ to the world.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just a theological exercise. It shapes how we live, how we teach, and how we disciple.
First, it gives us assurance. If salvation depends on our performance, we will always wonder if we’ve done enough. But if it rests on Christ’s finished work, we can have peace. At the same time, a life changed by grace confirms that our faith is real. As Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
Second, it grounds our evangelism. We don’t call people to earn their way to God. We proclaim a gospel of grace. But we also call people to discipleship—to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ (Luke 9:23).
Third, it shapes our churches. Healthy churches preach the true gospel: salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But they also call believers to live lives worthy of that calling (Ephesians 4:1). Not to earn salvation, but to display it.
We are not saved by works. But we are saved for works. And when the gospel takes root in a heart, it bears the unmistakable fruit of a changed life.
Holding Grace and Obedience Together
Paul and James do not cancel each other out. They clarify and complete one another.
Paul lifts our eyes to the cross and says: “You are justified by faith. Trust in Christ. His work is enough.”
James walks with us through daily life and says: “Let that faith show. Let it bear fruit. Let it live.”
Both are right. Both are Scripture. And together, they give us a full picture of salvation by grace that leads to a life of obedience.
So, let’s hold fast to both. Let us never forget that we are saved by faith alone—but let us also never settle for a faith that remains alone.
Christ has done it all. It is finished. Let our lives testify to that finished work—not by trying to add to it, but by living in joyful obedience to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
