Originally Posted by MikeL
Hi Kyle,

I think the two are different. Works as written about by Paul are linked to the law. Works as written about by James seem to be more about doing good things out of love. His definition of religion, for example, mentions helping widows and orphans. He seems to be taking a very general view of works, based on a real desire to love and help others. This attitude of the heart is much different than following the law, and seems to follow along the lines of Jesus' admonitions of the Pharisees, who worship God out of a legalistic rather than loving attitude.

This distinction between "works of the law" and "good works" doesn't even hold up in James:

"But the one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does" (1:25).

"If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not commit murder.' Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty" (2:8-12).

For James, truly good works are in obedience to the law of God.

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As an aside, I sometimes get the feeling that good works are somehow bad when I talk to Calvinists. They have built up such a defense against good works relating to salvation, that they've grown accustomed to opposing good works of any kind! This is surely not a good thing, because while we may disagree about the status of good works, we should surely agree that we should still do them.

I'm not sure with which Calvinists you've been speaking, but you won't find any here, so far as I know, who deny the necessity of good works in the life of the believer.

Kyle

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.