Justified by Faith that Works

James 2:21-26 

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 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. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.  25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Examples of faith that works from the Old Testament show that genuine faith has resulting action that validates it by a changed life.  Abraham was moved by God to believe the promise through his child to father many nations.  This could not happen if Isaac died, yet God told him to sacrifice Isaac to Him, and he acted with the belief that God would raise Isaac from death if necessary to fulfill His unbreakable promise (Hebrews 11:17-19).  Abraham’s faith acted in moving forward to kill his son on that altar because he believed God and acted - that is the definition of faith, not mere assent to facts, but trust that works as a result.  He was stopped from sacrificing his only son, God providing a sacrifice instead, just as He would later offer His only begotten Son for us and raised Him from the dead.  This faith in action was counted as righteousness by God, showing righteousness comes through faith that is created by God’s word to us.  He was justified by this kind of faith, just as we have been who are Christ’s, and this trusting obedience justifies us.  Rehab is another example of active faith, the one who protected God’s people and fully expected deliverance from death by God’s promise.  All these demonstrate true faith is dead if it does not work; active trust is the faith that saves, believing what God says and acting on it just because He who is eternally trustworthy said it.  Without faith that works, we are still dead in our sin (Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:5-6).  We are not saved by working righteousness, but by actively trusting in God’s work of righteousness in Christ and His promises (John 1:12-13, John 3:15,  John 17:3, 1 John 5:13).