Paul, James, and the Mainstream Protestant View
> Salvation by faith alone—and judgment according to works—sounds like a contradiction. Paul writes, “a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28), while James says, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Jesus Himself describes a final judgment “according to what he has done” (John 5:29; Matthew 25:31–46).
How can both be true?
This post will:
- Explain the nature of the paradox
- Show how Paul, James, and Jesus fit together
- Clarify imputed vs. infused righteousness
- Unpack the mainstream Protestant (Reformation) answer
- Explain why relying on works can nullify faith
- Show why this matters deeply today
✨ Discover FAQs of Faith Mobile App! ✨Looking for a convenient way to access all your favorite faith-based content? Introducing the FAQs of Faith mobile app, your go-to resource that combines insightful and inspiring content from Faith Answers Press LLC into one easy-to-use platform. Whether you’re seeking answers to faith questions, daily inspiration, or spiritual growth resources, our app has it all. 📲 Download now and start your journey! Click on FAQs of Faith
1. The Nature of the Paradox
Two sets of biblical data:
- Salvation and justification by faith apart from works
- “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:28)
- “To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
- “By grace you have been saved through faith… not a result of works.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)
- Judgment according to works
- Jesus: “Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:29)
- The sheep and goats: “I was hungry and you gave me food…” (Matthew 25:31–46)
- Paul: God “will render to each one according to his works.” (Romans 2:6)
- James: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
The apparent contradiction:
- If we are justified “apart from works,”
why does Scripture say we will be judged “according to works”? - If faith alone justifies, how can James say we are “justified by works and not by faith alone”?
Mainstream Protestant theology argues this is not a true contradiction, but a matter of:
- Different questions being asked,
- Different meanings of “justified” and “works”,
- Different roles for faith and works in salvation and judgment.
2. Paul vs. James? Or Paul and James Together?
A. Paul’s Focus: How Sinners Are Declared Righteous Before God
Paul’s central question:
“How can a guilty sinner be declared righteous before a holy God?”
His answer is justification by grace through faith in Christ alone, apart from any works that contribute to our acceptance.
- “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 2:16)
- “The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law… through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (Romans 3:21–22)
For Paul:
- “Justified” = forensically declared righteous in God’s courtroom.
- “Works of the law” = human obedience (including but not limited to Mosaic ceremonies) used as a basis for standing before God.
Martin Luther sums up the Protestant reading of Paul:
“We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone.”
—often attributed to Luther; the idea is classic Reformation theology
B. James’s Focus: How True Faith Shows Itself
James is not answering Paul’s question. His concern is different:
“What kind of ‘faith’ actually saves?”
He warns against a dead faith: orthodox belief without obedience or love.
- “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
- “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19)
Key verse:
- “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24)
In mainstream Protestant interpretation:
- James uses “justify” here in the sense of “shown to be righteous” or “vindicated” before others (and ultimately, in judgment).
- “Works” are the fruit of genuine faith—acts of mercy, obedience, and love.
So:
- Paul: How is a sinner declared righteous before God?
- Answer: by faith in Christ apart from works.
- James: What kind of faith is real and saving?
- Answer: only a faith that produces works.
John Calvin comments:
“It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone.”
—John Calvin, Commentary on Romans (paraphrased)
James is attacking false, empty “faith”, not contradicting Paul’s doctrine of justification.
3. Imputed Righteousness vs. Infused Righteousness
This is a crucial distinction.
A. Imputed Righteousness (Mainstream Protestant)
Imputed righteousness means:
- Christ’s righteousness is credited (reckoned) to the believer’s account by God’s declaration.
Biblical language:
- “Faith is counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
- “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:8)
- “So by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
- “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Mainstream Protestant (Lutheran/Reformed) understanding:
- On the cross, our sin is imputed to Christ.
- In justification, Christ’s obedience is imputed to us.
- God declares us righteous not because we have become inherently righteous, but because we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness.
Luther called this a “marvelous exchange” (mirifica commutatio).
B. Infused Righteousness (Typical Catholic and Some Orthodox)
Infused righteousness (very broadly):
- God’s grace pours righteousness into the believer’s soul, transforming them inwardly.
- Justification includes being made actually, internally righteous.
- Good works done in grace contribute (instrumentally) to the believer’s final justification.
The Council of Trent (Catholic) explicitly rejected the Protestant idea of justification as a purely forensic declaration based on imputed righteousness alone.
C. Why the Difference Matters Here
For mainstream Protestant theology:
- Our legal standing before God is based only on Christ’s imputed righteousness, received by faith.
- Our actual moral transformation (sanctification) inevitably follows, but does not contribute to our justification.
For Catholic/Orthodox accounts (in varying forms):
- The line between justification and sanctification is less sharply drawn.
- Final acceptance with God includes the believer having been made truly righteous, with Spirit-enabled works playing a role.
We should note:
- Many Catholic and Orthodox theologians affirm salvation by grace and the necessity of faith.
- The debate is about the structure of justification and the place of works, not whether God is gracious.
Mainstream Protestantism insists:
We are justified by imputed righteousness alone,
and our works, though necessary as fruit, never become part of the ground of our acceptance before God.
4. How Judgment by Works Fits Salvation by Faith
If justification is by faith alone, why judgment “according to works”?
A. Works as Evidence, Not Basis
Mainstream Protestant theology distinguishes:
- Basis (ground) of justification:
- Christ’s finished work alone, imputed to us, received by faith alone.
- Evidence of genuine faith:
- Our Spirit-produced works of love and obedience.
So:
- We are not saved because our works are good,
but our works show that our faith is genuine.
Paul himself speaks this way:
- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
- Yet the same Paul insists salvation is “not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9) and immediately adds:
- “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
The sequence:
- Grace
- Faith
- Justification
- Good works as God’s workmanship and as future judgment evidence
John Owen writes:
“Works are the evidences of faith, not the causes of justification…
They declare and manifest, but do not procure or merit our acceptance.”
—John Owen (paraphrased)
B. James 2 in This Light
James’s examples:
- Abraham offering Isaac (James 2:21–23; cf. Genesis 22)
- Rahab receiving the spies (James 2:25; Joshua 2)
James says Abraham was “justified by works” when he offered Isaac (James 2:21). But:
- Paul points to Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
- That declaration occurs before Isaac is born.
Protestant explanation:
- Abraham was justified (declared righteous) by faith in Genesis 15.
- He was shown (vindicated) as righteous by his obedience in Genesis 22.
- James uses “justified” in this second, demonstrative sense.
Hence: no contradiction—different moments and senses.
5. How Reliance on Works Can Nullify Faith
A. Trying to Add Works as a Basis of Acceptance
Paul is fierce on this point:
- “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
- “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:21)
To seek any part of our standing before God in our works is to say, in effect, that Christ’s work is not enough.
Jesus tells a parable that sharpens this:
- The Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14):
- The Pharisee trusts in his righteousness and looks down on others.
- The tax collector simply cries, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
- Jesus concludes: “This man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.”
The Pharisee’s reliance on his own works nullifies his faith (if we can even call it that). He does not come as a beggar to grace.
B. Faith + Works as Co‑Saviors Destroys the Gospel
The Reformation insisted:
- It is not “faith + works” as parallel conditions,
but “faith alone” as the empty hand receiving Christ.
John Calvin again:
“As soon as the smallest portion of merit is admitted,
so much is detracted from the glory of divine grace.”
—John Calvin, Institutes 3.15 (paraphrased)
Modern Reformed pastor/theologian John Piper similarly warns:
“When you try to make your works part of the ground of your right standing with God,
you nullify grace and you lose Christ.”
—John Piper (summary of his teaching on Galatians)
Works are essential as fruit, deadly as foundation.
6. Why This Paradox Matters Today
A. Assurance and Peace of Conscience
If salvation rests—even partly—on our performance:
- We will never know if we’ve done “enough.”
- We will oscillate between pride (when we’re doing well) and despair (when we fail).
Imputed righteousness gives solid assurance:
- “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
- Our confidence is in Christ’s finished work, not in our fluctuating obedience.
Luther said this doctrine is the one on which the church stands or falls:
“If the article of justification is lost, all Christian doctrine is lost at the same time.”
—Martin Luther
B. Seriousness About Holiness and Obedience
Paradoxically, free justification does not produce laziness; properly understood, it produces grateful obedience.
- “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Romans 6:1–2)
- “Faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6)
Good works:
- Do not earn our place,
- But they flow from a new heart and are commanded by God.
The believer says:
- “I obey not to be loved, but because I am loved.”
- “I work not to earn salvation, but because I have been saved.”
C. Humility and Love for Others
If justification is by grace alone through faith alone:
- We have no ground for boasting (1 Corinthians 1:31; 4:7).
- We cannot look down on others who struggle differently.
This shapes how we:
- View other Christians (including Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters, even where we deeply disagree),
- Treat non‑Christians,
- Engage in church life and mission.
D. Sobriety About Final Judgment
Judgment according to works reminds us:
- God’s grace never excuses hypocrisy.
- A “faith” that has no fruit is dead (James 2:17).
- Jesus will separate those who merely profess from those who truly possess faith.
This moves us to:
- Examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5),
- Seek ongoing repentance and growth,
- Rest in Christ alone, while earnestly pursuing obedience.
7. Living the Tension: Faith Alone That Is Never Alone
Salvation by faith and judgment by works is not a glitch in the Bible’s system; it’s a designed tension that:
- Drives us away from trusting ourselves,
- Calls us to real, lived obedience,
- Keeps Christ’s finished work at the center.
In mainstream Protestant theology:
- We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (imputed righteousness).
- We are judged according to works as the Spirit‑produced evidence of that living faith.
- Any attempt to make our works part of the basis of our acceptance before God nullifies faith and dishonors Christ.
Visit our companion site
Discover the Truth About Jesus Christ
Are you new to the Christian faith or seeking answers about Jesus? Visit JesusIsLordBlog.com for insightful articles, compelling reasons to believe, and a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. Start your journey today!
