Here is a bit more thorough reply:
If we study James 2, and believe this is in fact the inspired Bible, we see James specifically says faith alone does NOT save—in fact he makes a big point of it. Does this ruin the whole faith/works dichotomy that the Reformation set up for us? Only if we misunderstand the term works and start equivocating with it. If we make the word “works” to be something that NEVER can be a part in saving you, Calvinism necessarily logically follows. In fact, by giving them that one point, there is no way to avoid their conclusions. But that point does not need to be granted them. There is, in fact, a different kind of works and we can prove it.
James says a faith without works cannot save, explicitly and forthrightly:
What is the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him? (Jam 2:14 YLT)
The implied answer here is clearly, “no.” In case we try to squeak around that somehow, he repeats the point with more force:
*You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (Jam 2:24 NKJ)”
This is a very clear statement. How are we to harmonize this with Paul’s declaration, “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”? It’s not as hard as you might think—simply by asserting, not all works, are works of the law. There is, in fact, a logical existence of something that could be defined as a “non-meritorious work,” that is, an action that produces a result without earning it.
So how do we know the works James tells us here, are not works of the law? Consider the Works of Faith that James actually uses as an illustration:
1) Abraham attempting to kill his son.
2) Rahab lying to save the spies.
Clearly, both of these works violate, not just the Law of God, but the pinnacle and sum of the Law of God: the Ten Commandments!
1) Thou shalt not kill/murder
2) Thou shalt not bear false witness
So when James says, “I will show my faith BY my works,” but in the same place says breaking one law breaks the entire law completely AND constitutes you a law-breaker, we know he is talking of a works that are not works of the law. Abraham believed and attempted something that violated the Law but was commended. Rahab believed and attempted something that violated the Law but was commended.
Where we panic here, is thinking “I’m concerned that I would be adding my own merit to faith by adding an action.” But this is just religious dogma that has been foisted constantly upon our thinking, it does not actually stem from the Bible or logic itself.
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (Jam 2:22 NKJ)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jam 2:26 NKJ)
Rahab the harlot also justified by works (Jam 2:25 NKJ)
So if we want to claim the Bible nowhere associates the idea or word of “works” with salvation or justification (which is being made righteous), we really will have to throw out the book of James as Martin Luther once suggested.
In Sum: the Calvinist is forcing a false dichotomy on you: either something is a meritorious work, or it is no work at all. Once you accept that, you are inevitably led down the trail to removing all volitional activity, and God alone decides who is saved because otherwise we contribute “works.” If you simply free yourself from that logical error, you can show him the non-sequitur of insisting that actions which produces results are necessarily meritorious in nature, and then have a salvation that is contingent upon our actions without it necessitating any merit. If you say faith has no work—no action accompanying it—then you will automatically feel like all works are bad and there is no such thing as a non-meritorious work, leading you right into the trap of unconditional salvation, and the Calvinist can call your version faith a work because it’s contingent upon something you do. But he is simply leading you to a false dichotomy, that something has to be a work if it produces a result.
The defense rests.
Blessings & peace in Christ.
