Ministry of Grace Church

Abraham our father – was he not justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Truth to Learn

It is our works of obedience to God which demonstrate that our saving faith is genuine.

Behind the Words

“Father” is translated from the Greek word patēr, which refers to a person’s biological father. However, it is also used to refer to any ancestor, and in a spiritual sense is applied to God. James’ use of the word here obviously refers to an ancestor, and since he was writing primarily to converted Jews, he refers to Abraham as “our” father.

Dikaioo is the Greek word translated “justified.” It is the verb form of the noun dikaios, which means “righteous” or “just.” The verb is expressed here in the passive voice, indicating an action that is done to the subject (Abraham). Thus, this word means that Abraham was “justified” or “made righteous” because his works proved his saving faith.

The word which is translated “offered” is anapherō, which is a compound word made up of ana, meaning “up” and pherō, which means “to bear” or “to carry.” Hence, it literally means to “carry-up.” It is a picture of a person carrying a sacrifice up to an altar and is, therefore, translated as “offered.”

Meaning Explained

This is James’ first example of someone who was “justified by works.” In Genesis chapter fifteen, we see Abraham having just rescued the people of Sodom, including his nephew Lot, from the armies of Chedorlaomer. That night, God spoke to Abraham in a vision. Abraham responded by complaining to God that He had not yet fulfilled His promise of a son for Abraham. God then reiterated His promise to Abraham that he would, indeed, have a son born to him and He took Abraham outside saying:

“Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Then in the following verse we read:

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

That was the point in time when Abraham was saved, that is, declared righteous before God. However, it wasn’t until about fifteen years later that God finally blessed Abraham with his son, Isaac. Then, when Isaac was a teenager, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. When Abraham was about to slay Isaac on the altar, God stopped him, having seen that Abraham was willing to be obedient to Him even in offering up his most cherished son.

James is telling us in the current verse that it was this obedient action regarding the offering of his long awaited, promised son that proved Abraham’s faith. In a very real sense, James says that Abraham was justified by works. That is, his action of obedience was the proof of his faith in God. God did not declare Abraham righteous at this point, because He had already done so, and once a person has been declared righteous by God, that person is forever righteous in God’s eyes. Abraham believed that God would make his descendants as numerous as the stars, and he proved his faith by being willing to sacrifice Isaac, believing that God could raise him up.

Application

Does your obedience to God demonstrate that you believe the blood of Jesus has cleansed you from your sin? Or are you still trying to earn or justify your salvation by doing good works of your own choosing or those prescribed by your church?