“He Was Called the Friend of God” is a sermon teaching us that genuine faith in Jesus Christ causes us to produce godly work in our lives.

Key Verses:
James 2:21-23

James on Wednesday night. We’re going to come back there and finish up, Lord willing, in these next few minutes. James Chapter two, and we’ve come down to the 21st verse. I want to read to you, however, verse 23.

James 2:23: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

Abraham was called the friend of God. In this short passage, in these few verses there are two great illustrations from the Old Testament of salvation by faith, and God placing people in a state of righteousness because of their faith.

Salvation by Faith and Works?

Now, many look at this passage in James and the latter part of chapter two, and they see it as an argument for salvation coming from a mixture of faith and works. If you take a couple of verses by themselves and don’t look at the entire passage, you might get that idea. But we have to take the passage as a whole, everything in context. Someone much wiser than I am a long time ago said, “Context is king in understanding the Bible.” There’s some truth in that. So, come back to verse 21, and James asked the question:

James 2:21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

Now, this offering of Isaac is a story that’s been told and retold. We find it in the Book of Genesis. The Lord tells Abraham to take his son, his only son, and offer him as a sacrifice. This is what many would say that God told Abraham to commit human sacrifice. Well, in a sense, yes, He did. But as we continue to read the story, we know that it was never God’s plan for Abraham to commit human sacrifice. “Well, God told him to sacrifice his son.” That’s right, but when he took Isaac to the stone, that was the altar upon which he laid Isaac, there was wood there for a fire, and Abraham had the knife.

Isaac, not being unintelligent, looks around. He says, “Well, I see the fire, and I see the wood for the fire, and I see the altar, and I see the knife. I see all of it. We’re all ready, but where is the sacrifice?”

Abraham’s answer is key to understanding all of this. Abraham said, “The Lord will provide himself a sacrifice.” It did not say, “The Lord will provide a sacrifice for himself.” It said that the Lord will supply himself a sacrifice. “Well, now, preacher, don’t you think that it comes across that way in the English, but what it really meant was the Lord was going to provide a sacrifice for himself?” No. It was correctly translated. The Lord will provide himself a sacrifice. “Well, how do you know that that’s the correct interpretation?” Good question. And the answer is in the scriptures. We find, as a matter of fact, in this passage, James 2:21-22. So, again, verse 21:

James 2:21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

James 2:22: “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”

Now, that’s an interesting thing. The word “perfect” there, some would render it as complete. But I think “perfect” is the right word. What it’s saying is Abraham was saved by faith. But his faith produced work, and that work was obedience to God, his Savior. Notice again in verse 21, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works?” Well, was he justified by works? He was justified by faith. We’ll see that here in just a moment. It’s not a matter of opinion, not a matter of interpretation. It’s a clear statement of scripture.

But in verse 22, we see Abraham lived out his faith, and his faith produced action. So, God tells him to offer up Isaac. Abraham takes him up to a mountain that would later be called Mount Moriah. There, on a stone altar, he places Isaac. He’s ready to slay Isaac, and then he hears a sound behind him. He turns around, and there’s a ram with its horns caught in a thicket. The Bible says, and he understands, that the Lord has provided that ram as a substitute for Isaac.

Now, keep that in mind. The Lord provided a substitute for Isaac, and yet, the Lord, through Abraham, said, “The Lord will provide himself a sacrifice.”

Imputed for Righteousness

Now, look at verse 23 again:

James 2:23: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him,” – in another passage, this same quotation is given. It says, “accounted unto him.” Well, that’s right. It was accounted unto him and placed on his account. But, here, the word “imputed” is used. Scoffield says, “An imputation is an act of God, whereby he accounts,” – there it is, “righteousness to the believer in Christ, who has borne the believer’s sins in vindication of the law.” Christ has borne the believer’s sins in vindication of the law. You see, the Lord did provide himself a lamb, the Lamb of God.

Jesus was beginning his public ministry. John the Baptist was with his disciples. You’ll see this in John chapter one. As Jesus walks by, John is standing there, John the Baptist, with two of his disciples, and he points to the Lord Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

But again, in verse 23: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God.” Do you know Abraham didn’t have the Bible? He didn’t have the Bible. It’s a very good chance none of the Bible had been written in Abraham’s time. It’s possible that he had the Book of Job, and if he did, then he had instruction in faith. In the Book of Job, Job says that he believes in resurrection. In the Book of Job, he trusted God so much that he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” Job said that.

But here it says, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” Let’s stop right there. If it’s counted to him for righteousness, if his faith is counted to him for righteousness – righteousness is perfection, you cannot add to righteousness. Righteousness, especially when you realize that it’s God’s righteousness.

At the end of verse 23, “It was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

In Isaiah 59, it tells us, “Your sins have separated between you and your God, so that he will not hear you. In Romans chapter five, Paul writes and tells us that we are enemies with God because of our sin, and yet here it says, Abraham is the Friend of God.

“Does that mean Abraham never sinned?” Well, you read the story of Abraham. You know his life. You know that he did sin. At least on two occasions we catch Abraham in the lie. We didn’t catch him. The scripture points it out. But we find Abraham in a lie and yet he believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Genuine faith in the Lord Jesus produces a visible change in our behavior.

Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Ephesians 2:9: “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

The truth is very clear there that salvation is by the grace of God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But we are saved unto good works to do good works. That is the example of Abraham. He’s saved by faith, and his faith produces his works.

Where Is Abraham?

Now, two things I want to tell you about Abraham before we move to the next character. Number one: How do we know? I know it says here that God imputed righteousness unto him because of his faith. How do we know he’s in Heaven? In Luke chapter 16, where we find the story of the rich man and Lazarus, although Abraham was a rich man, but it didn’t quite say it.

We find the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and we’re told that they both died. The rich man woke up in Hell while Lazarus, the angels came and carried him to where? To Abraham’s bosom. We read that the rich man woke up in Hell, and he looks across and sees Abraham. Where does he see Abraham? Well, he didn’t see him in Hell. He says, “Father Abraham, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Abraham explains, “Between us and you there’s a great gulf fixed. He cannot come. Those of us who would come to you cannot. Those of you who are where you are cannot come here.”

And then as one preacher called him “this soul winner from Hell,” said, “Well, send him to my father’s house for I have five brothers. I don’t want them to come here, and if they see Lazarus come back from the dead, surely, they’ll believe.” Abraham says, “No, if they will not believe the scriptures neither will they believe though one came back from the dead.”

Proof of that is one did come back from the dead, Jesus Christ. And there are still those who don’t believe. But listen, Abraham is where? He’s in Paradise, called Abraham’s bosom. We could get into a big discussion on Paradise, Abraham’s bosom, in Heaven, but the point is, in eternity, he’s with God. He’s with God. Now, we’re sure that Abraham is with the Lord, based on Luke 16 as a support text.

But here, it says God imputed righteousness to Abraham. God took His righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and credited it to Abraham’s account so that his sin was paid in full.

Rahab Saved Through Faith

James 2:25: “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”

What about that? Do you know an interesting thing about Rahab? Almost, not quite. There are one or two exceptions to this, but almost every time Rahab is mentioned, it’s pointed out that she was a harlot. “Well, didn’t Rahab put her faith in God?” She did. “Well then, wouldn’t righteousness have been imputed to her?” It was. “Well, why is she always or almost always mentioned as Rahab the harlot?” Well, that was her profession before she came to the Lord. But she had heard about the people of Israel, and she had heard about the God of Israel. She had placed her faith in Him.

As James points out here, Rahab was “justified by works,” he says when she received the messengers. “What messengers?” The two men that Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. She hid them. She helped them escape even though she knew that the army of Israel was going to attack and destroy her city. She sent them out another way, so they escaped and made it back to camp.

Now, the interesting thing about Rahab is this. She believed God based on the testimonies that she had heard. Do you know she didn’t have a Bible either? But she believed God based on the testimonies she had heard, even though she was not of the family of Israel. She believed in the same God that the people of Israel believed in. She believed in the Savior.

And yet, there’s something else we learn about Rahab. Rahab was the mother of a man named Boaz. And Boaz marries Ruth. They have a son, and their son is the grandfather of David. Isn’t that something? And in Matthew 1:5, you find that Rahab is one of the women mentioned in the line of the Messiah. For the most part, you find the men mentioned, but there are women there, a couple of them. Rahab is one of the women mentioned in the line of the Messiah. Why? Because she was saved by grace through faith. Faith in the Savior who would come, faith in the God of Israel, she was saved.

By God’s Design

So, what about being saved by works, made perfect by works, or justified by works? All of that is in the passage. So, two questions come up. This is God’s design. This is God’s way of doing it. We already shared with you Ephesians 28:10. The two questions are these: If we are saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus, why does it say justified by works? Why does it say that he was reconciled to God by works? Well, the faith is there.

We’re saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. Our work does not save us. It does not help save us. It does not play a part in our salvation. It does not keep us saved. Once we have been saved, it does none of that. But what is being taught here in this passage is the fact that we are saved produces good work in our lives.

“What do you mean by good work?” I mean godly living that is according to the Word of God and the will of God, and we live, and we carry out His Word, and we live, and we carry out His will. Now, some people are going to say, “Well, if you add works to grace, that’s legalism, and that is true. Adding works to grace is legalism, but James, here, is not adding works to grace. What he’s saying is salvation by grace produces work and produces fruit in the life of the believer. It is the will of God for God’s children to live a godly life. And again, by a godly life, we mean living according to the Word of God and the will of God. That’s not legalism, that is being saved by grace through faith and living out the life that God has called us to live out, being living testimonies for Him, where others will see Christ in us, and say, “I need Him. I need Jesus. I need to be saved.” Not so that they’ll look at us and think what wonderful people we are, but so that they’ll place their faith in the one who has forgiven us by grace through faith in His sacrifice.

One other thing I want to share with you. Abraham takes Isaac up and places him on an altar on Mount Moriah. Many people believe that the stone that’s under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is the place where Abraham offered Isaac. Whether it is or not, it was in that area, in that vicinity on that mountain, Mount Moriah.

We learn from history that a portion of Mount Moriah was dug away centuries ago so that a road could be made through there. That exposed a portion of the hill that had two parallel caves and then a smaller cave in between them. When you stand and look at it from not too far of a distance, you see what looks like the eye sockets and the nose socket of a skull, a human skull. On top of that is clear evidence that it was a place, in ancient times, of execution.

But it was originally part of Mount Moriah, that same place where Abraham took Isaac, and there, the Lord provided for himself a lamb. He provided himself a lamb there, the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ was crucified there. He paid for our sins there. He prayed for those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

There, He said to the thief, who called on Him by faith, “Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” And there, as Paul writes, “Christ died for our sins according to scriptures.” From there, “He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

So, when he says, “Faith without works is dead,” he means what he said earlier, James, “I’ll show you my faith by my works.” Genuine faith in Jesus Christ, being born again through faith in Jesus Christ, having our sins forgiven, our soul saved by Jesus Christ, causes us to want to live for Him, and that produces godly living and godly work in our life.

We don’t need to be confused about it. We don’t need to debate. We don’t need to interpret. It’s very clear in the scriptures. We are saved by grace through faith. But the grace of God in us, and the fact of our salvation by faith, causes us to live as Christians.

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Father, thank you that we’re here now. We pray that you will take this message home to the hearts of all who hear it. And Lord, cause us, as we depend on you – we ask you to help us be safe from the storm and others, not praying selfishly. Lord, it is a tremendous force. It is a storm that is overwhelming mankind and our resources, but you are in power, and we pray for your mercy. We pray for your grace upon those in the path of this storm. We pray for those who are already victims of Hurricane Helene. Some are being hit for a second time, but Lord, we pray for your mercy and that you will let us come back and praise you. Now, Father, encourage hearts tonight. Save those who are lost, and help your children to rest in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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