Works or Fruitage This is one of those topics that is highly divisive amongst Jesus’s followers. What really should we be doing as his disciples? What does he want us to do? Can we sit on our backsides and smugly claim that we are saved by Jesus’s life, death and resurrection? Or do we have to rise up and do something, and if so, exactly what and why? It is a divisive issue only because very few people expend the time and effort in understanding exactly what, primarily, Paul and James meant by their commentaries on the subject. We all know that James declared faith without works as being dead (2:26). But the Pharisees were great at doing works, yet Jesus condemned them as hypocrites (Matt 23). Those who come to him proudly boasting of their powerful works are dismissed, with some passion, as workers of lawlessness (Matt 7:21-23). The Pharisees loved the Law. They kept the Sabbath, tithed every insignificant herb, were convinced about circumcision, they loved the temple liturgy, they had extra large briefcases with big, gold, shiny Bibles, and stood in the High Street making lavish and eloquent prayers – and tellingly tried to enforce their interpretation upon everyone else. Jesus was not impressed. When we add to this Paul’s conviction that we cannot earn salvation by works, that everlasting life is a gift that is available to everyone through the grace of God, then it is little wonder that there might be some confusion on the matter.
The key to unlocking this conundrum is at Galatians 5:6. It says:
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
Later in the same chapter Paul lists activities which he describes as works of the flesh, comparing them with a list of qualities that he calls ‘the fruit of the spirit’.
What is the difference between a work and a fruit? Works are what we choose to do, or are compelled to do from without. They are human endeavours. Fruit grows unbidden; in this case it is a result of the holy spirit being active within us. I have some apple trees in my garden and they grow apples. It’s what they do and there is nothing I can do to change that. Yes, I can ensure that they have an optimum environment, and by feeding and pruning them I can assist to keep the trees healthy. But there is nothing I can do to make them grow apples, or plums, or pears. Fine fruit is an outward manifestation of a happy and healthy tree. If it is not healthy I could go to the greengrocer and buy some apples and attach them to the tree. From a distance it might look impressive for a short while, but who am I trying to fool? If it does briefly look good, that would be due solely to my endeavours, my work, and would be, I’m sure you will agree, entirely pointless! If the holy spirit is active within us, we will do good works. James is adamant that an inactive faith is of no value whatsoever. Merely saying ‘I believe’ puts us in the dubious company of the demons. They believe too! Interestingly, the word twice translated as ‘believe’ in Jas 2:19 comes from the Greek pistis – to have faith. Yes, the demons have faith in God’s existence and power. But without the transformation of, and submission to, the holy spirit, belief is inadequate. If we allow God’s spirit in, then we will perform works of faith. This is our fruit, that grows unbidden.
And Paul is in full agreement. Take this passage from Ephesians 2:8-10:
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
So there is his starting point; our salvation is the gift of God, entirely unmerited and completely unearned. We cannot earn salvation; we cannot repay that gift, however hard we try. Perhaps thinking that we must try is actually a way of saying that we do not want that gift or that we are not good enough to receive a gift so valuable. Yet, the faith that saves us will impel us to do good works – those that have been prepared by God. Because if we rely on our own works, then we will fall into the trap of believing that we can be better than others, that by doing more we can somehow have more salvation, more life. And then we might start to boast, either in words or in pious actions. If we go down this route, in what way are we different from those hypocritical Pharisees?
The works that the Pharisees were most enslaved by, as were all Jews, this being in their national psyche, was the Law of Moses, the covenant enacted by Jehovah at Sinai between him and his adopted children, Israel. Jesus fulfilled that law and it was nailed to the stake. At Pentecost he enacted the New Covenant based on the law of Christ. You must love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself, is how he summed it up. The Pharisees did not get it; but then, why would they? But neither did the congregation in Jerusalem, composed mainly of those of Jewish descent. In Acts 21 Luke tells us that they were still zealous for the Law! Cue the letter to the Hebrews explaining where Jesus had gone and what he was doing. Everywhere Paul went, he was dogged by zealots demanding that the ritualistic works of the Law still had merit and must be adhered to. Was there anything wrong with these works of themselves? Of course not. The error was in the insistence that they had soteriological value, and the burden that they placed upon those who were simply trying to follow the law of the Christ – love.
This is still true today. Pharisees and zealots, by any other name, are alive and well. Any putative Christian religion that insists on works and rituals really is going beyond the things written. The point is this – anything that we do out of duty, because it is required of us from an external source, is a work of the flesh. It is not that the particular activity is wrong but it is the motive behind it. Return to Galatians 5:6 – ‘All that matters is faith, expressed through love’. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, insist that we attend every meeting where possible; that we engage every month in some form of public witnessing, but only after having received approval from the elders, so that they can carry the title ‘publisher’. Those who do not achieve, or fail to maintain, this basic requirement are regarded as ‘weak’, ‘irregular’, ‘inactive’; they probably need shepherding. Beyond this is ‘reaching out’. This means working towards privileges in the congregation. This might be as humble as being approved to be on the hall-cleaning rota. But mostly it is for labelled positions of merit – pioneer, ministerial servant, elder, missionary, overseer, etc. or to attend the ‘rabbinical’ schools – pioneer, SKE, MTS, et al, and be assigned to somewhere in ‘need’ and be received with awe and appreciation! A pioneer (there are various types) is someone who agrees to a minimum performance level and, when approved, this is announced to the congregation, where it is greeted with great applause, oohs and ahs of wonderment and general glorification.
This area of field ministry is one that can be used to illustrate the difference between works and fruitage. We know that Jesus asked his disciples to ‘Go therefore and make disciples… teaching them…’ and we readily do this. Not exactly because we are under obligation, but because the good news of the gospel message is so wonderful that we cannot keep it to ourselves. That would be mean and selfish. So we talk about Jesus, his life and ministry, what his death accomplished, the guarantee of the resurrection, how we can draw close to his father, throw all our anxieties upon him and receive the peace of God. This knowledge anchors our life in a completely unstable world. We talk to our friends, family members, work colleagues, passing strangers, anyone with whom a conversation naturally arises. We do it because love and appreciation overflow in us and our love of God and neighbour is a gift that we can share with others. This is a fruitage of the spirit. When the holy spirit dwells in us we cannot help but produce works of faith. It is something that we will do irrespective of any religious affiliation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are renowned for their door-to-door, public witnessing. As discussed, it is a requirement of membership. Anyone who has not engaged as an ‘unbaptised publisher’ will likely not receive approval to be baptised (compare 1 Pet 3:21). And this is the point; if engaging in some form of approved public witnessing, and reporting it, is a requirement for further progress and privileges, then it becomes a duty, a ritual, a religious obligation. It can then, without doubt, be classified as a work of the flesh. There is nothing wrong with the idea of sharing our beliefs in such a way, and when done with others, can be very encouraging, sociable and enjoyable. It can also be grim, desperately counting the hours as the rain pours down and the month’s end looms ever closer, merely to achieve the hours agreed upon and to not let down those who warmly commended you at the start of the month with such enthusiasm. Why we are doing this determines whether it is a fruit of the spirit or a work of the flesh. This is true of everything we do.
Returning to the letter of James it is didactic to consider the context. He starts this chapter with a condemnation of favouritism. Someone wealthy turns up and you are all fawning over him, yet it is him and his elite class who are persecuting you, while the poor man in filthy rags, who really is a beggar for the spirit, is stuffed into some corner and ignored. Favouritism is a sin, and it takes only one sin to break the whole law. This leads to faith without deeds. As always, James has an effective illustration. A brother or sister is cold, naked and hungry. Warm words alone do not alleviate the distress. In this instance, a work of faith is not telling him that he can live forever, but in providing some warm clothing and a good meal.
He then goes on to compare Abraham with Rahab. Abraham was a man, the father of the nation of Israel, of impeccable provenance, the outstanding example of faith who came to be called God’s friend. Rahab was a woman, a prostitute at that, a Canaanite and hence an enemy of the Israelites, and living in a well-defended city that was in no logical danger from a rabble of tent-dwellers, who had recently emerged from wandering aimlessly in a wilderness for forty years. The contrast between these two individuals could not be greater. Abraham was declared righteous after he had offered his son Isaac. His faith was perfected by his works. What Rahab did was an act of faith not an act of obedience. To whom would she have been obedient? If to her countrymen, she would have handed the spies over to certain death. But, at some danger to herself, she provided shelter and safety to the two spies and then, using her local knowledge, sent them off in a different direction. James uses these two examples to prove that works are evidence of faith. Whilst faith is not a possession of all people, neither is it limited to certain types of people. If our faith in God is genuine, if we truly believe, we will be impelled to act accordingly; we will perform, not empty charity and piety, but works of true value that display evidence of true faith.
What do these valuable works look like, today in the 21st century? They can be anything that responds to, and alleviates a need. It is not just, or even, something we meet together to do at 10am on a Saturday morning. So what can we do today that is spirit-inspired? Anything! But consider some examples:
Compassionate service – perhaps by volunteering to assist refugees, the homeless, hungry and poor in a physical way. Or by comforting those who are distressed and confused by the world we live in, who feel hopeless and desperate. By visiting the sick and elderly in hospital or at home. If this is not possible, by sending a card, flowers, or some other token of our love.
Generosity – sharing our resources such as time, money and skills, even when inconvenient, is a work of faith.
Integrity – honesty in business, education, human relationships, especially in the face of ubiquitous practices to the opposite, when it seems that doing so will harm the bottom line, where being economical with the truth is more profitable.
Forgiveness and, if possible, reconciliation. Yes, we can forgive, let go, without condoning the wrong or expecting apology.
Advocacy – standing up for justice such as racism, exploitation, environmental harm. Not by setting up protest movements and organising political rallies, but by small actions of kindness as and when the opportunity arises. Even by disposing of our own refuse correctly and clearing up that of others, we show our own respect for our planet, even if it is a drop in the ocean!
Hospitality – the Greek words for hospitality (philoxenia, philoxenos) translate as love of strangers. These two words appear a total of five times (Rom 12:13, 1 Tim 3:2, Tit 1:8, Heb 13:2, 1 Pet 4:9). Welcoming strangers, immigrants and the marginalised into our community is not optional, a social nicety, but a moral obligation – and to do it without grumbling!
Everyday – listening, encouraging, being patient ourselves and with others, especially in stressful situations. A phone call, sending a message and by specific prayers, mentioning people by name and the individual problems we know about. By doing any of these things out of compassion and love, we demonstrate our faith. They may sometimes, even always, go unnoticed by others, especially religious leaders, but we know that our Father in the heavens sees all. We do not blow trumpets before us. We do not even allow our left hand know what our right hand is doing.
Service – consciously turning religious duty into lived compassion. Not judging others for what they are unable to do, but making them believe that they are valuable.
There is no Jehovah’s Witness that I know who would disagree with any of this. Nevertheless, above all they stress the importance of:
Preaching – The formal methods they advocate are a means of sharing our faith and are therefore not wrong, but if our faith is truly alive we will do so whenever the opportunity arises – at work, in public, online – whether we claim to be a Jehovah’s Witness or not, and not as a reason to report activity and to boast about the number of Bible studies we are conducting. If the ministry becomes a way of proving our membership, of piety, of self-validation, to gain promotion and privileges, then we need to re-evaluate.
Meetings – These are important, both for who are in attendance and for those who are missing. Attending should not be empty routine or duty, or as somewhere to be seen and heard, a platform for prominence, but as a way of encouraging and inciting others to good works and in building community. By being aware of who is missing can stimulate us to make enquiries and perhaps fulfil a need.
Volunteering – there are so many opportunities for volunteering in the organisation. These range from local cleaning and maintenance, to construction, to Bethel service, to disaster relief and many other activities, worthy or otherwise. But for most of these, one has to fill in the appropriate application form and be approved. Do we really need to be approved by a human leadership in order to perform works of faith? Those who are involved are always admired, even idolised. Yes, really! Much of this work is aimed at maintaining and increasing the value of the Society’s built estate – with ‘free’ volunteer labour. That is not how it is presented, but as service to Jehovah. But does He demand service beyond what we are motivated to do by our faith? Something to ponder…
The risk is that if our religious requirements are performed as external obligations, things that we are compelled to do to validate our membership, they become works of law rather than evidence of inner transformation. We are Pharisees! We must be consistent by doing everything out of love and sincerity. It is not about doing more!
Conclusion – According to Paul, faith alone saves, provides salvation. James says that the faith that saves produces works. Works are not the root of salvation but are the fruit of salvation. These two observations are not at odds with each other but address different problems. Paul confronts legalism, trusting in works for salvation, while James confronts hypocrisy, claims that faith can exist apart from active demonstration. They are in complete agreement – salvation is by faith alone, but real faith is active and visible. It produces love, justice and mercy. This is the fruit that proves that the tree is healthy. Religious practices only become true works of faith when they are animated by love and spirit-led sincerity.
Good works of faith, are evidence of salvation. They are not the cause of salvationBackWorks of the flesh, religious duty, is slavery dressed up as spirituality