Question: If the commandments in the new testament are not the 10 Commandments, how can you explain James 2:10,11?

Answer: Dear Sheldon,

You ask about the apparent contradiction between Paul, and what he teaches about grace, and James, and what he seems to teach about the law. James seems to contradict the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ by grace – but as we read James carefully we see that he quotes the example of Abraham as an example of what he is talking about.

Abraham was justified – how? By faith. Abraham was justified by faith, and the righteousness of God was accounted to him – not because of Abraham’s works or deeds, but because of God’s goodness and God’s grace. See Genesis 15 and Romans 4.

James is pointing out that faith is only genuine and authentic if it produces change. That is, if we have been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10) then we will be God’s workmanship (vs. 10) and he will be working in us, bringing forth the fruit that he alone can produce.

The fruit tree and its fruit is used in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, as an example – the tree itself is unable to bring forth fruit. The tree is simply a created thing. Only God can make a tree, says the poet. Only God can "make it grow", says Paul (I Corinthians 3:1-9). James is saying that we can tell if we are saved by faith, we can discern our faith, not by OUR works, but by the works that God produces in us. The tree only brings forth fruit because God empowers and enables it to do so. We might say that our plum or peach or apricot tree produced a good crop, but upon deeper examination, we must admit that God made the tree, and that he alone can bring forth fruit.

Faith is genuine and authentic in our Christian lives if it produces change – and faith then is the evidence of God’s work in our lives. As Christians we are not saved by our own faith – we are not saved by the things we do, but rather by what Christ does in and through us. Works and deeds come as a product, a result – evidence of – our justification.

We are not saved BY works – rather we are saved FOR works. We obey God, not in order to be saved, not to earn our salvation, but because he has saved us.