When a detective or police agent investigates a crime, he is expected to examine the incident, as we would say inside and out. He will take evidence from many things that are visible, and then he will also collect evidence from some that are invisible and that must be sent to a lab to find internal evidence. When the internal and external come together to form a whole, then the investigator has a solid case for his findings.
James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus, does the same thing in the second chapter of his letter to the Jewish believers.
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith by my works…For as the body apart from the spirit is dead; so also faith apart from works is dead.” James 2:18 ff.
It is very key, in understanding this passage, to note that James never says to eliminate faith from works; they are always together. He concludes the chapter by giving us a wonderful illustration using the two parts of man: the body (external) and the spirit (internal). If a man is without a spirit, then he is dead. If a spirit is without a body, then he also is dead. The two cannot be separate and be considered to be alive. Now James tells us that neither is it possible for faith and works to be separated. If you have faith internally, then you will have works externally – this is a living Christian.
Paul reinforces this in Ephesians 2:8-10 saying, “”For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast. (this is the internal faith) For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (this is the external work). This is the design of God for the spiritual man, that he lives by faith inside and works on the outside – this is the body and spirit of the spiritual man.
The challenge to each of us would be to ask God to strengthen us to live every day this dichotomous (two-part) design. If the “investigators” of the world were to examine our spiritual man, would they classify us dead for lack of faith or lack of works, or would the internal and external evidence combine solidly to prove that we are living children of God.
