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We find the active again in Rom. 8: 18, "for I reckon", where resurrection glory is
in view. We find the explanation of this advance in the epistle of James. He too speaks
of the great trial of Abraham's faith, and, as in Hebrews, it is connected with the idea of
"going on unto perfection". In this connection temptation is prominent:--
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that
the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." "Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life" (James 1: 2-4, 12).
In chapter 2: 14, 21 James asks a straight question:--
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? Can that faith save him? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when
he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"
There is no confusion or contradiction of Rom. 4: Here, Abraham was justified by
FAITH in Gen. 15: when he believed God's promise regarding the seed. Abraham was
justified by WORKS in Gen. 22: when, still believing God's promise, he offered Isaac,
accounting that the God who gave him in figure from death ("one as good as dead"),
could raise him again from the dead. It all resolves itself into a matter of personal,
experimental, individual, faith. It was comparatively easy for Abraham to believe in the
impersonal doctrine, the idea of resurrection. It was also comparatively simple to believe
that God some thousand or so years hence would raise His own Son from the dead. It
was quite another matter to build the altar, take the knife and prepare to slay his own
flesh and blood, and believe that there and then (not some thousand years or so hence)
God would raise his (Abraham's) son from the dead. This is where faith is perfect.
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
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"
(James 2: 22, 23).
This chapter (Gen. 22:) is quoted in another context in Hebrews, to which we must
turn:--
"And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance
of hope to the end; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises, for when God made promise to Abraham, because He
could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee,
and multiplying I will multiply thee, and so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained
the promise" (Heb. 6: 11-15).
The chapter opens with the words, "Therefore.......let us go on unto perfection", and
Abraham is cited as an example. Notice too this fact. James says that Gen. 15: was
fulfilled in Gen. 22: Heb. 6: says that the promise, made and believed earlier, was
obtained in Gen. 22: In Heb. 11: 33 we meet the expression again, "who through faith
subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises".
There are some who look upon this subject with suspicion, or at any rate treat it as
something like a pet theme of the editor. We would ask such to consider our claim that