Our identity is in our union with Christ by faith. Everything that the Father says of the Son He says of us, on account of Christ’s merits. We claim ‘beloved son in whom I am well-pleased’ and ‘well done good and faithful servant’ on account of our union with Christ who is the beloved son, and faithful servant.

We are united to Christ by the faith that God gives us. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. We stay in Christ by “it is the work of God that you believe in the one whom He has sent.” John 6:29. Believing in the one whom he has sent is the good works that God does in us, and prepared ahead of time for us to do. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill,” Matthew 5:14-17. The good work of our faith is in the object of Christ who fulfills the Law and the Prophets on our behalf. This good news is the light of the world that is in us and when we speak about it shines out of us as salt and light.

Our identity in Christ is that He fulfilled the law for us, because we are guilty of breaking the whole law. “For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.” James 2:10. Our identity in Christ is that we are clothed in Christ’s love for God and neighbor.

Our identity in our union with Christ by faith: God is pleased with us on account of Christ’s merits, and says of us, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Our identity: on account of Christ’s merits of Him being the faithful servant we hear, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! Share your master’s joy.’ Matthew 25:23

Matthew 25:34-40 corresponds with James 2:14-20 both using the language of disciple making, feeding and clothing our brothers and sisters in Christ’s merits. Reassuring each other that faith: knowledge, assent, and trust in Christ’s merits is alive, not dead. Disciple making can happen one on one, in a small group, and at church when others or the pastor holds out Christ to us and for us to feed on by faith. We are safe in Christ to take the necessary time to find and receive rest in Christ for ourselves, to be fed and clothed in Christ’s merits. Take as long as you need. The challenge might be in finding people who can hold out Christ to you. Paul didn’t jump into disciple making immediately after conversion. We are safe in Christ to trust that that fruit will happen in it’s season.

Matthew 25: “34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you? ’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

So we give our spiritual brothers and sisters: Christ to feed on by faith, Christ to drink by faith, Christ to be clothed in by faith, Christ our Good Samaritan by faith, Christ to free the captives by faith. When the commands, “love God and love neighbor” beat us up, strips us naked and leave us by the side of the road for dead. We hold out Christ to each other as our gospel comfort. In Christ you are forgiven and free. Jesus is the Good Samaritan who picks us up, carries us to the inn, and pays for our rest. We trust and rest in Christ’s perfect obedience to fulfill the law on our behalf, and we are cleansed by His shed blood that is ever interceding for us. We rest in the finished work of Christ. The good work God prepared for us to do by His Spirit and our union with Christ.

James 2: 14-20 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe ​— ​and they shudder.

Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?”

 

Our identity is not in what we are doing, our love for God and neighbor, our service, our obedience, our choices, our being a good person, our affections, our desires, our kindness, our gifts, our bible reading, our spiritual disciplines etc. I was taught that it is my responsibility to put in effort, and the Holy Spirit will sanctify me to make progress in these areas. My frustration was not seeing transformation and progress. My heart was discouraged and becoming apathetic. 

In our union with Christ, Christ becomes for us our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  1 Corinthians 1: 30 “It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us ​— ​our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 30 in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 

I have learned that sanctification happens when we receive rest or trust in Christ. Christ Himself will sanctify and transform us. When we fail in any area in the Christian life we need gospel comfort, and to be reminded of our union with Christ by faith. We need someone to do the good work of pointing us outside of ourselves and to Christ and his finished work, his merits, and to the benefits of our union with Christ.

As brothers and sisters in Christ we hold out Christ to each other, and His merits on our behalf, to feed on by faith. The good works God prepared before hand for us to do. 

Christians say to each other: In Christ, on behalf of His merits, you are forgiven and free. Be fed, clothed, and warm, Friends.

 

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Thank you, Ray N., for showing me James 2 through the lens of the gospel.