Romans 4:5 : But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. The reader will notice that Paul says nothing about "the one who depends on works," nor "the one who depends not on works." He speaks of the one who works and the one who does not work. Works must have the same significance in both cases (verses 4 and 5), for Paul had not changed his subject. Only perfect works, works without any guilt of sin, can bring salvation as a debt. The one "who worketh" is, therefore, the one whose works are so perfect that he has no guilt of sin. But no one has so lived. Hence, to the one whose work is not perfect, but who believes in Jesus Christ, God reckons, or counts his faith for (eis, in order to) his righteousness--that is, in order that, on the basis of his faith, he may for-give his sins and thus constitute him a righteous per-son. Let us not be so unjust with Paul as to switch his language from his line of reasoning and make it apply to the acts of obedience required in the gospel. Certainly Paul did not mean to say that God makes the person righteous who will not obey him, the person who simply does nothing. If so, he puts a premium on the very thing from which the gospel is intended to save us, and contradicts other things said by him. Paul did not have special reference to the salvation of alien sinners, as will be seen by observing his quota-tion from David. The connection in Psalms 32, from which Paul quotes, shows that David had special reference to his own forgiveness. He did not have in mind the forgiveness of alien sinners, but the forgiveness of a servant of God. God counts the man righteous, whose sins are forgiven. To such a man the Lord does not reckon sin, because his sins have been forgiven, and he is no longer guilty. Such a one is righteous. Paul and James. Paul says: "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness" (Romans 4:5). James says: "Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith" (James 2:24). Paul says "For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory" (Romans 4:2). James says: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James 2:21). Some have thought that there is a conflict between Paul and James, but rightly considered there is not even a seeming discrepancy between them. However, James does flatly contradict the explanation sometimes given to Paul's language. Trouble comes from misun-derstanding Paul or misapplying James, or both. Paul was talking about works of law; James was talking about works of faith. Paul was showing the Judaizing Christians that no one could be righteous, or justified, by works of law, for no one kept the law perfectly, and that to be justified, or made righteous, a person must believe in Christ. To the one who does not fulfill the works of the law, but believes in God, faith is reckoned for righteousness. Paul was arguing that works without faith would not justify, and James was arguing that faith without works would not justify. To exclude either is to fail of justification. Both referred to Abraham to illustrate their points. Abraham was justified without works of law, but he was justified by works of faith. James laid down the principle that faith without works is dead, and will not justify. He used Abraham as an illustra-tion, and then drew the broad conclusion that a man --any man--is justified by works, and not by faith only. An effort is sometimes made to explain Paul and James by saying that Paul was talking of justification of an alien sinner, and James, about the justification of a Christian. It is argued that an alien sinner must be justified by faith only, in order that it may be by grace, and that if the sinner has to perform any conditions, his salvation is of works and not of grace. But what about the Christian? It is strange that these super-exegetes do not see that if works of faith destroy grace, then the works which they say a Christian must perform to be justified destroys all grace from the life of a Christian. Tell us, ye super-exegetes, how according to your judgment, there can be any grace in the justification of a Christian by works. But the theory that Paul's argument eliminates all conditions from the salvation of a sinner not only contradicts James, but Paul also. If all works are eliminated, faith itself is eliminated, for it is a work. "They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28-29). And Paul tells us emphatically that eternal life is granted to those who "by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption" (Romans 2:6-7). To seek by patience in well-doing requires human effort. Again: "But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18). They obeyed from the heart. That means that their faith expressed it-self in obedience to God. By this obedience they were made free from sin. Here again is human effort. Grace provided the plan by which sinners are saved, or made righteous, and grace tells us how to come into possession of that salvation. If people would quit ar-raying the commands of God against the grace of God, they would have a clearer vision of the scheme of redemption. God's grace is in every command he gives. The sinner was lost God prepared a way by which he could get out of that lost state. That was grace. But that was not enough. He needed to know how to find that way, and how to walk in it. It is as much a matter of grace to tell him how to find that way, and how to walk in it as it is to provide the way. But when the way is fully prepared, and full directions given as to how to find the way, and how to walk in it, the next move is man's. The whole matter is strikingly illustrated by the events of Pentecost. The way had been prepared and revealed to the people; and then, in re-sponse to their question, Peter told them how to get in that way. That was all a matter of grace. Then Peter exhorted them to save themselves. Many did what was commanded and were saved. On God's side their salvation was wholly a matter of grace. And the people were as prompt in their obedience as if their salvation were wholly a matter of works. And so far as anything they could do about it was concerned, their salvation was wholly a matter of works.