If I asked you, “What role does the epistle of James play in apologetics?”, you’d probably say something like, “Isn’t that the book people bring up when Catholics and Protestants debate faith and works?”
And you’d be right—but there’s actually more to it than that. James also gives us some interesting material when it comes to understanding the nature of justification.
One big difference between Catholic and Reformed Protestant views is this: Catholics believe that justification is grounded in an inner transformation—a real righteousness that God creates within us by his grace. Reformed Protestants reject this idea, instead holding that justification is purely a legal declaration by God. So when this issue comes up, Catholics often point to Scripture passages that show justification being tied to this inner, grace-filled righteousness.
One of those passages is James 3:16–18. Let’s take a look at what James says:
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait—how does this support the Catholic view of justification?” Fair question. It’s not immediately obvious. But with a little digging, we can see how it connects.
Let’s zoom in on that phrase: “The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The Greek word James uses for “righteousness” here is dikaiosunē. That’s closely related to the verb dikaioō, which James used earlier in chapter two when he wrote, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (v. 24).
James is pointing back to Abraham’s example here, saying,
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? . . . And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God (vv. 21-23).
This quote from Genesis 15:6 is key, because Protestants and Catholics agree that it refers to Abraham being justified before God. Paul uses this same verse in Romans 4 when he talks about Abraham’s justification. So if James is linking our justification to Abraham’s, then he’s also talking about being justified in God’s sight—not just before other people.
Now, when James later talks about the “harvest of righteousness” in 3:18, he’s building on that same theme. He’s not suddenly switching topics. That “harvest of righteousness” points to our state of being justified—our righteousness as Christians.
So what does that mean for the Catholic understanding of justification? Well, it shows that James sees our justified state as being rooted in a real, interior righteousness—something that God works in us.
James makes this point in a couple of ways.
First, look at the contrast he sets up. He starts by talking about jealousy and selfish ambition—clearly inner attitudes—and says that where those exist, chaos and bad behavior follow. These aren’t just outward sins; they’re states of the heart.
Then he contrasts that with wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceful, merciful, and full of good fruits, connecting such wisdom to our state of justification—the harvest that is righteousness. The implication here is that our state of justification is the opposite of the prior interior states of unrighteousness.
Given this contrast, it follows that our state of justification is constituted by an interior righteous (or just) state of the heart. So on one side, we have inner corruption leading to disorder, and on the other, we have an interior righteousness that produces peace. Justification, therefore, is a matter of the heart—that’s to say, justification is rooted in the interior righteousness that God brings about within us.
Second, James connects our justified state (the “harvest of righteousness”) with something we do: cultivating peace. This implies that our actions—particularly those that come from a rightly ordered heart—have a role in our justification.
Now, Catholics don’t believe that we earn our initial justification through good works. The Church is clear: nothing we do before justification can merit grace. That’s straight from Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9: “By grace you have been saved . . . not by works.”
But once we’ve been justified by grace, our cooperation with that grace matters. That’s where actions like cultivating peace come in—they build on the justified state we’ve already received.
Paul teaches that the act of cultivating peace contributes to us being “justified.” Given that the act of cultivating peace flows from a heart aligned with God’s will, it follows that our justification involves an interior righteousness.
To sum it up: James offers two key insights that support the Catholic view of justification being rooted in an inner transformation.
- He contrasts righteousness with inner corruption, showing that justification involves the heart.
- He links justified living (the harvest of righteousness) with good actions that come from a rightly ordered will—another way of saying interior righteousness.
And all of this happens by God’s grace. So when Reformed Protestants reject the idea that justification involves our interior transformation, they’re actually going against what James is telling us in Scripture.