Featured James 2:24

Faith w/o works is dead. We are not saved by our works, but our works/deeds shows the rest of the people who we are working for.

 

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


EDT: It is by Grace through faith. Faith justifes, and Grace satisifies.....

 

That is a most abused comment Ann. Michael has taken nothing out of context, he has simply stated what it says.

James was clear in what he said, and he said, 'faith without works is dead,' and I say dead faith will never save anyone.

 

We are right backs to the works issue. There are some things God calls on man to do in order to be saved, without which no one will be saved. The things God calls on man to do are NOT meritorious in nature, but rather are thought of in the sense of 'not without which,' and NOT 'that for the sake of.' There is a clear distinction between the grounds of salvation and the conditions of salvation God demands man to comply with. The works by man are NOT involved in the grounds of salvation, but they most definitely are in the conditions of salvation. The grounds of salvation are meritorious, but conditions are not, yet they are required by God for man to fulfill, without which no one is saved.

 

Michael,

Whith what you have said I must ask. What has saved you? Your faith or your works?

 

I would answer that question: Neither one has. God's grace and the shed blood of Christ has saved me, BUT neither would I be saved 'apart from' fulfilling the conditions of salvation God demands of all to fulfill.

 

There are clearly some that have never read this illustration, so I will post it for them.

A man goes to prison for life, being justly condemned and sentenced by a judge for a specific crime. Can such an individual ‘merit’ a pardon by the performance of good works while in prison? Can such a criminal perform good works to such a degree that the governor is forced to grant this man a pardon based merely on the ‘merit’ of the performance of such good works? Absolutely not. You cannot then consider any intents or actions formed by the prisoner as the grounds of his pardon, nor could you say that he in any way could ‘merit’ a pardon. IF he is granted a pardon it cannot be said that in any sense his pardon was ‘for the sake of’ anything the prisoner had done or could do.

Just the same can the governor, if he so pleases, pardon such a criminal? Of course he can. Still, there is something the criminal MUST do, there is an attitude that MUST be reflected by the criminal to receive a pardon IF the governor is indeed fair and just. . If the prisoner is to receive a pardon it still can be said that there must be attitudes that are tied inseparably to intents of the heart, this very initial intent being none other than a ‘work’ in one sense of the word being something the prisoner must do. The governor MUST witness from the criminal a repentant attitude and a change of heart towards his former criminal behavior if the governor is even to consider such a pardon for the criminal. Here we see that the intents and actions of the prisoner indeed do play a part in a pardon, though again, not in the sense of 'that for the sake of.' The sense that the intents and works of the prisoner are involved in a pardon can only be seen in the sense of 'not without which,' not 'that for the sake of.' Nothing the prisoner can or will do can merit a pardon, but just the same neither will he receive a pardon without repentance and an assurance of future behavior is garnered.

What kind of governor would pardon a criminal from prison who had not exhibited true remorse for his crimes? Would not the governor have to be satisfied in his or her mind that IF they pardoned such a criminal that they would not return to commit the same crime or one of like heinous behavior upon society again and that such a criminal possessed and exhibited a true change of heart and attitude towards their former behavior? There are indeed certain conditions that the criminal must meet, works that such a one must of necessity do in order to have the opportunity for a pardon if such an opportunity is offered. These works on the part of the prisoner are again, in no way meritorious in nature, and in no way force the governor to grant such a one a pardon on the account of any or all of their works. Just the same, there are definite conditions or works one must do in order for the governor to consider the pardon. These works are thought of in the sense of ‘not without which,’ not ‘that for the sake of.’

It can properly be stated that one is not pardoned due to any works (in one sense of the word ‘works’) in the sense of ‘that for the sake of’ of the prisoner, but just the same it can be said ‘without works’ (in another sense of the word, that being in the sense of ‘not without which’) one will never see the opportunity to receive a pardon.

Can you see how that works can be thought of as necessary for a pardon, or in the sense of “not without which,” yet at the same time no amount of works can be thought of as “that for the sake of” or forcing the governor to pardon the criminal on the account of works performed by the criminal?

Such I believe is the case in our salvation. We indeed will be judged by our works, but our works are not the grounds of our salvation. There is no amount of works that can coerce God into granting us a pardon, but just the same no man will be found in Him without works consistent with their faith. Nothing we do is meritorious, nor can anything we do be seen of in the sense of ‘that for the sake of’ our salvation. Nothing but the blood of Christ can atone for a single sin. Just the same, God does command us to repent and be obedient to the end, bearing fruits of righteousness and holiness, ‘without which’ no man shall see the Lord.

 

HP: Now that is a straight forward truthful answer in accordance to God's words.:thumbs:

Have you ever tried to make a list as to all the things that Scripture points to as a cause of salvation? If not let's see if we can.

We have the blood of Christ, Jesus, and I would add the preacher, faith, grace, works, ....

I am certain there are yet others, such as 'the like figure where unto even baptism doth now save us. ' Who can add some more?

 

HP: He did when he quoted it Scarlett. There is nothing about the context that denies the simple truth James states precisely how he states it. The thing that does matter is that James is addressing conditions of salvation, whereas in other places that deny works are speaking of the grounds of salvation, NOT the conditions of salvation. Pay close attention to context Scarlett. :thumbs:

 

1 John clearly teaches the only way we can know we are saved is by continuing good works.

 

I believe that true faith in Christ Jesus is accompany by the love of God (Romans 5:5; I Peter 1;22).

As James states in James 2:8-26, faith without works is dead. For this is what John wrote of in I John 3:16-18.

For even Paul states this:
Galatians 5:6
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.\
So faith, works by love, making love the work of faith. I Corinthians 13:2b ...and have not charity, I am nothing.