Josephine, James has been a controversial book for many generations of Christians. However, if read carefully & in light of other Scripture that talk about faith, we have to conclude one thing. And that is, it is faith alone that saves a person from the penalty of sin & judgement (see Eph 2:8-10). Once we add works, or anything else, then it is no longer of faith & we make the Grace of God null & void ( Rom 11:6). This is because if we add anything to saving faith (whether it be the keeping of the Law, or doing good works for our fellow-men), then it is no more of faith but of works - the two don't mix - they cancel out each other.
But James in chapter 2 does not speak of what I've just shared, but speaks of the authenticity of that God-given faith. In other words, an authentic faith will, must, produce good works. If it doesn't, then that is not genuine faith & the person having that, isn't saved.
The other point then is, if as you say 'a person has to have faith & works to be saved', then I would ask, "how much works has to be done to make that faith or salvation certain"? You might do wonderful things for people & society ten hours in the day, but will that be enough to get you saved? So you see, you cannot combine the two - it's one or the other. Faith saves - Works kills. And Faith & Works together can never secure you as you then have to add more to what Jesus has done on the Cross for you. Walk in faith dear sister, & do works that result from that faith, making "your calling & elections sure".
I suspected possible false church teachings 2x in Bible church ... I urgently felt the need for myself and wife to seek Jesus not Trump during 2016 presidential debates. Publicly baptized and accepted Jesus as savior in a safe space. We also attended bible studies and Praise worship and fellowship means every single week.
501C3 I also suspect is synonymous with at least partially beholden to Caesar (government).
My guy level beliefs after reading my own KJV Bible and praying for Holy Spirit discernment differs from pastoral teachings.
I think witnessing publicly that Jesus is savior to a hostile boss (trials/tribes) or as prophesied under persecution or certainty of death (seems likely) is more in line with the great disciples in my Bible.
Love thy neighbor as thy self. (esp neighbors who oppose me) (Works) is directly in line with gospel.
"Endure til the end" "few will choose the narrow path" in gospel doesn't seem to line up with the multitudes who being "taught" the Bible and choosing to believe in a pre tribulation rapture and immunity for themselves from all the extreme trials hardship and persecution of death reserved for other undefined non pre trib raptured people.
The word faith in James Chapter 2 is talking about Spiritual faith. There are two types of faith, human faith, and Spiritual faith. Spiritual faith is only produced by God's Spirit. We can't produce it. The word faith literally means persuasion. And the word works literally means activity. And if you put faith (persuasion) and activity together, you realize that it is God's Spirit in you that is doing the work.
James 2:8 says if ye fulfil the royal law, and this is the same as the law of liberty. It's called Torah or Kingdom Law. Royal means belonging to the king. But if you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, and this is found Leviticus 19:18, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, and then he says you do well:
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. I'd like to point out two things. Number one, the term "Thou shalt love" is not in command form. That is a Future Active Indicative in the Greek text. It is it is not a command. It is a factual statement. You will love! Secondly, believers are supposed to love one another. But, neither in the Old Testament, nor in the New Testament, is it in command form.
As a matter of fact, the command in the Old Testament is (YOU WILL) love the Lord your God, and (YOU WILL) love your neighbor as yourself. It's a factual statement, not a command. Jesus is not commanding us to go out and to love. He's stating fact, that if we have His Spirit, WE WILL love. It's His Spirit in us that produces Agape love. We cannot produce Agape. That's why we have to understand that if we have His Spirit in us, WE WILL love. Factual statement!
It comes from Deut. Chapter 6, the chapter that has the SHEMA, the prayer that's prayed every morning and evening by Orthodox Jews. In that prayer, they recite the fact that God says that I will put my Spirit in you, and I will put my laws on your heart, and you will love the Lord your God.
Faith without works is dead. Does the works include what Jesus is asking us to do the way we led our lives? In other words is works considered like: If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: Is that works??
Bill...the Book of James has been in contention over the centuries, as an authority that faith alone does not give salvation. If that were the case, then Jesus' death on the cross is of no effect since one's accepting of it by faith alone secures salvation. If anything else is included, viz. good works for others, baptism, faithfulness in Church going or tithing, etc., then Christ's work & salvation are no longer of grace but of works. ( Rom 11:5,6). However, James is correct, that the proof of real saving faith is seen in a life of good works. If a Christian says that he has faith, and have not works, his faith is dead (Js 2:14-17). Faith saves, but works follow only as evidence of grace.
Satan is the father of lies and he likes to deceive Christians into thinking they don't have to stop sinning, that they can stay in the world and partake of its evil without consequence, because, hey, 'once saved, always saved'. But is that true? Which circumstance is satan more likely behind: that he deceives Christians into avoiding sin and being stronger followers of Jesus than they need to be, or that he deceives Christians into believing their sin doesn't matter and they can enjoy unlimited sinning without consequence? Obviously the latter is the one satan uses to deceive and we hear this even preached in churches. Jesus himself said otherwise: John 14:15
Our modern day evangelical churches are all preaching we are saved by faith alone and not works. This is not true. The whole theme of the New Testament tells a different story. We must be holy and live righteously. The early Christians taught this and it is everywhere in the scriptures. If our lives look like the rest of the world we are lost.
Sin is sin, you've broken one law you've broken them all, the law is like a 10 link chain holding you over the abyss, does it matter which link breaks? I think the lake of fire will be as hot for Satan's followers as it is for Satan.
The law is perfect but it must now be done in THRU our black messiah way. Not the way the churches are putting it read and let TMHIGHNY bring understanding to you We must have faith and we must have works the two go together we must know why are we having grace for grace isn t a license to sin grace is a period to get ourselves right and follow the law in doing the fruits of the spirit Galatians
Bible says if you break one law you are guilty of then all I don't read in his word he's going say you did this but not that. The law is a whole he will deliver justice as he sees fit. Yes he is a just God not us. I don't know what he'll do. I've been called to trust and obey.
studying the text. there are severities in greater transgressions then others,I dont believe a mans punishment for coveting his Neighbor wife verses Hitler's slaughtering 16 million jews desevers equal punishment,we have a just God,I also believe in concerns of the Law'sin'is the same from one law to the next Law to all the Laws sin is sin but dont be decieved that if you break one your guilty all
In James 2:10 our father highlights his law and down plays nothing as we some time do, being a transgressor of the law, if you break one all have been broke his stops the cherry picking and made it the whole law. Is 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
I AM THAT MICHAEL ISAAC DALE: on James 2 - 5 years ago
What, O vain MAN? YOU child of the devil, YOU enemy of all righteousness, perverting the right ways of the LORD JESUS CHRIST! Do I not hear and see all these things? Does not MY HOLY Father give me all things in heaven AND earth? Ye imagine to separate and sue the Christ child, even the Son whom GOD raised again from the dead? YOU want repayment? WOE TO THEM THAT SIN, AND KEEP NOT MY COMMANDMENTS.
Only good overcomes evil. Evil as a response only makes more evil. We cannot be focused on the splinter in our neighbors eye because our focus should be on the Lord....mercy always overcomes judgement
Faith: to stand firm in what has been preached to us by the Fathers, the Prophets, the Saints, what God has spoken to them, that God has given/written the law in a book, and that it is required of us, who profess to have understanding of the word, to absorb the truth that is written and profess that alone, their is no private interpretation that will suffice. We must rely on the Book andunderstand
Look easy believing is not faith it is an easy way for people to try to get God to conform to mans way of thinking instead of conforming to the way of a all powerful God, all knowing, and perfect in all judgement with love, if you have no works with your faith you are useless to the up building of the kingdom of God we need God but God does not need us he desires fellowship with us forever.
Faith/Work or Work/Faith (as it relate to salvation) is two-words spelled different but has the same meaning in the Heart /dictionary of Jehovah/GOD; so, we achieving what GOD desires, the way HE want us too achieve it, causes the definition of these two words to be in-sep-able (1-example; For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also).
I think that the devils believe in God and tremble. We must do more than just believe. Works are the fruits of the spirit. You will know them by their fruits. If you bare no fruits and only have belief in Jesus, God will cut your branch off the vine and burn you. As Christian we were grafted into the vine. If you bare no fruits you are toast.
Yet now, being the last days of the last time, with Christ being raised again from the dead; even walking the earth in his flesh (and the end of this world being nigh:) The confessions, or lack thereof, of every spirit gives the Godly discernment of the ungodly. The ungodly spirit confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, but the loving spirits of God confess that Christ is now come.
A disciple,
The Spirit will convict us whether we have Jesus in our hearts and minds or not. The Word that he has spoken already judges us and we will stand before him, bare, while the books are opened and the works of the heart, mind, and temple will be revealed. Anyone need assistance to know where their heart is? Hear what you say. The mouth speaks what is abundant in the heart.
Salvation has always been by "grace through faith". Luther was right when he preached that we are saved by faith alone. It is the theme of the Bible. What James is stressing is that our faith must be manifested by(works of)obedience and he gave the examples of Abraham and Rahab. Many do good works to impress others which is not of faith but the one who has faith must show it by his good works.
"The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Yahuwah, and have the testimony of Yahushua, the Anointed." Revelation 12:17.
Don't be too quick to abrogate Yehuwa's Law to the dustbin. We know the result of making void the law of Yahuwah? The experiment has been tried. Terrible were the scenes enacted in France when atheism became the controlling power. It was then demonstrated to the world that to throw off the restraints which Yahuwah has imposed is to accept the rule of the cruellest of tyrants.
But James in chapter 2 does not speak of what I've just shared, but speaks of the authenticity of that God-given faith. In other words, an authentic faith will, must, produce good works. If it doesn't, then that is not genuine faith & the person having that, isn't saved.
The other point then is, if as you say 'a person has to have faith & works to be saved', then I would ask, "how much works has to be done to make that faith or salvation certain"? You might do wonderful things for people & society ten hours in the day, but will that be enough to get you saved? So you see, you cannot combine the two - it's one or the other. Faith saves - Works kills. And Faith & Works together can never secure you as you then have to add more to what Jesus has done on the Cross for you. Walk in faith dear sister, & do works that result from that faith, making "your calling & elections sure".
501C3 I also suspect is synonymous with at least partially beholden to Caesar (government).
My guy level beliefs after reading my own KJV Bible and praying for Holy Spirit discernment differs from pastoral teachings.
I think witnessing publicly that Jesus is savior to a hostile boss (trials/tribes) or as prophesied under persecution or certainty of death (seems likely) is more in line with the great disciples in my Bible.
Love thy neighbor as thy self. (esp neighbors who oppose me) (Works) is directly in line with gospel.
"Endure til the end" "few will choose the narrow path" in gospel doesn't seem to line up with the multitudes who being "taught" the Bible and choosing to believe in a pre tribulation rapture and immunity for themselves from all the extreme trials hardship and persecution of death reserved for other undefined non pre trib raptured people.
But first we must realize that not doing it is sin .
So we repent and ask the Lord to empower us to do it by His spirit .
The first step is why are we not doing it ?
The Lord will help us do it , ask Him for wisdom .
The hardest part is owning up to the reality we are not doing , and can't without His Spirit .
When truly repentant in a matter or salvation , we then will be able to be led by the Holy Spirit and enjoy our obedience . I hope this helps .
The word faith in James Chapter 2 is talking about Spiritual faith. There are two types of faith, human faith, and Spiritual faith. Spiritual faith is only produced by God's Spirit. We can't produce it. The word faith literally means persuasion. And the word works literally means activity. And if you put faith (persuasion) and activity together, you realize that it is God's Spirit in you that is doing the work.
James 2:8 says if ye fulfil the royal law, and this is the same as the law of liberty. It's called Torah or Kingdom Law. Royal means belonging to the king. But if you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, and this is found Leviticus 19:18, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, and then he says you do well:
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. I'd like to point out two things. Number one, the term "Thou shalt love" is not in command form. That is a Future Active Indicative in the Greek text. It is it is not a command. It is a factual statement. You will love! Secondly, believers are supposed to love one another. But, neither in the Old Testament, nor in the New Testament, is it in command form.
As a matter of fact, the command in the Old Testament is (YOU WILL) love the Lord your God, and (YOU WILL) love your neighbor as yourself. It's a factual statement, not a command. Jesus is not commanding us to go out and to love. He's stating fact, that if we have His Spirit, WE WILL love. It's His Spirit in us that produces Agape love. We cannot produce Agape. That's why we have to understand that if we have His Spirit in us, WE WILL love. Factual statement!
It comes from Deut. Chapter 6, the chapter that has the SHEMA, the prayer that's prayed every morning and evening by Orthodox Jews. In that prayer, they recite the fact that God says that I will put my Spirit in you, and I will put my laws on your heart, and you will love the Lord your God.
The Spirit will convict us whether we have Jesus in our hearts and minds or not. The Word that he has spoken already judges us and we will stand before him, bare, while the books are opened and the works of the heart, mind, and temple will be revealed. Anyone need assistance to know where their heart is? Hear what you say. The mouth speaks what is abundant in the heart.