Posted in Faith Builders
JESUS IS COMING SOON! MARANATHA LORD!
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Hi friends, if you need to silence the music just hit the play/pause button on the player in the right sidebar, just below the black horse and the copyright notice.
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"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:17-24, New King James Version)
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:17-24, New King James Version)
This passage is one of the most controversial in the Bible, Martin Luther even objected to the inclusion of James in the Canon of Scripture, God on the other hand, chose for it to be included. (I could get sidetracked down a long rabbit trail about how all of us at times would like to remove the parts of the Bible that inconvenience us, but I wont.)
What does this passage mean? At first glance it seems to be in direct conflict with verses like "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, New King James Version) So are we saved by faith, or works?
I believe the point being made in James is that true faith will always be demonstrated with works. If you believe that Jesus died to save you, then you will do the work of receiving Him. If you truly believe that Christ purchased you with His blood, you will begin to live in a manner that shows you no longer belong to yourself, but to Him. If you believe you are His, you will begin to live for Him. If you really believe that God knows best, you will do what He says.
Just as love accompanied by biting words is useless, faith without works is dead. (See "Useless Religion")
Abraham truly believed God's promises about Isaac, so Abraham reasoned that God would raise Isaac from the dead. (Hebrews 11:17-19) Abraham's faith was shown by his actions, if he had doubted, he wouldn't have acted.
The Bible is clear in many other passages that we are saved by grace through faith, that we cannot earn our salvation, that all of us have sinned and will sin again. So it is clearly not our works which save us. However, if your faith does not result in works, it is not truly saving faith.
One who has met the Lord Jesus Christ and has Him dwelling in their heart will be changed, always. If there is no change, there has been no rebirth, and "Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, New King James Version) After we have been born again, we will still have our times of failure, we will still stray on occasion, but there will be no question that we have been changed, that we are not the same person we were before.
A caterpillar does not enter into its chrysalis and then emerge again as a caterpillar, a seed does not drop to ground and sprout again as a single seed. When we are born again, we will not see instant perfection, but we will see CHANGE. (1 Corinthians 5:17)
