Faith Without Works...
 

Yeah... I'm a little slow. I know. But I was sitting here working and listening to Follow You by Leeland and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. So I went and did some reading to see if what I had just realized was true to the word.

James does indeed say faith without works is dead but the concept that I have heard these scriptures used to purvey is faith without dressing a certain way is dead. Faith without shaving that beard is dead.

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, what James was talking about and it is a travesty against the Living Word of a Holy God to make these scriptures say anything other than what the intended purpose was and is. He was talking about faith without showing love and compassion to your brother is dead. Faith while preferring your rich brother to your poor brother is dead.

Like I said... I'm a little slow sometimes. But, today, I woke up a little bit more.

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

True. And Gal 2 is referring to "works" of the law--circumcision and ceremonial law. 2 Tim 1 and Titus 3 might be about Jewish traditions as well.

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

Indeed...

How did they used to say it?


"Consistency thou art a jewel"

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

Context for James is also important, as Martin Luther would shout really loudly :)

James is written with the idea of discipleship and believers being who they are called to be in mind. It's not talking about "how" we are saved, but "why" we are saved. Similarly to John, one of the ways people will know we are disciples is if we "bear good fruit."

I join with Luther and am sometimes baffled at the way James' book is worded. Nevertheless, after studying this book, noticing the way James' argument is structured, I can see -- and agree, that James is appealing to the brothers to bear good fruit. James' words do not conflict with Paul's or even Jesus'.

The words "justification" should be viewed in the sense of how are faith is played out. We obey because we believe. We are justified because we believe.

I like Eugene Patterson's paraphrase:

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

The Book of James, for the longest, was a stumbling block to me. It seemed inconsistent to the Pauline Gospel. But once I understood it for what it was -- a letter sent to a church with the purpose of "provoking them to good works," it helped make better sense of it.

Their salvation that they had shared in meant that they should be producing good fruit. The fruit doesn't justify them, but it's evidence that the work of Grace is active in their lives.

The fruit that James points out to is the type of works absent in many Pentecostal churches -- or it's a "program" where 5% of the church volunteers. It's not a way that we are living our life yet. We demand people to earn our charity, to show they are grateful, etc. Thankfully, there are many churches out there that have responded in the last several years with wonderful outreaches and pragmatic ways to be "salt and light."

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

To me if one really has true faith in Christ,it will cause to see about the welfare of his or her's fellow believers and fellow man,but this is rarely mentioned.But this is mentioned by James. Also if one is in a state of justification and regeneration his lifestyle will reflect this.

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

An excerpt from one of my posts on another forum:

Also see Gen 26:1-6 for a prime example of faith being expressed in action, that is acceptable unto God.

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

Faith without works is dead. Leave that statement as it is. It just means what it says. Faith lacking works is dead. It does not say "We are saved by both faith and works"

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

Respectfully, this book has been one of the most talked about in the last several hundred years. Your admonition to "leave it alone" is a little late to the scene.

Especially controversial is the language of us being "justified by our works." This takes some hashing out, context and understanding.

Re: Faith Without Works...
 

My point was "leave it alone" meaning, don't add to it or interpret it. Leave it as it is "Faith without works is dead"...to illustrate that point I contrasted it with what it does not say "we are saved by faith and works"