{"id":1703,"date":"2017-05-13T02:27:52","date_gmt":"2017-05-13T02:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=1703"},"modified":"2017-05-13T02:27:52","modified_gmt":"2017-05-13T02:27:52","slug":"faith-without-works-is-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/faith-without-works-is-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith Without Works is Dead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The book of James illustrates how <\/span>a Christian ought to live their life in the light of Gods inspired Word (the Scriptures), i.e., we are to be a doer of the Word of God (James 1:22), not just a hearer.<\/span><\/i> This book shows us that as born again believers, we must have an uncompromising obedience and devotion to the Word of God to some degree (we are always reforming).<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering this overarching theme, i.e., doing and hearing the Word, James shows us that true saving faith (justification by faith alone) will be validated by spiritual fruitfulness in the Christians life. Its important to note that salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, and not of our works, so that no man may boast (Eph. 2:8-9). However, James highlights that true saving faith will be validated by the fruit of works (2:17).<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lets look at the text:<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>14\u00a0What good is it, my brothers, <\/span><\/i>if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?<\/i><\/b> 15\u00a0If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16\u00a0and one of you says to them, \u201cGo in peace, be warmed and filled,\u201d without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? <\/span><\/i>17\u00a0So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead<\/i><\/b>.18\u00a0But someone will say, \u201cYou have faith and I have works.\u201d Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19\u00a0You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe\u2014and shudder! 20\u00a0Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21\u00a0Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22\u00a0You see that <\/span><\/i>faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works<\/i><\/b>; 23\u00a0and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, \u201cAbraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness\u201d\u2014and he was called a friend of God. 24\u00a0<\/span><\/i>You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.<\/i><\/b> 25\u00a0And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way<\/span><\/i>? 26\u00a0For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

As you work through the book of James I assume several different red flags arose, specifically in this passage of scripture above (red flags will appear if the Word is not properly divided). Verses like James 1:24 stating \u201c<\/span>that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone, <\/i><\/b>may throw you off. If you are theologically astute you may be saying to yourself right now, “I thought salvation was by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone?”<\/em> You\u2019re right, it is. Again, you may be saying; “well doesn\u2019t this passage completely contradict what Paul wrote in his epistles?”<\/em> No, it doesn\u2019t. <\/span><\/p>\n

As we approach this text it is important to realize that both Paul and James both affirm that salvation is through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not of works. Remember, t<\/span>he Word of God never contradicts itself. By examining the book of James, we will gain a greater sense of saving faith, as we will later see that James is referring to the fruit of justification by faith alone, which validates saving faith, which is works. James highlights a different aspect of saving faith that Paul never touched on. Therefore, it is essential to realize that Paul and James both have a different sense and usage of the word \u201c<\/span>Justify\u201d<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, uses the word “Justify” as signaling a person who is <\/span>Declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. <\/span><\/i>In other words, Paul emphasizes the process of being reconciled to God through legal terms. On the other hand, when James uses the term \u201cJustify\u201d he is indicated that true fruit of being justified in the sight of God is works. If you truly have saving faith, it will be accompanied by works. Remember, as Jonathan Edwards once said, \u201cYou contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.\u201d Therefore, James is telling us that if you have been born again by the supernatural work of God, by faith in Christ alone, then you will produce works as evidence of that salvation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, both \u201ctheologies\u201d, as one would say, complement each other. Through Paul\u2019s letters we see that absolutely no one can save themselves. A dead man can\u2019t raise himself from the grave and reconcile his way back to God\u2026 it takes the supernatural work of the Spirit of God to make a man\u2019s heart of stone into a heart of flesh (see Ezekiel 36:26). Salvation is completely by the grace of God alone, by faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone! James adds to this picture of God\u2019s sovereign grace by showing us how one can be sure of such salvation, as it will be validated by work. For James, “faith alone” means a bogus kind of faith, where it is mere intellectual agreement. It is a “belief” without a genuine personal trust in Christ, which does not bear fruit in one’s life. Remember, Justification is by FAITH ALONE, and spiritual fruitfulness (works as fruit) will be evidence of true, saving faith. As stated earlier in James\u2019 letter, this person will not only be a hearer of the Word of God, but also a doer (James 1:22). This Person will confidently trust and stand on the Word of God, being obedient in every circumstance. Yet even as born again believers we fail day after day in our obedience to the Lord.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The book of James illustrates how a Christian ought to live their life in the light of Gods inspired Word (the Scriptures), i.e., we are to be a doer of the Word of God (James 1:22), not just a hearer. This book shows us that as born again believers, we must have an uncompromising obedience […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":686,"featured_media":1710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[123,205,274,352,444,474,557,672,678,679,683,698,699,709,710,823,927,1014,1056,1105,1237,1364],"class_list":{"0":"post-1703","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gospel","8":"tag-alive","9":"tag-bible","10":"tag-christ","11":"tag-dead","12":"tag-epistles","13":"tag-faith","14":"tag-god","15":"tag-james","16":"tag-jenkins","17":"tag-jesus","18":"tag-jj","19":"tag-josh","20":"tag-joshua","21":"tag-justification","22":"tag-justify","23":"tag-mills","24":"tag-paul","25":"tag-rags","26":"tag-riches","27":"tag-scripture","28":"tag-theology","29":"tag-works","30":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/carpentry-section-picture.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6545,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/even-the-demons-believe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1703,"position":0},"title":"Even the Demons Believe","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith\u00a0but does not have works? Can that faith save him?\u00a015\u00a0If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,\u00a016\u00a0and one of you says to them, \u201cGo in peace, be warmed and filled,\u201d without giving them the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/OIP.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3764,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/overcoming-the-world-with-a-hammer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1703,"position":1},"title":"Overcoming the World with a Hammer","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Justification by faith is a hill to die on. Christ did. It was on Golgotha's hill, the place of the skull, where Christ began to purchase our justification. 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(James 1:1) \u00a0 Intro Well today we begin an exposition of a new book of the Bible after finishing Exodus. We are back in the New Testament, beginning the book\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/Martyrdom-of-James-1024x817-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/Martyrdom-of-James-1024x817-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/Martyrdom-of-James-1024x817-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/03\/Martyrdom-of-James-1024x817-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6701,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/contend-for-the-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":1703,"position":4},"title":"Contend for the Faith","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio 1\u00a0Jude, a servant[a]\u00a0of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called,\u00a0beloved in God the Father and\u00a0kept for[b]\u00a0Jesus Christ: 2\u00a0May\u00a0mercy,\u00a0peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3\u00a0Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our\u00a0common salvation, I found it necessary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/09\/0619jude.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3945,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/if-you-believed-moses-you-would-believe-me-john-530-47\/","url_meta":{"origin":1703,"position":5},"title":"If You Believed Moses, You Would Believe Me; John 5:30-47","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 30\u00a0\u201cI can do nothing on my own. 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