Bible Questions Answered:
“...I'm sure I heard this man on tv
right when he said “make your salvation sure, support the work of
god”. And basically it was to buy books and financially support
this church. What do you think?...In our church class a lady said
James tell us we are saved by good works....”
Hector/ Surrey, Canada British Columbia
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
James 2:24 KJV
Ye see then how that by works a man
is justified, and not by faith only.
To properly
understand what James is saying, we must read and know the context of
James chapter two.
James chapter two, two
subjects covered:
Part One: Prejudice:
James speaks against prejudice.
Verses 1-13
James 2:1-13 NLT
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how
can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you
favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes
into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and
another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.
3 If you give special attention and
a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You
can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,
4 doesn’t this discrimination show
that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and
sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in
faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom He
promised to those who love Him?
6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t
it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7 Aren’t they the ones who slander
Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you
obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor
as yourself.”
9 But if you favor some people over
others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of
the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of
God’s laws.
11 For the same God who said, “You
must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So
if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still
broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever
you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you
free.
13 There will be no mercy for those
who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful,
God will be merciful when he judges you.
In this whole chapter, from James, he
desperately wishes to show that what emanates from the people of
faith, should be Godly fruit!
Prejudice, is not Godly fruit!
Romans 12:9,10 KJV (The
Apostle Paul.)
9 Let love be without dissimulation
(pretense). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another
Part Two: Lifeless
Fruit.
Faith without Godly fruit is dead.
Verses 14-26
James 2:14-26
NLT
14 What good is it, dear brothers
and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your
actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
15 Suppose you see a brother or
sister who has no food or clothing,
16 and you say, “Good-bye and have
a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give
that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself
isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and
useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some
people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can
you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show
you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for
you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons
believe this, and they tremble in terror.
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that
faith without good deeds is useless?
21 Don’t you remember that our
ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his
actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see, his faith and his
actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
23 And so it happened just as the
Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as
righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of
God.
24 So you see, we are shown to be
right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
25 Rahab the prostitute is another
example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when
she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different
road.
26 Just as the body is dead without
breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
James 2:20-26 CEV
20 Does some stupid person want proof
that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased
God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him.
22 Now you see how Abraham’s faith
and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what
he did.
23 This is what the Scriptures mean by
saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God was pleased with him.”
That’s how Abraham became God’s friend.
24 You can now see that we please God
by what we do and not only by what we believe.
25 For example, Rahab had been a
prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent
them home by another way.
26 Anyone who doesn’t breathe is
dead, and faith that doesn’t do anything is just as dead!
Homily:
A man who was an engineer, safely and
successfully took a passenger train from
MacKenzie down to Williams Lake,
British Columbia.
Did taking the passengers from
MacKenzie to Williams Lake, make the man an engineer? Of course not,
but it is an action train engineers do.
The truth is that the train engineer
had to study for some great time, learning the complete workings of
his engine and railway system and its safety precautions, ever before
thinking of becoming an actual engineer.
James tells us that Abraham's actions,
proved that his faith was real!
Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
12 Dear friends, you always followed my
instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even
more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation,
obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
13 For God is working in you, giving
you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
The engineer, proved that he was an
actual train engineer, because he safely and successfully took his
passengers to their destination.
His transporting them, did "not
make," him an engineer, but was a sign that indeed he was one!
And so it is with works.
Works do not make us a Christian,
Christ did this alone!
Romans 5:1,9 KJV
1 Therefore being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Much more then, being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves (Piety, or religious works!): it is
The Gift Of God:
9 Not of works (religious or
otherwise), lest any man should boast.
Galatians 2:16,21 KJV
16 Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law: for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 3:11 KJV
"...no man is justified by the law
in the sight of God, it is evident: for,
The just shall live by faith.
Spiritual Works are signs that indeed,
we have become a Christian, and are the children of God.
And as children of God, certainly our
lives should demonstrate with signs, the glory of God.
Matthew 5:14-16 KJV
14 Ye are the light of the world. A
city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and
put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto
all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.
Ephesians 2:10 KJV
For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them.
Philippians 1:11 KJV
Being filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise
of God.
James 2:24
Verse 24. "Ye see then how" -
It is evident from this example that Abraham's faith was not merely
believing that there is a God; but a principle that led him to credit
God's promises relative to the future Redeemer, and to implore God's
mercy: this he received, and was justified by faith.
His faith now began to work by love,
and therefore he was found ever obedient to the will of his Maker.
He brought forth the fruits of
righteousness; and his works - proved the genuineness of his faith;
and he continued to enjoy the Divine approbation
(Approval), which he could not have
done had he not been thus obedient; for the Spirit of God would have
been grieved, and his principle of faith would have perished.
Homily: (Faith and Works.)
Abraham had faith, and because he did,
in his life there were signs following.
Works, religious, moral or not, no
matter how grandiose do not bring salvation, repentance and faith, do
that.
For example:
The story of the Rich Young Ruler who
came to Christ (Mark 10:17-30 KJV).
Mark 10:17 NLT "...a man came
running up to Him, knelt down..."
Mark 10:17 NLT "... “Good
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:19 NLT "...to answer your
question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must
not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify
falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.”
Mark 10:20,21 NLT
20 “Teacher,” the man replied,
“I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt
genuine love for him.
The young man had never been a
murderer, never been immoral, never had he stolen from another, and
never had he testified falsely against anyone.
The Biblical moral codes the rich young
ruler kept are definitely, signs of some one who is a follower of The
Lord!
But, do they make an individual God's
child.
No, for we are not saved by spiritual works “we,”
do, Jesus went on to say....
Mark 10:21-23 NLT
21 “...“There is still one thing
you haven’t done,” He told him. “Go and sell all your
possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and
he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Jesus looked around and said to His
disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of
God!”
No, the rich young ruler, was “not,”
a follower of Christ, he was “not,” in the kingdom!
Oh yes he had all the (works) signs of
those who “do,” follow The Master, yet, his heart was far from
living completely and serving The Lord.
True Salvation will always produces Godly fruit.
Religious Works, do not by themselves prove Salvation, who said so? Jesus said so!
Matthew 7:21-23 KJV
21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.
21 Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.
Consider
Mark 12:28-34 KJV
28 And one of the scribes came, and
having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had
answered them well, asked Him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of
all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one
Lord:
30 And thou shalt love The Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and
with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other
commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto Him, Well,
Master, thou hast said The Truth: for there is one God; and there is
none other but He:
33 And to love Him with all the heart,
and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all
the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all
whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered
discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of
God.
Not far from the kingdom, is “not,”
in the kingdom!
Certainly, the scribe, knew well from a
child the right answers, and yet, that hardly meant that God was in,
and in control of his heart.
Works (doing religious works) do “not,”
place one within the kingdom of God, how many times must The Living
God, warn!
Homily:
One may know well, to immediately leave
a house that is on fire, that is the thing to do!
And yet, what if one does not.
One may well think.....
*Perhaps the fire will burn itself out,
no use to get out of bed.
*Perhaps the fire department, will get
here and put it out, might just as well
sleep on.
*Perhaps it will rain, and put the fire
out, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
All the human reasoning, will not make
the result any different, death.
Salvation, was to escape, and to have
shunned it, meant end of life.
Abraham had faith, and because he did,
the resulting signs, the fruits of Godliness were found in his life.
Faith and Works, though found hand in
hand, (do not be deceived), are “not,” on
an equal footing. One is and always
will be subordinate to the other, for Faith alone, through the grace
and mercy of The Lord Jesus Christ, leads to salvation!
It was not, the religious works of
mankind that was crucified upon the cross of Calvary!
It was the precious Son Of God, He
alone is the Savior!
Think what nonsense from the pit of
hell, any other belief is.
A mans giving to the poor, means he has
paid for a passage to heaven.
A woman helping at a shelter for the
poor, means she has earned the kingdom of God.
An elderly church goes, bequeaths and
estate valued at over 100 million dollars, certainly he has earned a
mansion in heaven.
Why then oh why, did the glorious,
sinless Son Of The Father, have to come to earth to die on a cross,
when all one has to do, is to do charitable, religious work to be
accepted by God???
Read again.
God's people are told to do good works,
yes, but never that they are saved by them!
This is fallacious reasoning at its
best! And yet we live in a world where such doctrine of devils is
perpetuated over and over.
Works are fruits that follow a life
given and consecrated to The Lord Of Glory.
Dear friend may that be your life!
For more reading on this see the blog
posting: Salvation-Not By Works
