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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Meaning "dead faith" doesn't save? | James 2:24 | Morant61 | 112335 | ||
Greetings Tortoise! Allow me to address this passage. James isn't teaching that works save, but that those who are saved will work. In fact, James 2:1-13 makes it clear that the 'works' being referred to concern the way we treat others. In this light, James says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" - James 2:14. To the objector in v. 18, James says, "....Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." Because, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." - James 2:17. Thus, the context is clearly speaking to those who claim to have faith, but do not live it. James is simply saying to them that they don't really have faith because faith works. Which is fully in accord with Eph. 2:10. There Paul, says that once a person is saved that they will produce good works. Verse 24, simply says that faith which works is proven true. Rom. 4, Gal. 2, Eph. 2:8-9, and more, make it clear that works do not and cannot save us. We cannot ignore the phrase 'not by works' and make it mean 'not by faith alone'. So, we are left with either two options. Either: 1) James and Paul contradict each other. Or, 2) James has been misunderstood, and is in full agreement with Paul. The latter is much more likly since the context of James 2 deals with those who 'say they have faith, but have no works'. Even Paul went on in Eph. 2:10 to say that those who are saved will produce good works. The only problem Paul had with works was from those who would say that they were saved by them. This he denied emphatically. Thus, the misunderstanding concerns what the word 'justifies' means in v. 24. The word translated as 'justified' can also mean 'proven right' or 'demonstrated to be righteous'. Check out Rom. 3:4. Was God justified or was He proven right in His words? Rom. 4:2, 4:5, 5:1 all deny that we can be justified by works. The same word is used here. So, unless one wants to say that James 2:24 directly contradicts these other verses, the only possible answer is that James 2:24 is using the second meaning of the term. In other words, our faith is demonstrated by our works. The only possible way to harmonize these verses is quite clear - salvation produces good works, good works do not produce salvation. I hope this helps! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Meaning "dead faith" doesn't save? | James 2:24 | tortoise | 112539 | ||
Thanks, good, clear answer. The definition of justifies from Rom. 3:4 is solid and convincing. | ||||||
3 | Meaning "dead faith" doesn't save? | James 2:24 | Morant61 | 112562 | ||
Greetings Tortoise! Thank you! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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