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NASB | James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God's precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. |
Subject: don't just listen to gods word but do |
Bible Note: Greetings ACUYFMO6! One interesting point that many forgot when reading James 2 is the question of what issue James was addressing. He was not addressing how one gets saved. Rather, he was addressing the evidence of geninue faith. Here is a post I made some time ago on this topic: ********************************************* Allow me to take a stab at your question. :-) A very basic rule of interpretation is to interpret the less clear by the more clear. With that in mind, Eph. 2:8, Rom. 4, Gal. 2, and many other passages state in no uncertain terms that we are not, nor can we be saved by works. James does not actually contradict this because James is not talking about how one is saved, but the evidence that one is saved. James 2:14 sets the stage for this whole discussion in James 2. It says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" Notice what situation is being discussed. Someone 'claims' to have faith, but they do not have works to back up their claim. Eph. 2:10 makes it clear that once a person is saved that there will be works, because we are created for good works. Christians are called to love one another, to demonstrate justice and mercy, ect... These works are a result of salvation, not the cause of salvation. This is exactly what James is saying. These people in James 2:14 say that they have faith, but they don't, and the evidence is that they don't provide for the needs of those who have no clothes or food (James 2:15). James 2:18 makes the point that faith is demonstrated by action. And, James 2:24 makes the point that one's faith is demonstrated by one's actions, not by simply claiming to have faith. So, the clear answer of Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 4, Gal. 2, and many other verses is that works do not and cannot save us in any way. I hope this helps! ********************************************* p.s. - Welcome to the forum! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |