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NASB | James 2:14 ¶ What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 2:14 ¶ What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient--genuine faith produces good works.] |
Subject: Is salvation by faith only scriptural? |
Bible Note: You wrote: "The attribute of Faith is having complete trust, confidence, reliance and loyalty in God." You missed something very important here. There was this guy named Jesus who died for the sins of all those who had faith in him, and then rose again on the third day. That is the key element of saving faith (1 Corinthians 2:2). You wrote: "Faith is shown by a person’s willful obedience to God’s law and is not the simple belief that God’s law exists without need of any future consideration." Absolutely correct! Faith is SHOWN by obedience. That is not the same thing as faith BEING obedience. I can show that I am wealthy by buying lots of expensive items. However, that is evidence of wealth, and not the wealth itself. Same with faith and works: 'But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."' --James 2:18 Works SHOW our faith, but it is the faith in Christ's perfect works by which we are justified before God. 'Why is this important? -The world preaches, “all you must do is believe and you’ll be saved."' No, I think the world is preaching a much different set of messages. One of them is that heaven can be earned by horrifically sinful human beings like you and me. Sound familiar? Those who truly have faith will be doers of the word. But it is the faith that God credits as righteousness (Romans 4:5) and not the "doing." --Joe! |