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NASB | James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God--it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. |
Bible Question:
Some understand that Water baptism APPROPRIATES what Jesus has done on the cross OR that 'The born-again sinner's prayer' APPROPRIATES what Jesus has done on the cross. Why is baptism 'a work' and the 'sinner's prayer' not a work? (Obviously advocates of either stance insist on grace-given faith combined with baptism or the prayer). Why is the born-again prayer NOT a work? Is it not necessary to ask Jesus into your heart? Is DOING this not required?? How can Baptism be a work and a Prayer not a work? The ESV translates James 5:16b The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is WORKING. Praying for salvation is a work too! |
Bible Answer: Greetings Dalcent! I will take a shot at your question my friend! From the protestant perspective, there are several things mentioned in Scripture that precede salvation - repentance, confession, acceptence, reception, ect.... I see these as being basically synomous terms for a change of attitude. One must accept what God offers in order for one to be saved. Now, is 'accepting' a gift 'a work' that someone causes me to deserve said gift? Allow me to use an analogy. Suppose I decide to buy my wife a great 25th wedding anniversary present. I go to great lengths to pick out the present, purchase it, keep it secret (which is not easy with 4 kids and 2 grandkids around), and wrap it. My wife comes into the room on the fateful day. She 'accepts' my gift. Did she therefore earn it? Did she have anything to do with the purchase of the gift at all? No! In the same way, we must accept God's gift of salvation. But asking God for salvation does not earn salvation, nor does it contribute to salvation in any way. The gift has already been bought and wrapped. Now, baptism is a different story. Baptism is not an attitude, it is an action - something either done to us or done by us. The clearest example in Scripture is circumcision. Like baptism, circumcision was a an initation rite. Yet, in Galatians, Paul quite clearly makes the case that adding circumcision to 'grace' is a perversion of the Gospel. Now, if you would like to discuss this issue, I would be happy to do so my friend! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |