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Mike, I believe in salvation by grace. I just do not believe in salvation by grace alone. James believed in salvation by grace; but it's evident by his own words that he did not believe faith could stand by itself as a salvation worker; it needs good works to complete it. "So you see faith WITHOUT GOOD WORKS IS A DEAD FAITH".
It is a contradiction to say that you believe in salvation (with regard to eternal life) by grace, but not in salvation by grace alone. By the Bible's own definition grace is the absence of any works on our part.
Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
James believed that eternal salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But James, and the apostle Paul for that matter, unlike so many of you who do not understand what James was talking about, made a distinction between the issue of eternal life, and the issue of how the eternally saved believer should live his life as an eternally saved believer in Christ. They are two different issues.
A believer may or may not live a spiritually productive life. But either way, he still has eternal life. The dead faith of which James spoke was with reference to not having a spiritual life that was producing good works. It was not a reference to a false or non-existent faith. Lack of good works does not mean that a person had a false faith and was therefore never saved. It merely means that he is an eternally saved believer who is not living as he should live as an eternally saved believer.
When James asked in James 2:14 whether a faith without works can save someone, he was not referring to being saved from the penalty of sin, he was referring to being saved from a non-productive useless spiritual life as an eternally saved believer.
Instead of accusing me of misrepresenting the Scriptures, take the time and make the effort to learn something of which you would speak.
Acts 15:11 "But we believe that we are saved through the grace (charis; grace, favor, kindness) of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."
The Greek word Charis means grace, favor, kindness.
Strong's Concordance
charis: grace, kindness
Original Word: χάρις, ιτος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: charis
Phonetic Spelling: (khar'-ece)
Short Definition: grace, favor, kindness
Definition: (a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, (b) favor, (c) gratitude, thanks, (d) a favor, kindness Strong's Greek: 5485. ????? (charis) -- grace, kindness
Here is what James said about the issue of eating food sacrificed to idols.
James 15:28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us (ἡμῖν; hēmin -to us) to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29] that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."
The 'us' to which James referred were all those at the council of Jerusalem, including the apostle Paul, who were defending salvation by grace against the Judaizers.
Here is what Paul said concerning eating food sacrificed to idols.
1 Cor. 8:1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
2] If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
3] but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
4]Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5] For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
6] yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
7] However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8] But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
9]But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
10] For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
11] For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
12] And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
13]Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
The issue concerning not eating food sacrificed to idols had nothing to do with being eternally saved by grace through faith. It had to do with not eating such food if it caused a weak believer to stumble.
The fallacy is believing there is such a thing as faith alone. The only way you KNOW faith really exists is by its works. That is what James was trying to convey. There is no such thing as faith alone. It is an empty claim promoted by easy believers.
On the contrary. The grace oriented believer knows that he has trusted in the finished work of Christ on the Cross (Faith in Christ) and therefore has eternal life. Faith does not necessarily produce good works. The believer out of fellowship cannot produce works which are acceptable to God. Nor can the unbeliever. Only the believer who is in fellowship can produce works that God will accept as rewardable. All other works will simply be burned up. The believers works which are not acceptable to God will be burned up at the judgment seat of Christ as per 1 Cor. 3:12-15. The unbeliever's works will be the basis for his condemnation in the lake of fire as per Revelation 20:11-15.
Since it is possible for a believer to be perpetually carnal, that believer will have a spiritually unproductive life. Whatever works he produced in a carnal status will be burned up though he himself is saved (1 Cor. 3:15).
Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone refers to the issue of eternal life.
The issue of works on the other hand is related to the believer's production as an eternally saved believer.
John 2:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him!
"It’s an active, ongoing result of a previous action, by and through the Faithfulness of Christ Jesus."
However, I have noticed that, if any part of someone's theology fails the rest will also crumble; one by one. It's no wonder that they desire to argue from their position, which has nothing to do with that of "believing in him."
"His loving-kindness is bestowed upon all of humanity, contrary to popular opinion."
It's not possible for those who truly "believe him" to have faith without good works.
Some people see themselves as being special, when they attempt to "Lord it, over others!"
It is a contradiction to say that you believe in salvation (with regard to eternal life) by grace, but not in salvation by grace alone. By the Bible's own definition grace is the absence of any works on our part.
Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
James believed that eternal salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But James, and the apostle Paul for that matter, unlike so many of you who do not understand what James was talking about, made a distinction between the issue of eternal life, and the issue of how the eternally saved believer should live his life as an eternally saved believer in Christ. They are two different issues.
A believer may or may not live a spiritually productive life. But either way, he still has eternal life. The dead faith of which James spoke was with reference to not having a spiritual life that was producing good works. It was not a reference to a false or non-existent faith. Lack of good works does not mean that a person had a false faith and was therefore never saved. It merely means that he is an eternally saved believer who is not living as he should live as an eternally saved believer.
When James asked in James 2:14 whether a faith without works can save someone, he was not referring to being saved from the penalty of sin, he was referring to being saved from a non-productive useless spiritual life as an eternally saved believer.
Sounds to me like "I ride the bus" is totally different from "I take the bus" but I'll let the matter rest.
On the contrary. The grace oriented believer knows that he has trusted in the finished work of Christ on the Cross (Faith in Christ) and therefore has eternal life. Faith does not necessarily produce good works. The believer out of fellowship cannot produce works which are acceptable to God. Nor can the unbeliever. Only the believer who is in fellowship can produce works that God will accept as rewardable. All other works will simply be burned up. The believers works which are not acceptable to God will be burned up at the judgment seat of Christ as per 1 Cor. 3:12-15. The unbeliever's works will be the basis for his condemnation in the lake of fire as per Revelation 20:11-15.
Since it is possible for a believer to be perpetually carnal, that believer will have a spiritually unproductive life. Whatever works he produced in a carnal status will be burned up though he himself is saved (1 Cor. 3:15).
Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone refers to the issue of eternal life.
The issue of works on the other hand is related to the believer's production as an eternally saved believer.
These are two different issues.
You are so close . . . but you retain this belief in a magical state that arises from holding a specific set of beliefs ABOUT Christ making you special. Whether or not you do has no effect whatsoever. There are no special people based on magic . . . we are ALL still saved by Christ and can have faith in that truth. But everything you say about works is also true.
You are so close . . . but you retain this belief in a magical state that arises from holding a specific set of beliefs ABOUT Christ making you special. Whether or not you do has no effect whatsoever. There are no special people based on magic . . . we are ALL still saved by Christ and can have faith in that truth. But everything you say about works is also true.
The Psychology of ADVERSITY within Religion, including, the fears of Eternal punishment have clouded the soul.
You are so close . . . but you retain this belief in a magical state that arises from holding a specific set of beliefs ABOUT Christ making you special. Whether or not you do has no effect whatsoever. There are no special people based on magic . . . we are ALL still saved by Christ and can have faith in that truth. But everything you say about works is also true.
Magic has nothing to do with it. Jesus said that what you believe about Him matters.
John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
Your comment about feeling special does not deserve any attention.
It's not possible for those who truly "believe him" to have faith without good works.
Exactly.
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