Replies

re: “So without works our faith is useless unto salvation. That sounds like we are saved, in some part, by our works, no?

No - that’s not what I said nor what the Bible says. James 2:14-26 says:

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 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.” You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

You see, I think you are confusing two things. Salvation can never be obtained by human righteousness (works) - if it could, Christ never would have had to die on the cross for our sins. Paul says in Ephesians 2:9-11, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith - and, notice he says that by our salvation we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,. . .” In other words, God saved us not only to be with Him in heaven - but to get busy doing the works He has for us to do.

The James passages and Paul’s letters appear to be contradictoy, but that’s only because people think they are both speaking of the same thing. But, they are not. Paul is speaking of justification and salvation through faith - James is talking about living out the Christian life through our deeds (works).

In other words, Paul says that we are saved by God’s grace through faith - not by our personal works of righteousness - they could never measure up to removing the guilt of our sin. What James is speaking of is showing our faith by our deeds.

James is teaching that if a person says they are saved because they have faith that Jesus is God’s Son, and believe that He died on the cross for their sins - great - that’s good, but even Satan believes the same thing and is not saved - so, James says, if that person never shows any evidence by their actions, deeds, works that they have truely allowed Jesus to be Lord of their lives - then that person’s faith is worthless. James is not saying that you save yourself through your works - he is saying that the absense of works are evidence that that person never really allowed Christ to be their Lord. They are phony Christians.

re: “It’s sound “Christian” doctrine espoused by men. That’s philosophy. It’s not Biblical at all, though it has become traditional.”

No, Sir, that’s not true. I’ve just given you two good Bible passages to illustrate that, yes, salvation is by God’s grace and faith in Christ - not by our works. Yet, the Scriptures also say that works of righteousness ought to be a part of a real Christian’s life. If they are not - that Christian is probably a hypocrite. We cannot make that determination - only God can.