Now I see you affirm those passages, as I also do with Ephesians’ proclamation of the gift of God, being saved by grace through faith.
It seems to me some devolutions of Protestantism do show up on these threads forsaking the commandments. I’m pleased to hear your affirmation of the commandments.
There IS a reason that the Commandments are the first thing that we Lutherans tend to teach when Confirmation time rolls around.
It’s just that we don’t find salvation in them. That doesn’t mean they’re not VERY important.
1: To curb evil and sinful impulses.
2: To show us ourselves and how much we need Jesus.
3: To give us a guide through life.
We believe what the Bible says, after all. It contains the Prophets and the Law and the writing of the Apostles.
Scripture says that salvation is because of grace through faith, not works. There is that oft-quoted passage in James, though, and we believe that as well. But because of the seeming contradiction, we need to look elsewhere in Scripture to try to figure out what it means.
So, just to make things clear about what LCMS Lutherans and I myself believe, at least re: salvation.
Salvation is by God’s grace alone. That grace is given/shown to us in the Word and in Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. By faith, we believe in that grace, and by that grace, that undeserved kindess, we are given salvation.
But by faith, we also try to live our earthly lives according to the word of God. A faith, a belief in the promises of the Lord that does not then try to please the Lord is an empty faith—which is what James was speaking of when he wrote about faith. He defined it himself earlier in his writing. When James writes of faith, he defines it as the kind of ‘faith’ that just says, ‘Jesus exists.’ Not ‘I trust in the Lord.’
Additionally, without Christ, all our good works are as filthy rags anyways.
Come the return of Jesus, we will give an account of our works. Those who have faith will have done good works, and because God sees us through Jesus, even the filthy rags that were our righteous works before will be seen as good works.
Those who have the foundation of faith without works will still inherit eternal life, but the rewards of such will be lesser than those whose earthly life was full of faithful work.
Anyways, I’m sure we can discuss that, but I’ve gotta run and get some errands done.