as you say “Works are dead without faith”, what do you think of James 2:26, for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also
“what do you think of James 2:26, for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”
I suspect we both interpret James 2:26 in light of James 2:21-25:
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”
Now, lets look at what it SAYS...
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” Notice it does not say that Abraham was justified when he lived a life of holiness until death, and any remaining sin not paid for by good deeds (the storehouse of merit, anyone?) would be burnt out of him in Purgatory. He had faith, he acted on it - “”Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”.
No hint of the Catholic doctrine of doing a lifetime of works to see if your faith was sufficient, or your good deeds sufficient, etc. He believed, acted on his belief, and was saved.
As James puts in in his next sentence, “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works”...and his “works” consisted of offering Isaac in obedience to God. Not a lifetime of good-deed-doing.
The next sentence says, “And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”
What about Rahab? Did she do a life of good deeds, and find out at the end if her good deeds were good enough?
No, she had faith, acted on it, and she was justified. Past tense, from that moment.
I believe that is part of why Peter says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Repent. Act on that repentance, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now, none of this is meant to suggest that if you obey once, you can then go on to live as an unrepentant sinner and be accepted by God. God is not mocked. He knows if your repentance and faith is real.
If it is, then you will experience the new birth, and God will then take care of His child, to bring him or her to completion. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.” - Jude
Or, if you prefer, Jesus quoted in John: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
BTW - predestination isn’t something Calvin invented, but is something in the scripture.
Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Rom 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Eph 1:5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Eph 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Mat 24:31 “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Rom 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
One may not like the doctrine, or define it quite the way Calvin does, but one cannot ignore it without ignoring God’s Word.
I agree with that. Faith without works IS dead, unless someone comes to faith on their deathbed. Then they don’t have time or perhaps energy to do any good works except to love God.