“I was referring to the idea that if a man does not have any works how can he really even know for sure that he has any faith?”
Yes, I believe God is saying through James that if a man does not have any works (again, meaning obedient lifestyle), then he does not have the true faith, he has a useless, dead faith.
Yes, Paul and James said the same thing, just differently.
They are not going to contradict each other because God is the same ultimate author.
v. 18
1) Faith w/o works is dead
2) Faith is shown by works [by the life that is lived]
So, if you are truly reckoned righteous (justified), works (obedience) will prove your faith.
v. 19
1) The demons know God is God & they tremble
So, it’s not enough just to intellectually accept the fact that God exists, or Jesus saves you.
v. 20
1)Faith w/o works (obedience) is useless
To me, the key to understanding the passage is to understand the meaning of the word “justify” when connected with “works.”
v. 21 - 24
1) Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac.
The word “justify” means to declare righteous; it also means to show to be righteous; in this context, it means to SHOW to be righteous.
[And since God clearly says that a person is saved (i.e., justified, sanctified, & glorified) by grace, through faith, and not works.]
2) Faith was working with his works, & the result is faith was perfected.
- Abraham’s works completed his faith.
- Abraham worked out what he believed; through his obedience he showed his faith to be real.
3) Abraham was justified by faith, that is, DECLARED righteous by God in Gen. 15
4) v. 24, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not be faith alone.
- “Justified” in the sense of SHOWN to be righteous; his deeds (obedience) proved his faith.
So, Abraham’s and Rahab’s (v. 25) obedience proves their faith.
There is going to be a time when all men’s deeds will be judged, Romans 2:6-13.
And re: your final point,
yes, love being the greatest commandment and named first in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, is certainly one work of obedience that is dependent on His grace and power, that proves a person belongs to Jesus. And how often we fall short of loving the way Jesus loved—with a person’s highest good in mind.
Yes, I believe God is saying through James that if a man does not have any works (again, meaning obedient lifestyle), then he does not have the true faith, he has a useless, dead faith.
But after i started to church, religion took over and i quit doing those things that i had been doing, i started thinking that i had no part with people that did not go to church.
But after i got into the Bible a little more i realized that i had been living a life that God would more likely have approved of before i started going to church than i was after i started going to church, because i was trying to make a religion out of it, and of course i had a lot of help from the church on that part.
Abraham was called a friend of God because he was counted righteous because he showed God his faith by his works, but even his works was not enough, he still had to follow Jesus into glory as the rest of Gods early men of God did.
I do not have time to look up the scripture but, but i believe it says something to the affect that none are worthy, we can only be saved by the blood of the lamb.
Since every church has a different doctrine, every one can be wrong, but every one can not be right, so it has to be a personal faith in God and in his son.
The duty of the church was to spread the gospel to all the world and the gospel has been taught in all of the world.
If it was to be taught by only one denomination we would only have one church, the churches that have taught the gospel are teaching the gospel in spite of all of their false doctrine.
I have only come into contact with one church that i mostly agree with and they do not say they are the only true church and in fact they will tell you that you do not even have to go to church to be saved.
They do not collect Tithes and do not believe Christian churches have the commandment nor the authority to collect them.
Could tithes have something to do with other churches telling people they needed to come to church to be saved?
Just my idea and have a great day.
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