Thanks for the reply.
In the case of Jericho, the obedience was marching. Why was marching obedience? Because God had commanded it.
What would’ve happened if the Israelites had said, “We’re not going to march, we’re just going to have faith only”?
That’s the question the “faith only” folks refuse to answer. They’ll never answer it because the answer exposes their false teaching.
So no, I don’t think it’s a useless exercise. It exposes these false teachers, so that others can be on their guard lest their faith end up as dead as the devils’.
You must not read these threads very often if you think "faith only folks" refuse to answer the age-old question of works in salvation. It gets answered continually! The REAL false teaching comes from those who imagine the works they do contribute to their justification or that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was insufficient to save us to the uttermost. No one denies that our actions demonstrate the kind of faith we have - that's what James is speaking to. When he asks, "Can faith save him?", he is so obviously talking about the brother who is naked and hungry and another says, "I'll pray for you! Have faith!.", and does nothing to help his brother in need. Those who insist James is implying our eternal salvation depends upon faith PLUS our good works, deny grace. They are fallen from grace, Paul said, who seek to be justified by their works.
All the examples you gave of the "heroes" of faith spoken of in the book of Hebrews were those who had genuine, saving faith and it showed in what they were willing to do IN faith. You cannot deny that Scripture repeatedly states that faith is what justifies and NOT works. Abraham was justified by faith and not by his deeds because deeds can never take away our sins. Only by the shedding of blood is there atonement - Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by His sacrifice and there is NOTHING we add to that. Our simple act of faith - receiving the gift of God which IS eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord - is what God requires and HE knows our hearts. Plenty of people fake it by acting religious and doing good deeds, but God sees the heart and knows without our deeds whether or not we have the kind of faith that saves us.
Genuine, life-changing faith WILL result in good deeds, but these deeds cannot and DO NOT save us. Once this truth finally dawns on us, we will never again question the Gospel.