Several weeks ago, our sermon at International Bible Baptist Church - Riverside was presented by Jonathan Dave Nolasco and was based upon James, chapter 2. That sermon started my spiritual mental wheels turning.
My focus went to verses 14 and 17 in the James 2:14-17 passage, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Jonathan's message that Sunday focused more on the message found in verses 15 and 16, loving our neighbor and allowing our Christian witness to show through how we relate to and treat others. My antennae was piqued more on rehashing mentally how I have seen this full James 2 Scripture passage used, and misused, in past years.
The following Sunday during our "after service" fellowship, my dialogue buddy, Ben Gallardo, and I had another good discussion and I told him how Jonathan's message that week had caused me to consider the best way to present that particular passage to readers of my blogs and eNewsletter.
We know our "Salvation by Works" brethren will use this passage in their attempt to prove that folks are saved by works. And our Arminian brethren will use it to prove that a Christian can indeed lose his salvation.
So, let's dig more deeply into this James 2 passage and see what we can discover.
First, James is addressing Christian brethren, as witnessed in multiple verses: James 1:2, 1:16, 1:19, 2:1, 2:14, 3:1, etc. These people are saved Christian believers - or he would not be addressing them as brethren. So, is James telling people whom he calls brethren - that if they have no works, they are not really saved? If so, why is he calling them brethren? Or is he telling them that they can lose their salvation, i.e., the Arminian view?
Using this passage as proof text, aren't our Works Salvation brethren putting the cart before the horse, i.e., works first, then salvation?
Or do you think James is telling believers that without post-salvation works their Christian witness is sterile, unable or unwilling to reproduce? That could be true, for if a believer does not have a desire, and a willingness, to share this great blessing of eternal life in Christ with those still lost in the world - what does that say about his own Christian faith and witness?
Why would a believer not feel a strong desire to share the joy of our Christian faith with others? I might suggest that this could come from the way folks view the Bible, God's Written Word. Do they view the Bible as God's Written Instructions to us - or do they view the Bible as just a good book of allegories, metaphors, and myths?
For me, the Bible is God's full revelation to man regarding salvation and our Christian faith. In His Bible, God gives us everything we need to know to attain salvation, eternal life in Christ - to maintain our own personal daily Christian walk - and to share that faith and knowledge with others who need to hear the Good News, the Gospel.
Basically there are only two views of the Bible held within our Christian communities: the conservative Christian view and the liberal Christian view:
1. Conservative Theology views the Bible as the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Holy Spirit Literal Written Word of God.
2. Liberal Theology views the Bible in a metaphorical, allegorical, and symbolic sense.
Over the past thirty years, as I have been doing Christian and apologetic writing on different venues, I have often been asked the question, "What about the Liberals who do not believe in evangelism and the divine inspiration of Scripture, who will avoid sharing the Gospel and witnessing to people in the unbelieving world about God? Are they saved?"
Many times on various venues people who tell me they are Christian have declared to me, "Bill, if someone wants to hear about Jesus Christ and the Bible, they will come and ask me. If they do not ask me, I am not going to beat them over the head with my Bible." These are the folks I call my "Couch Potato" Christian Friends.
But, are they saved? If they have heard the Gospel of salvation, believed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior - YES, they are saved (Ephesians 1:13, John 1:12).
Yes, the Liberal "Couch Potato" Christian is just as saved as you and me. It is just that when they stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, aka, the Bema Seat Judgment - their "Christmas Stocking of Rewards" will be empty. Believing and being justified will get them into heaven - and that is our greatest reward, to be in His presence eternally. But it will be like standing before a highly respected and beloved Teacher and having to say, "No, I have not done my homework."
John Calvin said of that kind of saving faith, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
We must keep in mind that Jesus Christ left us two Ordinances and one Great Commission:
At this point I think an important question is: "When are we saved?" Are we saved the moment we believe? Or are we saved after we have worked enough to earn salvation?
If we have to work to earn salvation, then why did Jesus Christ have to die on the cross? Or was His death not sufficient to give eternal life to believers? Folks, these are very important questions - for they go toward our understanding of God. Is He truly an Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (all places present) God - or not?
What does the Bible say about when are we saved?
Those verses tell me that the moment we hear the Gospel and believe - we are saved, justified, regenerated, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. At that very moment a person is saved, i.e., regenerated, justified, and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit ever leave the believer? We find an answer to that question in Ephesians 4 and John 10:27-29:
Once a person is saved, sealed, indwelled by the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit will never leave that believer until his day of redemption. When is our day of redemption? Our day of redemption is the day we either die in this mortal body - or are Raptured from this mortal body. Until that moment, no power on earth or in heaven can evict the Holy Spirit from the believer - for our body is a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, John 10:27-29).
Then what did James mean when he wrote: James 2:17(nkjv), "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
We need to look at:
We can see that a person is not saved by, or through, works. "Works will not bring salvation - but salvation should bring forth works." Which correlates with John Calvin's statement, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
What kind of "works" is meant in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15? Is it works of the Law - or works which are the fruit of salvation? Works of the Law cannot save anyone (Romans 3:20). We must make clear distinction between "works of the Law" and "works resulting from salvation."
There is a singular point in time when a person is saved "by grace through faith." At that moment the Holy Spirit indwells that person, taking up permanent residence within that believer:
At that specific moment, the person has eternal life, has the Holy Spirit within, and IS a child of God. That fact is irrefutable and immutable. Nothing on earth or in heaven can take that "child of God" status from that person. In other words, NO ONE can snatch the believer out of God's hands nor out of God's family.
At that moment, we are adopted into the family of God:
Works has not led to us being saved; works has not given us eternal life in Christ. That happened by grace through faith, alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once we are saved, regenerated, justified - that salvation is set in concrete. Now that we have been saved, because of that saving grace, that should give us a strong desire to do good works in the name of the Lord.
Look at salvation like a one-way gate. Once we walk through, we are children of God. And, at that time we should get to work - glorifying God and sharing His Gospel with the world.
Jesus Christ explains it very clearly in His Great Commission to ALL believers: "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, TEACH them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).
So, when James writes in chapter 2, verse 17, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Could that be saying that we have lost our salvation? No. That is saying that our post-salvation works have been tested and found lacking. Therefore we lose rewards in the life to come, when we stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, i.e., the Bema Seat Judgment.
Look again at what 1 Corinthians 3:15 is telling us, "If anyone's work is burned (post salvation works), he will suffer loss; but he himself WILL be saved, yet so as through fire." We may have scorched robes of righteousness - but we will be wearing them in the eternal presence of Jesus Christ.
James is not disagreeing with the apostle Paul, he is merely saying the same thing - but from a different view.
When you believe, put your faith in Him, and trust His promises - a natural result is that you will want to share His Gospel with others. You will not be forced to do it. But I suggest that you should be so excited about your salvation, that you will not be able to resist sharing Him with others. That, folks, is saving grace, salvation, eternal life - that is the fruit, the good works, which should naturally flow from your salvation.
As I said earlier, there are those of us who feel a need to share the Gospel with the world, i.e., Conservative Christians.
And there are those who are saved, but prefer to sit and wait for the world to ask them about the Gospel, i.e., Liberal Christians, aka, "Couch Potato" Christians.
The important question is: Which are YOU? Do you surrender to the saving grace which tells us to "GO! Be His witness!" ~ or do you "SIT And Wait To Be Asked?"
Your eternal rewards, not your salvation, depend upon your answer. But don't you want to enter never ending eternity with lots of treasures, i.e., rewards (Matthew 6:19-21) in your Heavenly Bank Account?
In closing, let me share a video clip which I took from a Bible Study on James 2 presented by the late Chuck Missler. Chuck, besides being a corporate leader and scientist in advanced technologies for many decades, also was an accomplished Bible teacher for over 40 years with many thousands of his teaching videos distributed around the world.
In the video below, Dr. Chuck Missler provides a verse-by-verse expositional teaching of James 2:14-26. He examines faith and works. What kind of faith saves a person? Is it necessary to do good works to be saved? Are faith and works inseparable? Is there evidence in your life that you are saved?
For many years in the world of economy and banking, we heard that proclamation: "When Merrill Lynch speaks people listen"
Well, my Friends, in the world of Christian faith and Bible teaching, I have often felt: "When Chuck Missler speaks people listen"
And that is why I want to end this blog giving you an opportunity to listen to what Chuck Missler has to say about James 2:14-17. I am giving you an edited short version - and the full one hour study - depending upon how much time you can spare.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
My focus went to verses 14 and 17 in the James 2:14-17 passage, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Jonathan's message that Sunday focused more on the message found in verses 15 and 16, loving our neighbor and allowing our Christian witness to show through how we relate to and treat others. My antennae was piqued more on rehashing mentally how I have seen this full James 2 Scripture passage used, and misused, in past years.
The following Sunday during our "after service" fellowship, my dialogue buddy, Ben Gallardo, and I had another good discussion and I told him how Jonathan's message that week had caused me to consider the best way to present that particular passage to readers of my blogs and eNewsletter.
We know our "Salvation by Works" brethren will use this passage in their attempt to prove that folks are saved by works. And our Arminian brethren will use it to prove that a Christian can indeed lose his salvation.
So, let's dig more deeply into this James 2 passage and see what we can discover.
First, James is addressing Christian brethren, as witnessed in multiple verses: James 1:2, 1:16, 1:19, 2:1, 2:14, 3:1, etc. These people are saved Christian believers - or he would not be addressing them as brethren. So, is James telling people whom he calls brethren - that if they have no works, they are not really saved? If so, why is he calling them brethren? Or is he telling them that they can lose their salvation, i.e., the Arminian view?
Using this passage as proof text, aren't our Works Salvation brethren putting the cart before the horse, i.e., works first, then salvation?
Or do you think James is telling believers that without post-salvation works their Christian witness is sterile, unable or unwilling to reproduce? That could be true, for if a believer does not have a desire, and a willingness, to share this great blessing of eternal life in Christ with those still lost in the world - what does that say about his own Christian faith and witness?
Why would a believer not feel a strong desire to share the joy of our Christian faith with others? I might suggest that this could come from the way folks view the Bible, God's Written Word. Do they view the Bible as God's Written Instructions to us - or do they view the Bible as just a good book of allegories, metaphors, and myths?
For me, the Bible is God's full revelation to man regarding salvation and our Christian faith. In His Bible, God gives us everything we need to know to attain salvation, eternal life in Christ - to maintain our own personal daily Christian walk - and to share that faith and knowledge with others who need to hear the Good News, the Gospel.
Basically there are only two views of the Bible held within our Christian communities: the conservative Christian view and the liberal Christian view:
1. Conservative Theology views the Bible as the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Holy Spirit Literal Written Word of God.
We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. The Bible is the sole authority for our Christian faith and Christian life. The Bible is God's authoritative written revelation to man. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture and that all 66 books of the Bible are without error in the original manuscripts.
We believe Scripture should be interpreted according to its historical, grammatical, and literal sense. We believe that Divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts and words of the Bible, so that the whole Bible, in the original manuscripts, is without error in its moral and spiritual teaching and in its record of historical facts.
2. Liberal Theology views the Bible in a metaphorical, allegorical, and symbolic sense.
In Liberal Theology the Bible is the Word of God, but it is not to be read and interpreted as the literal Written Word of God. Some in that camp will even deny the Holy Spirit Inspiration of the Bible, saying that it is the product of men and the cultural worldview of the writers during their time.
They see the Bible as a good guideline for Christian living, but not the inspired, inerrant, and definitely not the literal Written Word of God. Viewing the Bible in this allegorical sense, those with a predetermined theology can twist Scripture to fit any doctrinal teaching they choose.
Over the past thirty years, as I have been doing Christian and apologetic writing on different venues, I have often been asked the question, "What about the Liberals who do not believe in evangelism and the divine inspiration of Scripture, who will avoid sharing the Gospel and witnessing to people in the unbelieving world about God? Are they saved?"
Many times on various venues people who tell me they are Christian have declared to me, "Bill, if someone wants to hear about Jesus Christ and the Bible, they will come and ask me. If they do not ask me, I am not going to beat them over the head with my Bible." These are the folks I call my "Couch Potato" Christian Friends.
But, are they saved? If they have heard the Gospel of salvation, believed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, and receive Him as their Lord and Savior - YES, they are saved (Ephesians 1:13, John 1:12).
Yes, the Liberal "Couch Potato" Christian is just as saved as you and me. It is just that when they stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, aka, the Bema Seat Judgment - their "Christmas Stocking of Rewards" will be empty. Believing and being justified will get them into heaven - and that is our greatest reward, to be in His presence eternally. But it will be like standing before a highly respected and beloved Teacher and having to say, "No, I have not done my homework."
John Calvin said of that kind of saving faith, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
We must keep in mind that Jesus Christ left us two Ordinances and one Great Commission:
The ordinances: Baptism and Communion, which we do in remembrance of Him and His sacrifice for us. (Luke 22:19-20, Matthew 28:19)
The Great Commission: "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, Teach them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). If we are GOING, we cannot be SITTING on our couch waiting for the world to come to us.
At this point I think an important question is: "When are we saved?" Are we saved the moment we believe? Or are we saved after we have worked enough to earn salvation?
If we have to work to earn salvation, then why did Jesus Christ have to die on the cross? Or was His death not sufficient to give eternal life to believers? Folks, these are very important questions - for they go toward our understanding of God. Is He truly an Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (all places present) God - or not?
What does the Bible say about when are we saved?
Ephesians 1:13 (nkjv), "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,"
Ephesians 2:8-9 (nkjv), "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Romans 5:1 (nkjv), "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
2 Corinthians 5:17 (nkjv), "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (regeneration); old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
Titus 3:5 (nkjv), "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,"
Those verses tell me that the moment we hear the Gospel and believe - we are saved, justified, regenerated, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. At that very moment a person is saved, i.e., regenerated, justified, and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit ever leave the believer? We find an answer to that question in Ephesians 4 and John 10:27-29:
Ephesians 4:30 (nkjv), "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
And in John 10:27-29 (nasb), "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life (never ending life) to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."
Once a person is saved, sealed, indwelled by the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit will never leave that believer until his day of redemption. When is our day of redemption? Our day of redemption is the day we either die in this mortal body - or are Raptured from this mortal body. Until that moment, no power on earth or in heaven can evict the Holy Spirit from the believer - for our body is a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, John 10:27-29).
Then what did James mean when he wrote: James 2:17(nkjv), "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
We need to look at:
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (nkjv), "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. (11) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(12) Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, (13) each one's work will become clear; for the Day (2 Corinthians 5:10, Believers' Judgment or Bema Seat Judgment) will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
(14) If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. (15) If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss (of rewards); but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
We can see that a person is not saved by, or through, works. "Works will not bring salvation - but salvation should bring forth works." Which correlates with John Calvin's statement, "It is faith alone that justifies - but faith that justifies is never alone"
What kind of "works" is meant in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15? Is it works of the Law - or works which are the fruit of salvation? Works of the Law cannot save anyone (Romans 3:20). We must make clear distinction between "works of the Law" and "works resulting from salvation."
Romans 3:20 (nkjv), "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Galatians 2:16 (nkjv), "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
Galatians 3:2-5 (nkjv), "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? . . . Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
There is a singular point in time when a person is saved "by grace through faith." At that moment the Holy Spirit indwells that person, taking up permanent residence within that believer:
John 1:12 (nkjv), "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
At that specific moment, the person has eternal life, has the Holy Spirit within, and IS a child of God. That fact is irrefutable and immutable. Nothing on earth or in heaven can take that "child of God" status from that person. In other words, NO ONE can snatch the believer out of God's hands nor out of God's family.
At that moment, we are adopted into the family of God:
Galatians 4:4-7 (nkjv), "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (5) so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (6) Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' (7) Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God."
Works has not led to us being saved; works has not given us eternal life in Christ. That happened by grace through faith, alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once we are saved, regenerated, justified - that salvation is set in concrete. Now that we have been saved, because of that saving grace, that should give us a strong desire to do good works in the name of the Lord.
Look at salvation like a one-way gate. Once we walk through, we are children of God. And, at that time we should get to work - glorifying God and sharing His Gospel with the world.
Jesus Christ explains it very clearly in His Great Commission to ALL believers: "GO, Make disciples, Baptize them, TEACH them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).
So, when James writes in chapter 2, verse 17, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Could that be saying that we have lost our salvation? No. That is saying that our post-salvation works have been tested and found lacking. Therefore we lose rewards in the life to come, when we stand before Christ at the Believers' Judgment, i.e., the Bema Seat Judgment.
Look again at what 1 Corinthians 3:15 is telling us, "If anyone's work is burned (post salvation works), he will suffer loss; but he himself WILL be saved, yet so as through fire." We may have scorched robes of righteousness - but we will be wearing them in the eternal presence of Jesus Christ.
James is not disagreeing with the apostle Paul, he is merely saying the same thing - but from a different view.
When you believe, put your faith in Him, and trust His promises - a natural result is that you will want to share His Gospel with others. You will not be forced to do it. But I suggest that you should be so excited about your salvation, that you will not be able to resist sharing Him with others. That, folks, is saving grace, salvation, eternal life - that is the fruit, the good works, which should naturally flow from your salvation.
As I said earlier, there are those of us who feel a need to share the Gospel with the world, i.e., Conservative Christians.
And there are those who are saved, but prefer to sit and wait for the world to ask them about the Gospel, i.e., Liberal Christians, aka, "Couch Potato" Christians.
The important question is: Which are YOU? Do you surrender to the saving grace which tells us to "GO! Be His witness!" ~ or do you "SIT And Wait To Be Asked?"
Your eternal rewards, not your salvation, depend upon your answer. But don't you want to enter never ending eternity with lots of treasures, i.e., rewards (Matthew 6:19-21) in your Heavenly Bank Account?
In closing, let me share a video clip which I took from a Bible Study on James 2 presented by the late Chuck Missler. Chuck, besides being a corporate leader and scientist in advanced technologies for many decades, also was an accomplished Bible teacher for over 40 years with many thousands of his teaching videos distributed around the world.
In the video below, Dr. Chuck Missler provides a verse-by-verse expositional teaching of James 2:14-26. He examines faith and works. What kind of faith saves a person? Is it necessary to do good works to be saved? Are faith and works inseparable? Is there evidence in your life that you are saved?
For many years in the world of economy and banking, we heard that proclamation: "When Merrill Lynch speaks people listen"
Well, my Friends, in the world of Christian faith and Bible teaching, I have often felt: "When Chuck Missler speaks people listen"
And that is why I want to end this blog giving you an opportunity to listen to what Chuck Missler has to say about James 2:14-17. I am giving you an edited short version - and the full one hour study - depending upon how much time you can spare.
James 2:14-26 Bible Study - Chuck Missler - Short Version (25 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIiCLO_dBhg
James 2:14-26 Bible Study - Chuck Missler - Full Study (1 hour, ten minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdxT1smfzbM
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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