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Romans 10:5-21 - Into Thy Word Ministries
Do you fear to witness? Have you done evangelism with all of your heart and passion with little to no results? Well, so did Paul!
http://70030.netministry.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=35641&columnid=3803
Topics:
Bible Studies, Bible Study, Theology, Salvation, Romans, Witnessing, Epistles, Justification By Faith Alone, General Revelation, Repent And Be Saved
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I seem to have stumbled on a perplexing issue, Paul says “it is by grace we are saved through faith and NOT (emphasis added) by works” yet James says “we are justified by works and NOT (emphasis added) by faith alone”! Please can someone rectify these seemingly contradictory statements as there are some who say the former and some who say the latter and I am thoroughly perplexed. Please E-mail me at timecruiser23@yahoo.com Thank-you!
James 2: 14-26
Do Faith and Works Go Together?
Real, impacting, effectual faith will have results. It will be lived out! Faith is received alone, but it does not just stand alone; it is to be shown. Faith will be backed up by the proof that it is present in a person. If there is no proof, there is a good chance that the vessel is empty of faith. If the label says “coke,†and when you open it and pour it in a glass, all that comes out is “chicken feathers,†you may come to the conclusion that the label and contents do not measure up to each other. The same case is with faith. Faith is given and received by Christ’s work of grace alone. James’ point is not that salvation requires works, an effort to receive it or even to cement it; rather, real faith will result in an outcome that backs it up. Faith will be lived out in the believer’s life, thinking, words, and actions. Faith will create initiative from the realization of who we are in Christ, and then we will live out our lives in Him, through His power and because of our convictions.
Many commentators have suggested that James was reacting against Paul; however, James predates Paul, and they compliment and complete one another rather than contradict. James was reacting to pious, fraudulent Jews as well as the new Christians who were buying into their lies and demonstrating a useless, meaningless un-impacting faith. Also, at this time, many Christians wanted to join the Zealots and overthrow the Romans. James places the emphases on impacting faith, doing good with it, not harm (James 1:26-27; 2:19).
The type of faith James is referring to here is not genuine, saving faith; rather, it is the acceptance of our Lord’s precepts. There are three types of faith, saving (Eph. 2:8-9), practicing (2 Cor. 5:7) and intellectual (James 2:14-26) or sometimes refereed to as dead faith. “Dead†is a saying that means totally useless, words without actions. It is a lifeless corpse from whence the spirit has departed. James is saying when we do not demonstrate our faith we are as lifeless a dead body where the spirit/soul is gone! This does not mean we lose our faith; rather, we never had it. Faith that is not powered by Christ, and then practiced by our trust and obedience, is useless, false, dead, and even demonic! Thus, this passage is not about salvation, but rather how we are to live (Rom. 3:24; 14:23; Heb. 11:6; 1 John 5:12).
More here:
http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=33633&columnid=3803
i think God (the reater of the world) should be peached to our full cappasity. If we are not trying to preach God’s word thn what are we doing on this earth? At the end of the book of Mark Jesus says to his folowers to ‘go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation’. If we are not worshipping god then we are not doing whaat God put us here for.!