What About James Chapter 2, Doesn't It Teach Salvation By Faith + Works? No!
Well sure the book of James when misinterpreted and misapplied certainly seems to be teaching that both faith and works are required for salvation, but when properly interpreted in context and in light of the rest of the Scriptures, we see something entirely different. Here are the main verses of James chapter 2 that have been grossly misinterpreted for years by Lordship Salvation advocates and other works-salvation teachers:
(14) What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? Can faith save him? (17) Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. (20) But will you know O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (24) You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:14,17,20,21,24,26
It is a monumental misunderstanding of these verses that has caused many groups of professing Christians to go heretical and teach at odds with the salvation Scriptures overall, including opposing the Apostle Paul's clear declaration of grace in Romans 3, that justification is by faith alone in Christ alone and not only that, that we are justified freely by faith alone. To be justified freely is by grace alone without cost or requirement. Works being added are an unbiblical cost being assessed. This highly problematic view is a major heresy because it can create false conversions based on faith in works rather than faith in Christ, as well as destroy the true faith of Christians who are struggling with various sin issues.
Reformed theology as well as other aberrant belief strains misinterpret the practical exhortation of James 2 as a theological position regarding salvation and makes the error of teaching the heretical belief that true saving faith will always produce good works. Yet the Apostle Paul makes it very clear that a Christian without even one single good work, with no fruit whatsoever will still be saved yet “as by fire”:
“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1Cor 3:12-15
And contrary to a common misconception, “saved by fire” does not mean being barely saved such as “by the hair of your chinny chin chin” as some think this is saying. No there is no such thing as being barely saved. One is either soundly saved for real through faith (trust) alone in Christ alone or they are not saved at all. There is no gray area or middle ground here. There are no degrees or levels of salvation. It's on or off like a simple light switch.
James is Clearly Not Talking About Salvation, He is Talking About Discipleship.
James is not even referring to salvation in these verses. He is admonishing readers to produce good works and he is clearly addressing the brethren, meaning those who are already saved. So it makes total sense that he is admonishing them towards good works not towards getting saved. Why? Because they already are saved! It makes no sense at all to think he is trying to persuade the saved to get saved.
Faith without works is certainly dead in producing fruit as a Christian and is dead to creating a life that is lived in such a way as to be pleasing to God. James is teaching overall that faith without works is dead in effectiveness, regarding the Christian life or walk. This ultimately leads to being dead in producing genuine good works, dead in producing the fruit of new believers in Christ, etc.
He is teaching Christian obedience and faithfulness, not a false gospel of faith + works.
James and Paul Are Not At Odds With Each other
It seems to some that Paul and James are teaching views that are opposite of each other. It seems to them that Paul is preaching salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, while they interpret James as saying that good works need to be added to faith in order to make salvation valid. But this is not the case at all. The writings of Paul and James compliment each other perfectly. The do not contradict each other. In fact nothing in Scripture contradicts other Scriptures. But this is only apparent when the Bible passages are correctly interpreted and applied. Incorrect interpretations will naturally contradict other Bible passages because they are incorrect. Error can never square with truth. The Bible does not and cannot ever square with erroneous teachings. So false teachings always set up a situation where it appears that the Bible contradicts itself. And this is a major indicator of the presence of a false teaching.
The False Doctrine of Lordship Salvation Never Sleeps
The debate between Lordship Salvation and salvation by grace has been ongoing for what seems like forever and there is no end to it in sight. The only hope is that seekers of truth will get the right answers and believe the right thing.
The faith without works passage of James 2:14-26 is constantly referenced by Lordship Salvation teachers and other works-salvation advocates as alleged proof that works are involved in salvation. But salvation is not in view here. Fruit and effectiveness is in view.
Dead faith is inactive, dormant, subdued, even shipwrecked and is therefore unfruitful and ineffective in this life. James is talking about an inactive faith that is dead in being effective and therefore produces no fruit. (We can't say it produces little or no fruit because something that is dead is dead. Dead things cannot produce even a little fruit.) So faith without works is dead in producing fruit, but it is not at all dead in leading to salvation. God does not expect people to be fixed before they are saved and so to ask them to have "saving" works in order to be saved would be requiring them to be perfected prior to being saved. Such is a heretical teaching. And no Christian is ever perfected in this life. Christians still have problems no matter how faithful they are to Christ.
There is no such thing as effective fruit-bearing faith that lacks good works. It just doesn't exist. And this is the essence of what James is saying. Such faith that lacks works is dead in only that way. Faith unto salvation without works however is still alive and well in saving an individual eternally, contrary to the popular teachings of endless pride-infused heretics. Of course these incredibly arrogant people are convinced that they yes THEY just happen to meet the necessary superhuman standards of producing sufficient works to merit and quality for salvation. Their arrogance knows no bounds. Never mind that only the sinless Son of God possessed (and still possesses) sufficient merit when He died on the cross to save all mankind from their sins. These fools believe that they are in the same league as Christ whether they admit it or not! And I have yet to see even one of them admit it.
Only the work of Christ through His sacrifice on the cross can atone for the sins of man. The works of man can never bring about salvation. Yet it seems it has been the quest of man since time immemorial to establish his own righteousness and means for justification through good works and personal merit. Detaching oneself from this is type of heretical thinking is critical to believing the true Gospel message.
James Said He Would SHOW Not PROVE His Faith By His Works
James said, “I will SHOW you my faith by my works”. He did not say that he would PROVE his faith by his works. This is a very important distinction.
In James 2:18 James said that he would show his faith by his works, but he did not say that he would prove his faith by his works. Big difference. In fact, the Greek word which translates as “show” has nothing whatsoever to do with establishing proof or evidence. There is not even a hint of this as a possible meaning of the word. Yet many professing Christians are convinced that James is saying that he will prove his faith, meaning he will establish the validity of his faith to save him by his good works. Not so.
Certainly good works can serve as a possible indicator that someone has genuine faith in Christ. James made this clear. But there is an important balance here. If we go too far beyond works a possible indicator and make works a sure indicator of faith in Christ, then we cross a line that would mean any crazy lune from any cult or off-beat religion would be a Christian based on their good works. And of course we know by common sense that this is not the case.
Lots of people do all kinds of good works. False religions, cult members and everyday people often do a wide variety seemingly good works. Good works don't prove anything. In the Christian context, good works can be one of many possible indicators that someone who professes to believe in Jesus Christ has truly placed their faith in Him. But it cannot be proven. We even see a lot of well-meaning Christians doing a lot of crazy things that they think prove their faith. No it proves that they are doing crazy things, nothing more. Only a person's declaration of faith alone in Christ alone is a reliable indicator of their salvation when accompanied by an accurate understanding of the Gospel.
In James 2, the Apostle Asks If a Man's Faith Will Save Him
“What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? Can faith save him?” James 2:14 KJV
The answer is eternally yes, a man's faith will save him if that faith was placed in Christ alone for the forgiveness of his sins, but as far as temporally, meaning in this life on earth, no faith will not save his earthly state unless accompanied by works. Faith alone (lacking the additional needed action of obedience to the Scriptures) won't save areas of a Christian's life that are in disobedience to God. Faith alone won't save those type of things, but it will save a person eternally. Yet eternity is not even the context in which James is teaching or talking about!
A proper view of James 2 brings a lot of excellent and even encouraging admonishments towards living a proper Christian life. However, when this passage is viewed incorrectly, as if it is referring to salvation, it only brings fear and despair to the truth seeker, or amplification of pride for those who are convinced that they have attained sufficient works to be saved.
Those who trust God generally see the truth. Those who do not trust God and instead want to trust in themselves and their own abilities typically misinterpret salvation verses and other Scriptures. I think this is clearly because the Bible is a living book not to be trifled with. I think God may have even set the Bible up in such a way as to cause those who misuse it to place a kind of “curse” on themselves, metaphorically speaking of course, not meaning a literal curse.
ChristiansFree.com
Well sure the book of James when misinterpreted and misapplied certainly seems to be teaching that both faith and works are required for salvation, but when properly interpreted in context and in light of the rest of the Scriptures, we see something entirely different. Here are the main verses of James chapter 2 that have been grossly misinterpreted for years by Lordship Salvation advocates and other works-salvation teachers:
(14) What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? Can faith save him? (17) Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. (20) But will you know O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (24) You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:14,17,20,21,24,26
It is a monumental misunderstanding of these verses that has caused many groups of professing Christians to go heretical and teach at odds with the salvation Scriptures overall, including opposing the Apostle Paul's clear declaration of grace in Romans 3, that justification is by faith alone in Christ alone and not only that, that we are justified freely by faith alone. To be justified freely is by grace alone without cost or requirement. Works being added are an unbiblical cost being assessed. This highly problematic view is a major heresy because it can create false conversions based on faith in works rather than faith in Christ, as well as destroy the true faith of Christians who are struggling with various sin issues.
Reformed theology as well as other aberrant belief strains misinterpret the practical exhortation of James 2 as a theological position regarding salvation and makes the error of teaching the heretical belief that true saving faith will always produce good works. Yet the Apostle Paul makes it very clear that a Christian without even one single good work, with no fruit whatsoever will still be saved yet “as by fire”:
“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1Cor 3:12-15
And contrary to a common misconception, “saved by fire” does not mean being barely saved such as “by the hair of your chinny chin chin” as some think this is saying. No there is no such thing as being barely saved. One is either soundly saved for real through faith (trust) alone in Christ alone or they are not saved at all. There is no gray area or middle ground here. There are no degrees or levels of salvation. It's on or off like a simple light switch.
James is Clearly Not Talking About Salvation, He is Talking About Discipleship.
James is not even referring to salvation in these verses. He is admonishing readers to produce good works and he is clearly addressing the brethren, meaning those who are already saved. So it makes total sense that he is admonishing them towards good works not towards getting saved. Why? Because they already are saved! It makes no sense at all to think he is trying to persuade the saved to get saved.
Faith without works is certainly dead in producing fruit as a Christian and is dead to creating a life that is lived in such a way as to be pleasing to God. James is teaching overall that faith without works is dead in effectiveness, regarding the Christian life or walk. This ultimately leads to being dead in producing genuine good works, dead in producing the fruit of new believers in Christ, etc.
He is teaching Christian obedience and faithfulness, not a false gospel of faith + works.
James and Paul Are Not At Odds With Each other
It seems to some that Paul and James are teaching views that are opposite of each other. It seems to them that Paul is preaching salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, while they interpret James as saying that good works need to be added to faith in order to make salvation valid. But this is not the case at all. The writings of Paul and James compliment each other perfectly. The do not contradict each other. In fact nothing in Scripture contradicts other Scriptures. But this is only apparent when the Bible passages are correctly interpreted and applied. Incorrect interpretations will naturally contradict other Bible passages because they are incorrect. Error can never square with truth. The Bible does not and cannot ever square with erroneous teachings. So false teachings always set up a situation where it appears that the Bible contradicts itself. And this is a major indicator of the presence of a false teaching.
The False Doctrine of Lordship Salvation Never Sleeps
The debate between Lordship Salvation and salvation by grace has been ongoing for what seems like forever and there is no end to it in sight. The only hope is that seekers of truth will get the right answers and believe the right thing.
The faith without works passage of James 2:14-26 is constantly referenced by Lordship Salvation teachers and other works-salvation advocates as alleged proof that works are involved in salvation. But salvation is not in view here. Fruit and effectiveness is in view.
Dead faith is inactive, dormant, subdued, even shipwrecked and is therefore unfruitful and ineffective in this life. James is talking about an inactive faith that is dead in being effective and therefore produces no fruit. (We can't say it produces little or no fruit because something that is dead is dead. Dead things cannot produce even a little fruit.) So faith without works is dead in producing fruit, but it is not at all dead in leading to salvation. God does not expect people to be fixed before they are saved and so to ask them to have "saving" works in order to be saved would be requiring them to be perfected prior to being saved. Such is a heretical teaching. And no Christian is ever perfected in this life. Christians still have problems no matter how faithful they are to Christ.
There is no such thing as effective fruit-bearing faith that lacks good works. It just doesn't exist. And this is the essence of what James is saying. Such faith that lacks works is dead in only that way. Faith unto salvation without works however is still alive and well in saving an individual eternally, contrary to the popular teachings of endless pride-infused heretics. Of course these incredibly arrogant people are convinced that they yes THEY just happen to meet the necessary superhuman standards of producing sufficient works to merit and quality for salvation. Their arrogance knows no bounds. Never mind that only the sinless Son of God possessed (and still possesses) sufficient merit when He died on the cross to save all mankind from their sins. These fools believe that they are in the same league as Christ whether they admit it or not! And I have yet to see even one of them admit it.
Only the work of Christ through His sacrifice on the cross can atone for the sins of man. The works of man can never bring about salvation. Yet it seems it has been the quest of man since time immemorial to establish his own righteousness and means for justification through good works and personal merit. Detaching oneself from this is type of heretical thinking is critical to believing the true Gospel message.
James Said He Would SHOW Not PROVE His Faith By His Works
James said, “I will SHOW you my faith by my works”. He did not say that he would PROVE his faith by his works. This is a very important distinction.
In James 2:18 James said that he would show his faith by his works, but he did not say that he would prove his faith by his works. Big difference. In fact, the Greek word which translates as “show” has nothing whatsoever to do with establishing proof or evidence. There is not even a hint of this as a possible meaning of the word. Yet many professing Christians are convinced that James is saying that he will prove his faith, meaning he will establish the validity of his faith to save him by his good works. Not so.
Certainly good works can serve as a possible indicator that someone has genuine faith in Christ. James made this clear. But there is an important balance here. If we go too far beyond works a possible indicator and make works a sure indicator of faith in Christ, then we cross a line that would mean any crazy lune from any cult or off-beat religion would be a Christian based on their good works. And of course we know by common sense that this is not the case.
Lots of people do all kinds of good works. False religions, cult members and everyday people often do a wide variety seemingly good works. Good works don't prove anything. In the Christian context, good works can be one of many possible indicators that someone who professes to believe in Jesus Christ has truly placed their faith in Him. But it cannot be proven. We even see a lot of well-meaning Christians doing a lot of crazy things that they think prove their faith. No it proves that they are doing crazy things, nothing more. Only a person's declaration of faith alone in Christ alone is a reliable indicator of their salvation when accompanied by an accurate understanding of the Gospel.
In James 2, the Apostle Asks If a Man's Faith Will Save Him
“What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? Can faith save him?” James 2:14 KJV
The answer is eternally yes, a man's faith will save him if that faith was placed in Christ alone for the forgiveness of his sins, but as far as temporally, meaning in this life on earth, no faith will not save his earthly state unless accompanied by works. Faith alone (lacking the additional needed action of obedience to the Scriptures) won't save areas of a Christian's life that are in disobedience to God. Faith alone won't save those type of things, but it will save a person eternally. Yet eternity is not even the context in which James is teaching or talking about!
A proper view of James 2 brings a lot of excellent and even encouraging admonishments towards living a proper Christian life. However, when this passage is viewed incorrectly, as if it is referring to salvation, it only brings fear and despair to the truth seeker, or amplification of pride for those who are convinced that they have attained sufficient works to be saved.
Those who trust God generally see the truth. Those who do not trust God and instead want to trust in themselves and their own abilities typically misinterpret salvation verses and other Scriptures. I think this is clearly because the Bible is a living book not to be trifled with. I think God may have even set the Bible up in such a way as to cause those who misuse it to place a kind of “curse” on themselves, metaphorically speaking of course, not meaning a literal curse.
ChristiansFree.com