James was not wrong, what he was preaching was right in align with what Christ taught in Matthew 25 about the unprofitable servant and Christ's sheep vs. the goats. In the situation James gave, it was about failing to help someone in physical need by showing faith only. It was a lesson about having faith only and not having works to prove it. He was not denying that we are saved by God's grace. What Christ Jesus taught shows He expects us to have works in Him to go along with our faith.
The OSAS doctrine tries to throw away the importance of serving Christ after having believed on Him. It's so the hirelings can get people's money.
I understand what you're trying to say, but we shouldn't ever say that we Christians are free to do anything we want. That's not a true definition of liberty in Christ Jesus. There's a big difference between having the 'ability' to follow whatever, vs. the liberty toward good works in Christ Jesus. That liberty is not about permission from Christ to do whatever we want. Some of the early Christians had that problem of thinking, as they practiced fornication along with their belief. They brought a pagan practice in with their Christian belief.
Veteran,
I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.
When we look at what James wrote in his epistle, we see something glaring that contradicts what Paul preached. James said things like faith without works is dead [faith]. Paul said faith alone produces grace and we are saved by grace without works. Churches, ministries and denominations have tried for centuries to link reconcile what James said and what Paul said. But it can't be done.
With that opinion in mind (and hear me out), James was a Christian. He is worthy to be listened to as much as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul and Peter. He, according to history, died a martyr because he would not deny his half brother, the Lord. He didn't believe in the beginning. But he ended believing. Everything he wrote I believe was inspired and meant to be in the Bible.
With that in mind, he addresses his epistle to the 12 tribes which are scattered. We can't take that lightly. It doesn't contradict Paul because it's to a different audience. James was at level one, which is great, and I love the things he said. But Paul was at a second level.
Paul barely got along with any of the other apostles. He openly and publically challenged Peter as noted in Galatians, he had some kind of dispute with John in the book of Acts. And he didn't think highly of the Council of Jeruselem as we see in his writings of I Corinthians and Galatians. However, he still did meet with Peter, John and James to get advice. He went through something truamatic and counciled with them.
But no. When James says things like faith without works is dead, it's not what Paul preached. That is, if you take each verse of James and isolate it.
When I read the book of James I see James, being a head of a Church, having similar problems Paul had. There were idiots in James' Church who were snubbing their nose at the poorer folks who worshipped with them. Paul's problem was that they took grace too far and were bringing reproach to God. Both were making God look bad in the eyes of the heathen. Both dealt with the situation in Word righteously. The things that James said are true. But James never believed in grace through faith the same way Paul preached it. It is close, but not exactly there.
Paul, a true man of God cut off ties with John, who was also a true man of God. He also challenged another true man of God in the name of Peter. He also left fellowship with Barnabas. Yet he never said they weren't devout and worthy of listening to. He just couldn't deal with them any longer. So it's not surprising that his message would be against James either, whom he didn't like yet he respected.
So, "faith without works is dead." Not necessarily true. Works aren't going to get you into heaven. That's the bottom line. However, Jesus said love the brethren as you love me. So in that aspect, yes, James was right. But it's a result of faith. It's not the evidence as James suggests.Yes, Christians do care for the brethren and Christians do obey the law. But that's not faith. It's not even the result of faith. It happens but it doesn't mean it's a work of faith. A muslim can give me a sandwich when I'm hungry... It doesn't mean he is saved or has faith.
Your second round of a response I also partially disagree with. Yes, we are free to do anything we want. But that does not mean we will. Paul said we are free from the Law. As the Lord's free man (but I am the Lord's, but yet free), I can do anything, but I don't have time for sin. Like I said, murdering someone would hinder my spritiual growth. Anything else that sends me to jail would to. If I drink too much too often, it'll hinder my learning. I have my eyes set on learning about Him.... I'm free to do anything, but I won't because there are conciquences. And those consequences (however you spell it!) aren't going to help me. So I choose not to do them.
I'm not damned if I do them. But if I do them, they aren't going to help me and in fact they are going to hurt my spiritual growth. So I choose not to do them.