By FAITH ALONE ~
By FAITH and WORKS ~
FAITH ALONE is "justification" for one to Receive Salvation;
BECAUSE of Gods Grace;
And
BECAUSE of mans BELIEF....
"IN God "AND" IN Jesus Christ".
Such a man IS "justified" to RECEIVE:
The Crown of Life.
In the Book of James...
James IS speaking TO....HIS BRETHREN.
WHO are JAMES "BRETHREN" ? JEWS
HOW did JEWS become "justified" to Receive Salvation "Under Jewish Law" ?
BY having BELIEF...
"IN God"
"And"
"DOING worKs"
"That glorified God".
AND? IF a JEW, under the law, BELIEVED
"IN" God"
"AND"
"DID works"
"That glorified God"
THEN WHAT? IT DEPENDS...
"DEPENDS ON WHAT" ?
It depends on "IF" the man:
Believing in God, TO the END of his natural Life, Continued Believing in God...
That man WOULD RECEIVE THEN, at the END of his Life....The Promised Salvation from God.
And EVERY WORK the man DID, (while believing in God), he WOULD BE "justified", for that man TO ALSO RECEIVE...
Gifts/Rewards/Crowns...FOR HIS WORKS of Glorifiying Gods Name.
Jesus, picked and chose men...MULTIPLE men, to Spread a NEW GOOD NEWS...TO?
JEWS.
WHAT Good News?
That by a man HAVING,
BELIEF "IN GOD" 'and' JESUS CHRIST...
They could Receive
(BECAUSE OF GODS GRACE)...
BY and through JESUS CHRIST...
(Because of His Offering, and His POWER to FILL a man WITH HIS Gift of FAITH)
THEY COULD RECEIVE
The GIFT of SALVATION ... (THEN/NOW).
God sent ONE primary man TO spread the "good news" to Gentiles (who had never been under Jewish Law).
SOME Jews "THEN", accepted "the good news" of "justification" for "Salvation" to be received unto THEM 'NOW/THEN'.
MANY Gentiles "THEN", accepted "the good news" of "justification" for "Savation" to be received unto THEM 'NOW/THEN'.
Jews WHO "remained / remain" TODAY, under the Law... "CONTINUE" under the Law.
THEY ARE 'justified' to RECEIVE Salvation...
At the END of their "natural lives"...
"IF"
1) they Have REMAINED faithful to God ONLY
2) they Have DONE works to glorify His Name
ANY MAN, Gentile or Jew...
ARE "justified" to RECEIVE Salvation "NOW"...
"IF"
1) they heartfully confess TO:
Believing "IN" God "and" Jesus Christ.
PERIOD.
^ THAT IS THEIR REASONABLE SERVICE.
"IF" such a man GOES BEYOND fulfilling his
"REASONABLE SERVICE"...
2) and DOES WORKS that Glorify "thee Lord Gods Name"...
3) THAT MAN "IS" "justified" TO RECEIVE...
(In addition to the CROWN OF LIFE)...
4) TO Also Receive...Gifts/Rewards/Crowns
5) "FOR" his Works "that DID Glorify thee Lord Gods Great Name.
Rom 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
IN Brief..
Jesus IMPRESSED...Belief IN GOD and HIM, is Gods Desire.
Jesus IMPRESSED...A man Accepting/Taking His Offering of Salvation, IS a Gift the man RECEIVES "now/then"...BEFORE the END of the mans Natural Life.
Scripture IMPRESSED..."IF" all "any" man DOES, IS agree to TAKE Jesus' OFFERING of Salvation...That such a man...IS SAVED, RIGHT THEN.
Scripture IMPRESSES..."IF" "any man having RECEIVED" Salvation".."DOES" works to Glorify Gods NAME...
1) Other men will "notice"
2) God SHALL Gift that man WITH;
Gifts/rewards/additional crowns.
James IMPRESSED...(and other scriptures)
1) TO HIS "Brethren Jews".
2) Faith is Justification TO RECEIVE Salvation.
3) Works ALONE, DO NOT "justify" Receiving SALVATION.
4) But YET...DO NOT SET ASIDE DOING WORKS...
5) BECAUSE; "WORKS" justify "a" JEW "IN" belief "IN" God ONLY, under the law.
6) BECAUSE; "WORKS" justify "any" man "IN"
Belief "IN" God "and" Jesus Christ TO:
7) Receive...Gods Additional Gifts OF:
Gifts, rewards, crowns.
When Considering Scripture...
"DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH"...
If you are NOT a JEW, the Scripture is NOT talking TO YOU!
If you are NOT "any" man "UNDER The LAW", the Scripture is NOT talking TO YOU!
IF YOU ONLY believe IN God, and NOT Jesus Christ, the Scripture is NOT talking TO YOU!
IF YOU BELIEVE IN BOTH God and Jesus Christ, the Scripture IS talking TO YOU!
God GAVE MEN, by the Word OUT OF HIS MOUTH...
STATUTES; LAWS; PRECEPTS; COMMANDS...
It is the INDIVIDUAL MAN, over the course of his Natural Lifetime; who can Pick and choose to hear, learn, the KNOWLEDGE in Scripture, and BY what the Individual "DOES" or "DOES NOT" DO....Dictates WHICH SCRIPTURES APPLIES to such man.
And "bullies" are NOT in "short supply"...READY TO DICTATE to "other men";
"The bulley's WORD", "The bulley's UNDERSTANDING"...
Is "the basis" for what """really applies""",
To another man. Pfft!
"IF" a man has "elected" to Believe IN God and Christ Jesus, and "confess" his Belief...
That man Was Justified to BE SAVED and IS NOW Saved, Once and Forever.
There are plenty of OTHER THINGS, a man can BECOME "Justified" for....including but not Limited to "Works".
God Bless,
Merry Christmas
Taken