A Study on the Book of James

[Barrd]

Acts 11:19
19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.
NKJV

Like I said, they preached to the Jews only. The scripture is in plain English. Why can't people see it?

Matt 10:5-7 (NKJ)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

The scripture is in plain English. Why can't people see it?

Matt 15:23-24 (NKJ)
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

The scripture is in plain English. Why can't people see it?

Paul said: Rom 15:8 (NKJ)
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

circumcision = Jews --- The scripture is in plain English. Why can't people see it?

Okay, let's go over it again, shall we?

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Did you get that last bit?
ALL families of the earth.

Paul has some advice for you, King...for everyone like you throughout time, actually:

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Pay attention here.
Boast not against the branches, King.
Why?
Because you do not bear the root...the root bears you.

Once again, the Bible...ALL of it, not just the bits you like, but every jot and tittle of it...is meant for everyone.

Oh, and btw, the New Covenant that you think was given to you, was, in fact, given to the Jews:

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not a part of the House of Israel or the House of Judah? Sorry...the New Covenant is not for you.

Oh, and that goes for after the cross, as well:

Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

It's all plain English. Why can't you see it?

 

[H. Richard]

ALL families of the earth.


Pay attention here.
Boast not against the branches, King.
Why?
Because you do not bear the root...the root bears you.

Once again, the Bible...ALL of it, not just the bits you like, but every jot and tittle of it...is meant for everyone.

Oh, and btw, the New Covenant that you think was given to you, was, in fact, given to the Jews:



Not a part of the House of Israel or the House of Judah? Sorry...the New Covenant is not for you.

Oh, and that goes for after the cross, as well:

Why not discuss the scriptures I posted? Do you think yours are better than mine.

You said "Once again, the Bible...ALL of it, not just the bits you like, but every jot and tittle of it...is meant for everyone. Then why do you not believe Jesus in Matt 5:5-7 and 15:23-24?

So you take all of it at the same time. No wonder you can't see that parts are to you and other parts are to the Jews. But it seems you want to dismiss these scriptures.

Matt 10:5-7 (NKJ) Pay attention here, Jesus is speaking

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Matt 15:23-24 (NKJ) Pay attention here, Jesus is speaking.

23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Paul said: Rom 15:8 (NKJ)
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

I am going to believe Jesus.

BTW I don't know why you brought this up but the New covenant Jesus spoke of at the meal was not a new covenant with the Gentiles. It is the one He will establish when He sets up His kingdom on the earth in Israel. It is a covenant with Israel. Jesus did not say it was a covenant for the Gentiles.

 

[Barrd]

Mat 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Mat 21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Mat 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Mat 21:37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Mat 21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Mat 21:40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Mat 21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Had the Jews not rejected Jesus, would He have taken the Kingdom of God from them and given it to a different nation?

Think about it.

 

[H. Richard]

Mat 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Mat 21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Mat 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Mat 21:37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Mat 21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
Mat 21:40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Mat 21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Had the Jews not rejected Jesus, would He have taken the Kingdom of God from them and given it to a different nation?

Think about it.

Your reply has nothing to do with the book of James or the subject of this thread.

 

[Barrd]

Your reply has nothing to do with the book of James or the subject of this thread.

It has a great deal to do with the Kingdom of God.
You are saying that Jesus was only for the Jews.
Jesus says that the Jews gave up that right when they rejected their Messiah and King.
The King has taken His Kingdom from the Jews, and given it to a nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof.
And they were first called Christians in Antioch...

 

[Barrd]

Why not discuss the scriptures I posted? Do you think yours are better than mine.

You said "Once again, the Bible...ALL of it, not just the bits you like, but every jot and tittle of it...is meant for everyone. Then why do you not believe Jesus in Matt 5:5-7 and 15:23-24?

So you take all of it at the same time. No wonder you can't see that parts are to you and other parts are to the Jews. But it seems you want to dismiss these scriptures.

Matt 10:5-7 (NKJ) Pay attention here, Jesus is speaking

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Matt 15:23-24 (NKJ) Pay attention here, Jesus is speaking.

23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Paul said: Rom 15:8 (NKJ)
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

I am going to believe Jesus.

BTW I don't know why you brought this up but the New covenant Jesus spoke of at the meal was not a new covenant with the Gentiles. It is the one He will establish when He sets up His kingdom on the earth in Israel. It is a covenant with Israel. Jesus did not say it was a covenant for the Gentiles.

The best-known verse of the Bible:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God sent Jesus to the entire world, not just to the Jews. There it is, in red and white...

 

[H. Richard]

The best-known verse of the Bible:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God sent Jesus to the entire world, not just to the Jews. There it is, in red and white...

Here, again, you put the wrong gospel as the gospel of grace. It is obvious that any Jew in Israel who excepted Jesus as their Messiah and king while He was here will be saved. That is what the 4 gospels and the first 7 chapters of Acts are saying. They were trying to convince the Jews. The problem is that the nation of Israel did not accept Him as their Messiah and king. The Jews only had to recognize who He was.

John 3:16 does not apply to the Gentiles and Jews under grace. All they have to do is to believe His death and His shed blood on the cross pays for their sins.

I do wish you could see that there has been a change from Law to grace. You keep trying to make them the same thing. One is the gospel of the kingdom (at hand). Jesus was there to set up His kingdom. The other is a different gospel that is not under the Law Of Moses.

Why do people love the law so much when they know they can't keep it?

 

[Barrd]

Here, again, you put the wrong gospel as the gospel of grace. It is obvious that any Jew in Israel who excepted Jesus as their Messiah and king while He was here will be saved. That is what the 4 gospels and the first 7 chapters of Acts are saying. They were trying to convince the Jews. The problem is that the nation of Israel did not accept Him as their Messiah and king. The Jews only had to recognize who He was.

John 3:16 does not apply to the Gentiles and Jews under grace. All they have to do is to believe His death and His shed blood on the cross pays for their sins.

I do wish you could see that there has been a change from Law to grace. You keep trying to make them the same thing. One is the gospel of the kingdom (at hand). Jesus was there to set up His kingdom. The other is a different gospel that is not under the Law Of Moses.

Why do people love the law so much when they know they can't keep it?

Why do people hate the law so much, when it keeps us from utter chaos?

The law is holy, and just and good. We are not.
The law is spiritual. We are carnal.
The law is perfect. We cannot keep it.

And that is why we need grace. Law is not grace, and grace is not law. I never said that they were. What I said is that we are sinful, and that is why we need grace. Nobody needs to be forgiven for something he did not do. How can anyone sin if there is no law?

But there is a law...and it is a good law. It makes no sense at all to think that, for instance, the law that prohibits murder is no more. If anything, that law has become even harder to keep, as Jesus says we are not even to be angry with one another:


Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

Can you keep yourself from getting angry? I know I cannot. I can't live up to this standard that the Lord set.
Fortunately for me, there is Grace....

 

[FHII]

There is no reason to not love the law. Its perfect, and it tells us alot about God's nature. Jesus's commentary on the law, by the way, exposed it as being much more difficult to keep than previously thought.

So I do love the law even though I can't live up to it except through grace by faith. But you know what? In the flesh I'm not even trying to keep it. I'm not trying to break it either. I'm focused on the new covenant which is grace through faith and keeping the royal law, as James put it.

 

[Barrd]

There is no reason to not love the law. Its perfect, and it tells us alot about God's nature. Jesus's commentary on the law, by the way, exposed it as being much more difficult to keep than previously thought.

So I do love the law even though I can't live up to it except through grace by faith. But you know what? In the flesh I'm not even trying to keep it. I'm not trying to break it either. I'm focused on the new covenant which is grace through faith and keeping the royal law, as James put it.

We love the law because we know it is right. It is God's Will for us.
Jesus' commentary on the law exposed our hearts, I think, FHII. Sin begins in our heart...and the human heart is desperately wicked. God knows what we are...and yet He loves us.

You realize that you can't live up to God's law EXCEPT through grace by faith. I'm hearing a choir of angels singing here. I do believe you are catching on, FHII.
Grace doesn't mean that the law no longer applies to us. Not at all. Grace gives us the help that we need to keep the law. When we fail, the Holy Spirit within us succeeds for us...and we are made whole.

 

[H. Richard]

We love the law because we know it is right. It is God's Will for us.
Jesus' commentary on the law exposed our hearts, I think, FHII. Sin begins in our heart...and the human heart is desperately wicked. God knows what we are...and yet He loves us.

You realize that you can't live up to God's law EXCEPT through grace by faith. I'm hearing a choir of angels singing here. I do believe you are catching on, FHII.
Grace doesn't mean that the law no longer applies to us. Not at all. Grace gives us the help that we need to keep the law. When we fail, the Holy Spirit within us succeeds for us...and we are made whole.

It's not about US, it is about Jesus. There is no way a person can keep the Law. The Law condemns everyone of us. No man/woman can keep the law.

You said; "Not at all. Grace gives us the help that we need to keep the law."

No man/woman can keep the law. It is a man teaching that because we are a Christian we are given the power to not sin in the flesh. If it were true no one claiming to be a Christian would sin in the flesh.

The gospel of grace is that Jesus kept the Law FOR US. We can't keep it but Jesus did and He did it for mankind.

Noah was told by God to build an Ark. It was built by human hands (Noah’s hands). The waters of God‘s wrath in the flood did not touch Noah and those with him. Noah, by his choice, obeyed God and went into the Ark he (Noah) had built. --- The waters of the flood were the judgment of God on a sinful world full of sinful people. That does not mean that Noah was sinless. It means Noah believed what God told him.

Today there is another Ark. It is “”NOT”” built by human hands. It is built by the hands (will) of God. - Man can not go into the Ark that God has built by his own efforts (will). He must be placed in God’s Ark (Jesus) by God (the Holy Spirit). God places a person in the Ark (Jesus) He built when that person places their faith, trust and confidence in Jesus’ work on the cross to save him/her. -- This Ark that God has built carries those in it safely over the sins “THEY” commit in their flesh. Their sins can not touch (condemn) them.

Jesus Christ is OUR ARK, and just as those in Noah's Ark were kept from the waters of the flood, we who are placed ""in Christ,"" by God, are kept from the judgment of the law. If we are not ""in Christ"" the law condemns us.

 

[Barrd]

It's not about US, it is about Jesus. There is no way a person can keep the Law. The Law condemns everyone of us. No man/woman can keep the law.

You said; "Not at all. Grace gives us the help that we need to keep the law."

No man/woman can keep the law. It is a man teaching that because we are a Christian we are given the power to not sin in the flesh. If it were true no one claiming to be a Christian would sin in the flesh.

No one said we would not sin. We are not going to be perfect, that is true.
But we can make the effort, and, with God's grace, we can defeat our desire to sin. Sure, we'll still mess up from time to time. To take our filthy rags and change them to a pure white robe is going to take a lifetime. We are being conformed to Christ.

The gospel of grace is that Jesus kept the Law FOR US. We can't keep it but Jesus did and He did it for mankind.

You'd think folks would be a bit more grateful to Him. At least enough to try to obey Him, anyway.

Noah was told by God to build an Ark. It was built by human hands (Noah’s hands). The waters of God‘s wrath in the flood did not touch Noah and those with him. Noah, by his choice, obeyed God and went into the Ark he (Noah) had built. --- The waters of the flood were the judgment of God on a sinful world full of sinful people. That does not mean that Noah was sinless. It means Noah believed what God told him.

Today there is another Ark. It is “”NOT”” built by human hands. It is built by the hands (will) of God. - Man can not go into the Ark that God has built by his own efforts (will). He must be placed in God’s Ark (Jesus) by God (the Holy Spirit). God places a person in the Ark (Jesus) He built when that person places their faith, trust and confidence in Jesus’ work on the cross to save him/her. -- This Ark that God has built carries those in it safely over the sins “THEY” commit in their flesh. Their sins can not touch (condemn) them.

Jesus Christ is OUR ARK, and just as those in Noah's Ark were kept from the waters of the flood, we who are placed ""in Christ,"" by God, are kept from the judgment of the law. If we are not ""in Christ"" the law condemns us.

This is a very bad sermon. Every pastor I've ever heard try this failed miserably. I don't know why...it just doesn't seem to work.

Bottom line. God gave us the Law. Mankind cannot live up to God's high standards because our flesh is weak. So, God took on flesh and lived a sinless life in our stead. Of course, He did a good bit more while He was here than go around, not sinning. He had quite a bit to say about sin, as I recall. Basically, He wants us not to do it.
And then, He went to the cross and paid our sin debt for us. Because of His Sacrifice, we may accept God's gift of eternal life.
But, let's not forget that there is a payment for sin, as well.

The wages of sin is still death. If you want eternal life, you must follow the Way, and the Truth, and the Life...there is no other way.

 

[FHII]

We love the law because we know it is right. It is God's Will for us.
Jesus' commentary on the law exposed our hearts, I think, FHII. Sin begins in our heart...and the human heart is desperately wicked. God knows what we are...and yet He loves us.

You realize that you can't live up to God's law EXCEPT through grace by faith. I'm hearing a choir of angels singing here. I do believe you are catching on, FHII.
Grace doesn't mean that the law no longer applies to us. Not at all. Grace gives us the help that we need to keep the law. When we fail, the Holy Spirit within us succeeds for us...and we are made whole.

Please, Barrd... Don't go thinking I've changed my mind, learned something new or am catching on to this works related salvation. I simply disagreed with what H.Richard said in that one post.

I noticed you said that Grace helps us keep the law.... no. Thats not what grace does. It's not a deductible insurance policy that pays what we can't.

Grace through faith does not mix with the law. Its one or the other. If you even try to keep the law to claim righteousness, grace is no longer in effect.

 

[Barrd]

Please, Barrd... Don't go thinking I've changed my mind, learned something new or am catching on to this works related salvation. I simply disagreed with what H.Richard said in that one post.

Of course, FHII. I'm figuring it out, finally. We aren't here to discuss our faith, or (gasp!) learn from one another. What we seem to have here is a huge group of teachers, with no students. And each one of us has his or her own version of "the truth". It's amazing. I begin to see just how it is that we have torn the Body of Christ into over 30,000 pieces.

I noticed you said that Grace helps us keep the law.... no. Thats not what grace does. It's not a deductible insurance policy that pays what we can't.

Deductible insurance policy? Not hardly. An insurance policy is something you must pay for. Christ's grace is free.
Although some folks do seem to see grace as a sort of fire insurance. It is a "get out of hell free" card to most folks, evidently.
But it is so much more than that.
Grace is God's love in action. We are His children. What parent is going to turn away his child who asks for help? Of course, Grace can help us keep the law. And with no premiums...

Grace through faith does not mix with the law. Its one or the other. If you even try to keep the law to claim righteousness, grace is no longer in effect.

You have heard, I am sure, that faith without works is dead?
You don't try to keep the law to claim righteousness. I never said that at all. You try to keep the law because it is God's will for us, and for no other reason. And when we have done our very best to do all that God has commanded us to do, we are still unprofitable servants.

 

[FHII]

Grace don't help anyone keep the law. Wasn't designed to. Teaching might.... you may have missed it, but I stated I'm not even trying to keep the law. I have a new covenant. I go by that.

Yes, I have heard that faith without works is dead.. it was stated by someone who wanted to mix the law with grace. James and Jesus were not in agreeance.

 

[Barrd]

Grace don't help anyone keep the law. Wasn't designed to. Teaching might.... you may have missed it, but I stated I'm not even trying to keep the law. I have a new covenant. I go by that.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree, FHII. I sincerely believe that you are mistaken here. But it isn't really your fault. It's what you've been taught, probably since you were very young.

Yes, I have heard that faith without works is dead.. it was stated by someone who wanted to mix the law with grace. James and Jesus were not in agreeance.

You have to be kidding me. Where does this notion that James and Jesus were not in "agreeance" come from?
(I think you mean agreement.) What would make you think that James would write something that was not in agreement with Jesus?
Have you actually read the Sermon on the Mount, for instance?
What about these verses:

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
....
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Feeding the hungry, housing the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick or those in prison...aren't these works?
Woe to those who do not do these things:

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

 

[H. Richard]

....
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

At the time who was Jesus' brethren? It certainly wasn't the Gentiles.

You continue to try and burden those of faith with your requirements that we live under the law. You know you can't keep it either so why do you keep doing it?

"hypocrite": 1. one who plays a part, pretender
2. A person who pretends to be what he/she is not.
3. one who pretends to be better than he/she really is
4. pious, virtuous, without really being so.

Rom 4:2-6
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: NKJV

Under grace the only thing that will justify a person is their faith in what Jesus did in the cross.

 

[Barrd]

At the time who was Jesus' brethren? It certainly wasn't the Gentiles.

Mar 3:31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
Mar 3:32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Mar 3:33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Mar 3:34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mar 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

You continue to try and burden those of faith with your requirements that we live under the law. You know you can't keep it either so why do you keep doing it?

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

"hypocrite": 1. one who plays a part, pretender
2. A person who pretends to be what he/she is not.
3. one who pretends to be better than he/she really is
4. pious, virtuous, without really being so.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Rom 4:2-6
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.


David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: NKJV

Under grace the only thing that will justify a person is their faith in what Jesus did in the cross.

I'm not going to repeat the same scriptures over and over again. I have already shown you that Abraham's faith was, indeed, a working faith.

However, nobody is saying that we obey Christ in order to be justified.
We obey Christ because we love Him...and for no other reason.

 

[H. Richard]

However, nobody is saying that we obey Christ in order to be justified.
We obey Christ because we love Him...and for no other reason.

You said: "I'm not going to repeat the same scriptures over and over again. I have already shown you that Abraham's faith was, indeed, a working faith."
You have shown what you think the scriptures mean. So have I. We don't share the same opinion. You don't seem to be able to separate law from grace.

You deceive yourself. Anyone teaching that we are under the law is saying it is for salvation.

It is a given that a child of God tries to be loving and kind towards others but to say we are under the law is to say we have do it to be saved. Breaking the law is sin! But the child of God is not under the law. They are under grace (a free gift). To say we are under the law takes away the gift and makes it based on a person's works (earned salvation).

 

[FHII]

H.Richard:

Got a related question for you. When do you believe (based on the scripture, of course) that the covenant of grace through faith came into effect and the covenant of the law ended?