Faith - Trust - Confidence - Hope
All of the above words mean the same thing in that each one of them can be used to define the other.
Salvation: Faith - Trust - Confidence - Hope in what Jesus did on the cross to pay for our sins.
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And along comes James and his famous words; "Faith without works is dead."
Person #1. Making 140,000 a year and has extra money to give to Charities.
Has only one job and has the time to do Charitable works.
Has lots of works to make sure his faith is not dead and thinks he is a good Christian.
(see Luke 18:10-14)
Person #2. Making 45,000 a year and working two jobs has no money to part with.
Since he/she is working two jobs they have no time to do Charitable works and very little to socialize. -- The person ""worries"" that they are not doing enough works to make sure their faith is not dead and worries that their faith is dead.
Person #3. Living on a social security check has no spare money to give.
Has no money for a car and a car's expense to travel and do Charitable works.
""Worries"" that he/she is not doing enough to make sure their faith is not dead and they feel they are not a good Christian. (my mother was like this)
Note Person #3 is very susceptible to TV preachers saying they have to step out in faith and send them money.
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Question #1. --- What does the statement "faith without works" do to the faith, trust, confidence, and hope in Christ of persons #2 and #3? ---- What does it do to their peace and joy in Christ?
Question #2. --- Tell me how a person's works "increase their faith" and makes their faith ""perfect?"" ---- Doesn't it do just the opposite? Doesn’t it make them have faith in themselves and their efforts?
In this age the children of God are at rest in God and have ceased from their own works just as God did from His.
Heb 4:1-11
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
"So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest,'"
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";
5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
NKJV
What was the disobedience example??? see verse 3
