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There are different kinds of faith being applied in christianity towards God.
There is faith in Jesus Christ for salvation without works.
There is faith in God's Providence to provide for His saints which requires works in setting an example for other believes to follow. That is what James was talking about in chapter 2. James's reference to Abraham & Isaac was about faith in God providing as the story goes.
Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.....13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Jehovahjireh means God provides for His saints and that name of the place is the testimony of God in being that Provider and Abraham's faith in Him to do so.
So faith without works is about applying faith in God's Providence by example. It cannot be about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, because paul testified otherwise.
Romans 4:1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Paul testified that there is no other gospel, and in that same book, he was offered the right hand of fellowship with James & others so that means they had both spoken the same thing.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
So James was not talking about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, but he was talking about faith in God's Providence that if a church professes so to the departing poor, the church should lead by example because that church was sending the poor away empty-handed after having received the bounty from cheerful givers that God had raised up to provide for the church in ministry which included meeting the immediate needs of the poor that are perishing from the elements and starvation. James was addressing a church's abuse & neglect of the poor that were verbalizing their faith to the poor which would not "profit" the poor" nor "save" the poor from the elements and starvation. When the church is unwilling to show that faith in God's Providence to the church by meeting the poor's immediate needs, then that faith in God's Providence is dead since the church was unwilling to lead by example in James 2nd chapter.
Paul cites how we are saved without works again and yet reminded that maintaining works are profitable unto men as being separate from the faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
So read James 2nd chapter again with His help at this link below to see what kind of faith James was talking about for his words to line up with the gospel and the rest of the scripture in the N.T. because James was never talking about the faith in Jesus Christ for salvation needing works, but verbalizing faith in God's Providence requires a church to lead by example..
Bible Gateway passage: James 2 - King James Version
There is faith in Jesus Christ for salvation without works.
There is faith in God's Providence to provide for His saints which requires works in setting an example for other believes to follow. That is what James was talking about in chapter 2. James's reference to Abraham & Isaac was about faith in God providing as the story goes.
Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.....13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Jehovahjireh means God provides for His saints and that name of the place is the testimony of God in being that Provider and Abraham's faith in Him to do so.
So faith without works is about applying faith in God's Providence by example. It cannot be about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, because paul testified otherwise.
Romans 4:1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Paul testified that there is no other gospel, and in that same book, he was offered the right hand of fellowship with James & others so that means they had both spoken the same thing.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
So James was not talking about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, but he was talking about faith in God's Providence that if a church professes so to the departing poor, the church should lead by example because that church was sending the poor away empty-handed after having received the bounty from cheerful givers that God had raised up to provide for the church in ministry which included meeting the immediate needs of the poor that are perishing from the elements and starvation. James was addressing a church's abuse & neglect of the poor that were verbalizing their faith to the poor which would not "profit" the poor" nor "save" the poor from the elements and starvation. When the church is unwilling to show that faith in God's Providence to the church by meeting the poor's immediate needs, then that faith in God's Providence is dead since the church was unwilling to lead by example in James 2nd chapter.
Paul cites how we are saved without works again and yet reminded that maintaining works are profitable unto men as being separate from the faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
So read James 2nd chapter again with His help at this link below to see what kind of faith James was talking about for his words to line up with the gospel and the rest of the scripture in the N.T. because James was never talking about the faith in Jesus Christ for salvation needing works, but verbalizing faith in God's Providence requires a church to lead by example..
Bible Gateway passage: James 2 - King James Version
