JUSTIFICATION: Before God or Before Man? Examining James chapter 2

[Titus]

Another logical fallacy in faith alone salvation.
The faith onlyist teaches evidence of true faith is works after salvation.
The saved prove they have genuine faith by their good works.

The contradiction is claiming one is saved without works, yet one is lost if they never do good works. If one who is supposedly saved without works dies and never did any good works in his lifetime then he would be lost because his faith alone was not genuine.
So faith alone salvation cannot be saved unless they do good works.
This is a logical contradiction.
Proof this doctrine is from man not God.

 

[Titus]

But the issue is what is meant by “justifies.” I have asked you this before, in post #169 above, and you did not answer. I provided the definitions previously

Then you did not study my teaching.
This question was explained in my article.

When one is saved by God one is then justified by God,
Romans 5:8-9,
- but God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Much more then being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him

James is teaching on justification from God, therefore James chapter 2 is about what kind of faith saves.
James is not teaching, being already saved and our works justifies us before men.

Key verse,

James 2:14,
- what doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have no works, can faith alone save him

James is teaching on what true saving faith is.
Not the modern day reinterpretation, that faith alone justifies then our works after we are saved justifies us before men.

Notice the examples James chooses to use for his answer to his question in James 2:14.

All examples given:
Demons faith,

Does the faith of demons save ? No
Their faith has no obedient works therefore not true Biblical saving faith.
Demons believing teaches nothing on justification before men.
The example of the demons faith does teach that belief alone is worthlesss.

Next example is Abraham.
James teaches that Abraham's faith has works.
James uses the story of Abraham sacrificing His son.
Abraham in his obedience to God by sacrificing his son, was justified before God.
Abraham sacrificing his son had nothing to do with proving his faith was genuine faith before men.
James' lesson about Abraham is his faith obeyed God therefore His faith worked the commandments of God. His faith that obeyed God justified him before God.

Next example is Rahab the harlot.
James 2:25,
- likewise also was Rahab the harlot not justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way

James lesson to learn from Rahab is her faith obeyed God, therefore it was not alone.
She also worked/obeyed Gods commandments.
Rahab would have been killed by Gods people if she had not had faith in the true living God and helped hide His spies.
Hebrews 11:31,
- by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received the spies with peace

James teaches Rahab's faith justified her because of her good deeds(works).
Her faith justified her before God not man.
Remember James is asking a salvation question about faith not about those already saved needing justification before men.

All these examples were chosen by James to teach obedient faith is what saves.
Not once did James teach faith alone justified/saved.
All James taught on faith with no obedience/alone is this...
Profits nothing, James 2:16
Is dead being alone, James 2:17; 20;26
Faith without works is not perfect, James 2:22 meaning fulfilled, brought to its intended end.

So what is the answer to James' question?
Answer is found in James 2:24,
- ye see then how by works a man(Abraham) is justified and not by faith alone

- for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also

 

[amigo de christo]

Exactly! Man is saved through faith and not by works (Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9); yet genuine faith is (evidenced) by works. (James 2:14-24)

*Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works.* (Romans 3:24-28; 2 Timothy 1:9)

It is through faith "in Jesus Christ alone" (and not based on the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 4:5-6;  Philippians 3:9); yet the faith that justifies does not remain alone (unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine. (James 2:14-24) *Perfect Harmony*

In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. *So James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine.

Now in James 2:19, we see that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they do not believe in/have faith in/trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, the demons do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan (and not in Jesus) as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.

In James 2:24, James is not using the term "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is shown to be righteous. James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3)

Let us remember this well my friend .
Because we have us a very wise and highly clever adversary who has come
under the guise it be GOD and has a plan , an ecumeincal int efaith plan by which to bring peace on earth .
AND i darn sure dont see its men saying ONE MUST BELEIVE ON JESUS . THEY say and said often A FAT LIE .
That all relgions of planet earth are serving the SAME GOD we christains do .
WELL any christain that buys that lie is serving the same god they all do . ONLY do i need to say why
that god was not typed as GOD but rather as god . CAUSE IT THE DEVIL .
We had better get far far and away from anything , doctrine , false love , person that is attached to this ecumeincal
thin g . cause ITS ALL GOING down to perdition on JESUS DAY . DENY HIM , HE DO DENY YOU .
So thanks for the reminder my friend . LEt us just be sure WE CLING TO THE TRUTH and not
be so easily led ast ray by lies and a lie . Now TO THE TRENCHES we have us THE CHRIST , HIS GOSPEL to point too .
cause anything in any way contrary to THAT , I shudder in total t error for them , ON THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST .

 

[amigo de christo]

Exactly! Man is saved through faith and not by works (Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9); yet genuine faith is (evidenced) by works. (James 2:14-24)

*Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works.* (Romans 3:24-28; 2 Timothy 1:9)

It is through faith "in Jesus Christ alone" (and not based on the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 4:5-6;  Philippians 3:9); yet the faith that justifies does not remain alone (unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine. (James 2:14-24) *Perfect Harmony*

In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith. *So James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine.

Now in James 2:19, we see that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they do not believe in/have faith in/trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, the demons do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan (and not in Jesus) as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.

In James 2:24, James is not using the term "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is shown to be righteous. James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3)

wanna see something so pure and simple even a small child can see . well a child of GOD anyway .
Lets look at two key things .
First in the gospels the apostels had heard JESUS say what HE did about that rich man .
THEN again he repeated how hardly shall they who trust in riches ENTER INTO the KINGDOM of GOD .
TO which a t otally stunned group of desciples and apostels said
LORD , WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED .
And the LORD said WITH MEN this IS IMPOSSIBLE , but NOT WITH GOD .
Proving man cannot save HIMSELF but that only GOD can SAVE .
And now a word .
SOme time later after HIS RESSURECTION and ASCENDING BACK UP
these same apostels would GO around TELLING ALL of exactly WHO THEY NEEDED TO BELEIVE IN
so as they would be saved AND NOT PERISH . JESUS THE CHRIST .
Even shaking dust off their feet , as JESUS had said , against those who rejec ted THIS CHRIST KING JESUS .
Then later paul and silas , in prison sang praises TO the ONE TRUE GOD .
SUDDENLY a great earthquake shook the place .
Every mans bands were loosed . A jailor awoke to see all doors open . Fearing they had escaped
he took his own sword . Before he could do the great plunge that would have ended his life ,
THE voices of paul and silas could be heard saying , DO THYSELF NO HARM for we are all here .
THEN , that very jailor who had nearly took his own life
ASKED THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF HIS ENTIRE LIFE .
SIRS what MUST I DO to be sav ed .
And their answer was , BELEIVE YE ON JESUS THE CHRIST and ye shall BE saved .
And they went to his house and preached the gospel and they DID beleive and were saved .
GOD chose HOW to save the world Mail man dan . AND THAT WHORE OF ECUMEINCALSIM IS DENYING THIS ONLY WAY
to save .
FOR it pleased GOD by the preaching of the GOSPEL to SAVE those who ...................................................................BELIEVE .
But that wicked harlot of anti c hrist would have us rather believe a lie that says oh no nEED TOO .
HEY ALL RELIGOINS serve the same God . what an anti christ lie that one is .

 

[amigo de christo]

Lord your mother and brethren stand OUTSIDE desiring to speak with you .
WHO is my mother and my brother and sister
JESUS pointing to those WHO SAT AT HIS FEET , WHO BELEIVED HIM ,
and said , WHO SO EVER DOES THE WILL OF GOD IS my mother , my brother , my sister .
And now a word .
WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD . THAT ONE BELIEVES ON JESUS THE CHRIST .
its pretty simple if ya ask me .
And if one BELEIVES ON JESUS , then they had BELIEVED HIS WORDS .
FOR they have been sealed with THE SPIRIT . WHICH IS TRUTH
which DOES teach them and guide them into all truth .
WHICH does bring to remembrance HIS WORDS .
SO if ya jesus honors sins , and unbelief and kisses on korans or dark rainbows , or loveth money ,
OOPSY ye were not DRAWN TO THE TRUE CHRIST by GOD
YOU were drawn rather , BY THE LUSTFUL FLESH to the desire of an image of jesus
one that promised you salvation and f ed YOUR SINSFUL hearts desires . NOW THAT One cannot save .