evangelist-7 said:
All I am teaching about practicing righteousness and being obedient to Christ
agrees with James' "works proves saving faith". Kapishola?
That unfortunately is not all that you are teaching. And I can't help but notice you used the word "teaching", as if somehow you feel you are here as a teacher. Be that as it may, you are 'teaching' that we are to MAINTAIN our life and salvation by our works and obedience.. This is a far cry from what you call 'proving' one has saving faith.
Maintaining what one has received is not the same as proving what one has received. kapishola?
James said nothing about maintaining anything. Salvation was not on the table in his letter. Faith does not save. We are saved by grace,
through faith. Faith is merely the means by which we freely receive things from God (ie.Rom.8:32)
James merely observed the quality of their love towards one another and reminded them that works are a
product of faith. In terms of cause and effect, works are the effect. It is like fire and smoke. If smoke is the goal, we do not try to make smoke. We merely light a fire.
The point is that fruit is an inevitable by product of faith. We do not need to produce works of fruit. They happen naturally. Faith gives us the new birth. Our new nature will manifest itself if we do not deliberately dig a hole and bury it, which is an indicator of opposition to it. How many real believers do you think are
opposed to bearing fruit?