November 11
Ezekiel 28-29
Psalm 119:153-160
Proverbs 27:7-8
James 2:14-26
Faith Without Works
“For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 HCSB
This question is the source of much debate in the church. It is the difference between denominations and is a point of division within the body of believers. Many scholars differ on this subject, and many believe that scripture contradicts itself on this topic. I do not believe that is the case. I believe that we are saved by faith and faith alone. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift, not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (HCSB) If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on a cross, was buried and raised Himself from the dead to pay the penalty for sin once for all and you ask Him to be your Lord and Savior, you are saved. Period. Nothing else is required. At that moment you were sealed by the Holy Spirit, and you are going to Heaven. We cannot earn salvation. Nothing we do, good or bad, can save us or keep us from being saved. We are sinners in need of a savior. We don’t deserve it, but by His mercy and grace, He saves us if we put our faith and trust in Him. That’s all He asks. Some people believe that faith is what saves you, but then after that you must be good to keep yourself saved. They believe that you can lose your salvation. I do not believe that is true. In John 10:28-29, Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” (HCSB) We are not capable of being perfect before we are saved, and we cannot live a perfect, sinless life after we are saved. We are in constant need of His grace and mercy as we go through the process of sanctification. We grow and mature, but we must contend with our flesh and with the powers of darkness in this world until He takes us to Heaven to be with Him.
I am equally convinced that if you are saved, your life will never be the same. You cannot believe and then go on with your life as before. It is impossible. If the Creator of the universe comes to live in your heart, you will be different. If you have been saved by faith, the evidence of that faith will be works. Works do not save you or keep you saved. Works are the evidence of true faith. The message that James is trying to convey in this passage is that, if you have faith, then you will also have works. The two are inseparable. A faith that saves is a faith that works. The life of a believer in Jesus Christ should be overflowing with evidence of that belief. If it is not, we should examine our hearts to determine if we truly believe what we say we believe. The moment we are saved, we go from being dead in our sins, to being alive in Christ. James is saying that faith without words is still dead in sin and has not been made alive in Christ. The question is not whether we have lost our salvation, but whether we were ever saved to start with. There is no contradiction between what James is saying and Paul’s teaching. True faith is evident in action.
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