Works? Or No Works?

James 2:18-24,26 ESV

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” 

“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

The subject of faith and works is a much debated topic and one which is much disagreed about, too, I believe. And that is because so many people see this as an “either or” subject, but it isn’t. Or they have this opinion that Paul taught one thing while James taught the opposite. But in reality they taught the same. They just worded it in different ways, perhaps. And how things are worded, or how they are translated into our English language can be confusing sometimes.

So, what did Paul teach about works? Well, in Romans 2:6-8 he said that God “will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

And then in Ephesians 2:10 we read that we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And in Philippians 2:12-13 we read that we are to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” And in Colossians 1:10 we read that we are “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

And we read in Titus 2:14 that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” And in Galatians 5:16-21 we read about the works of the flesh, which are sinful practices such as idolatry, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, envy, drunkenness, etc. And we learn that those who are doing (practicing) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

And in Galatians 6:7-8 we read: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

And in 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” And in Romans 6:16 we read that we “are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.” 

And then in Romans 8:1-14 Paul wrote that, “by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,” God “condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” And he wrote that “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Therefore Paul, too, taught that faith without works is dead, for he taught that our works give evidence to whether or not our faith is genuine faith which saves, and that our godly works are our faith being lived out in action. And he taught that what we do in heart response to our Lord, regarding obedience to him, determines where we will spend eternity. So, without obedience to our Lord, and without doing the works he prepared in advance that we should walk in them, our faith is dead faith which is of the flesh and not of God. And we are all going to be judged by God by our works.

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296