Faith alone in Christ alone

[tremble]

-simplistic analogy ,but it's only repeating what James and Paul have said.

Hmm, interesting analogy, Michael. It makes one wonder, will God choose to save a huge pile of kettles which refuse to boil? Here in this world, we call that kind of thing "hoarding" and it's generally recognized as a legitimate psychological disorder.

On the other hand, kettles which do boil can be put to good use and are worth keeping.

Yes, a simple analogy, but sometimes simple is the most clear. ^.^

 

[tremble]

Need more?

ok Bryan, I think I see what you are trying to say. However, I think the phrase, "replace faith with works" is a misnomer. You can't have one without the other.

Sure, some people may go to the extreme and focus too heavily on works, maybe to be seen of men or because they think God's grace isn't enough for them or whatever.

But some people go to the other extreme, too, where they argue too much against works, maybe because they don't agree with some of what Jesus told us to do or because they are battling with letting go of pride, greed, emotional ties, etc...

Arguments against works should only be relevant if there is clear evidence that someone really is trying to earn their salvation.

I'll use one of your examples to clarify:

A Methodist pastor I know told me that he doesn't like to preach on personal holiness or salvation because if people feel that they are secure in their faith, then they will not serve the poor as much as they would if they have some doubt in their mind that works are not necessary.

I can't see any evidence here of a person trying to earn salvation or in some other way abusing works. Actually, I kinda understand what he's saying. He's talking about complacency and it's a real thing. Jesus described it, too, here:

LK 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

LK 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

LK 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

LK 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Look at the list of sins Jesus quoted about these people. They are all ordinary, average, everyday activities, some of which we could not live without (like eating and drinking). And yet Jesus still listed them as problems for which they were destroyed by God; that's some serious stuff.

The people had become complacent. They were too busy with the cares of this world to care about what God wanted from them, maybe even because they felt that they'd already performed all the correct rituals or used the correct religious clichés to make God happy.

Jesus said the same kind of thing will be happening before he returned.

If they were known for helping the poor, they would not have been destroyed.

 

[Steeno7]

James does not disagree with Paul.
He merely says.. works are the outer evidence of inner faith.

It could not be less complicated.

How do you know a kettle is hot...?
There is steam coming out. The steam did not make the kettle hot.the fire did.
The steam is evidence of what the fire has caused.
Some say they are a boiling kettle ..but have no steam. By steam it is known whether they be hot.... or not.

-simplistic analogy ,but it's only repeating what James and Paul have said.

James does not disagree with Paul because James is speaking to justification before men, and Paul is speaking to justification before God. Thats even simpler, and it's even right.