So you are saying that Scripture is contradicting itself?
That's impossible.
If even just one passage is found false,who is to say what else might be false? How could we be sure The God of Isreal (Jesus) is even real,if indeed, Scripture is found to be false?
That can not be the case.
2 articles on your reference to James:
The
Scriptures clearly teach that we are saved (justified) by faith in Christ and what He has done on the cross. This faith alone saves us. However, we cannot stop here without addressing what James says in
James 2:24, "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."
There is no contradiction. All you need to do is look at the context. James, chapter 2, has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us to not show favoritism. Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works.
James begins this section by using the example of someone who says he has faith but has no works, "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" (
James 2:14). In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead faith that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement. It is empty of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions). Then he shows that that type of faith isn't much different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith that is words followed by actions. He writes of Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.
In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, and the other alive, hence, "Faith without works is dead," (
James 2:20).
Also, notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul uses to support the teaching of justification by faith in
Rom. 4:3.
James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example.
Conclusion
Justification is by faith. True faith is God's work (
John 6:28-29), granted by God (
John 1:29), and is concurrent with
regeneration (
2 Cor. 5:17), which God works in us by His will (
John 1:13). This result of this justification and regeneration is that the sinner turns from his sin and towards doing good works. But it is not these works that earn our place with God nor sustain it. Jesus accomplished all that we need to be saved and stay saved on the cross. All that we need, we have in Jesus. All we need to do to be saved--to be justified--is to truly believe in what God has done for us in Jesus on the cross. This is why the Bible says that we are justified by faith (
Rom. 5:1). This true belief with justification before God and regeneration in the new believer results in good works.
Original article:
https://carm.org/verses-showing-justification-by-faith
Question: "How can you believe in salvation by faith alone when the only occurrence of ‘faith alone’ in the Bible (James 2:24) says that salvation is not by faith alone?"
Answer: It is entirely true that the one verse in the Bible that contains the exact phrase “faith alone”
seems to argue against salvation by faith alone.
James 2:24 reads, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (ESV). However, rejecting the doctrine of salvation by faith alone based on this verse has two major problems. First, the context of
James 2:24 is not arguing against the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Second, the Bible does not need to contain the precise phrase “faith alone” in order to clearly teach salvation by faith alone.
James 2:14-26, as a whole, and especially verse 24, causes a lot of confusion. The passage definitely seems to cause serious problems for the “salvation by faith alone” concept. First, we need to clear up a misconception, namely, that James means the same thing by “justified” in
James 2:24that Paul means in
Romans 3:28. Paul is using the word
justified to mean “declared righteous by God.” Paul is speaking of God’s legal declaration of us as righteous as Christ’s righteousness is applied to our account. James is using the word
justified to mean “being demonstrated and proven.”
The 2011 NIV provides an excellent rendering of
James 2:24: “You see that a person is
considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (emphasis added). Similarly, the NLT translation of
James 2:24reads, “So you see, we are
shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone” (emphasis added). The entire
James 2:14-26passage is about proving the genuineness of your faith by what you do. A genuine salvation experience by faith in Jesus Christ will inevitably result in good works (
Ephesians 2:10). The works are the demonstration and proof of faith (
James 2:18). A faith without works is useless (
James 2:20) and dead (
James 2:17); in other words, it is not true faith at all. Salvation is by faith alone, but that faith will never be alone.
While
James 2:24 is the only verse which contains the precise phrase “faith alone,” there are many other verses that do, in fact, teach salvation by faith alone. Any verse that ascribes salvation to faith/belief, with no other requirement mentioned, is a declaration that salvation is by faith alone.
John 3:16 declares that salvation is given to “whoever believes in Him.”
Acts 16:31proclaims, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” See also
Romans 3:28;
4:5;
5:1;
Galatians 2:16;
3:24;
Ephesians 1:13; and
Philippians 3:9. Many other scriptures could be referenced in addition to these.
In summary,
James 2:24 does not argue against salvation by faith alone. Rather, it argues against a salvation that is alone, a salvation devoid of good works and obedience to God’s Word. James’s point is that we demonstrate our faith by what we do (
James 2:18). Regardless of the absence of the precise phrase “faith alone,” the New Testament definitely teaches that salvation is the product of God’s grace in response to our faith. “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? . . . On that of faith” (
Romans 3:27). There is no other requirement.
Original article:
http://www.gotquestions.org/faith-alone.html
Be at peace,
-Your Brother In Christ
