No, James doesn't disagree, because his statement on justification by works is talking about being justified before man, not before God.
We need both faith and works. Faith in Jesus (for salvation) is where it starts (Justification), and works is what follows (Sanctification).
James criticizes a "
continued belief alone" as being bad because he says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). James says faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Can a dead faith saved anyone? No. Can we have the belief of demons? No.
James 2:24 is also not broken up into two parts. Let's read it.
"You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24).
The word "justified" is used once in reference to both "
faith" and "
works" in James 2:24.
James does not distinguish between two different justifications in James 2:24. We know that we cannot be justified by faith in men, but we can only be justified by faith in God. So if we are justified by God by faith, then we are justified by works before God because the word "justified" refers to BOTH faith and works in James 2:24. Furthermore, Abraham was justified by works by his offering Isaac upon the altar. If you were to read that scene, only Abraham and Isaac were present, and no men were present to witness his obedience so as to be justified before men by his works.
For by Abraham's obedience, it was how God could truly know that he feared God:
"And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. "
(Genesis 22:12).
For by Abraham's obedience, it was the reason by which Abraham's seed (Jesus - who was in the line of Abraham) would bless all the nations of the Earth:
15 "And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:15-18).
You said:
If Abraham did not obey God's voice, I imagine that he would not have been chosen to be in the line of the Messiah or the "seed" (Whereby the Messiah Jesus would bless all the nations of the Earth).
You show faith by works (James 2:18). Verse 23 of James 2 quotes Genesis 15:6, which shows that Abraham was justified before God by faith alone, and says that it was "fulfilled" when Abraham offered Isaac on the altar. Abraham was already declared righteous by God, which is justification, and which was enough at the moment of his faith that, if he had died at that moment, he would have entered God's presence in Heaven. But Genesis 15:6 was proved to be true when he obeyed God.
Right, I am not in disagreement with the Justification Process. I believe Abraham would have been saved if he died while trusting in God, too. Justification is where salvation starts. But that is not where it ends. His obedience NEEDED to be there afterwards to prove that His faith was true and genuine. The works NEEDED to be there otherwise his faith would be dead as James says. For a dead faith cannot save anyone. Works are merely the fruit or proof that shows that God lives inside a person. For Jesus said we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5).
You contradict yourself and say that Justification is all that is needed on the one hand (i.e. we are saved by a belief alone only), and then on the other hand you say that works or obedience must follow (Sanctification). Then again, many in the Belief Alone Camp espouse this contradiction and they cannot see that it is one.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 says we need to have two things as a part of salvation:
#1. Belief in the truth (i.e. Jesus is the truth - John 14:6).
#2. Sanctification by the Spirit (Holy living - 1 Thessalonians 4:3).
"...God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
You said:
To say that justification, in the sense of God's declaring you righteous, happens by works at any point during one's life, is to teach contrary to Scripture and to embrace a gospel that is no gospel at all.
When you read Galatians 1:7, you have to understand that Paul was referring to the heresy at the time of "Circumcision Salvationism." Again, this is was a false belief (that was being pushed upon Christians at that time) that says that one had to first be circumcised in order to be saved (Which is what made it all about works). How so?
Paul said,
"But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised"
(Galatians 2:3).
"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."
(Galatians 5:2).
The heresy of Circumcision Salvationism was made even more clear at the Jerusalem counsel:
"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." (Acts of the Apostles 15:1).
"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." (Acts of the Apostles 15:5).
"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment" (Acts of the Apostles 15:24).
So you are taking Paul's words out of context. Paul was not referring to obedience to commandments from the Lord Jesus Christ or the commands that come from His followers. Paul was referring to "Circumcision Salvationism." (Which is Law Alone Salvationism that circumvented God's grace through faith in Jesus - which is the first step and foundation in the salvation equation).
You said:
I'm not denying the importance of works, but not as a part of one's justification before God. If I started teaching that, everyone in this forum should reject what I say - even if I were an angel from Heaven (Gal. 1:6).
And they should reject your words if you push a belief that ignores the context of what Paul was actually talking about (Which was "Circumcision Salvationism" - Galatians 2:3, Galatians 5:2). Nowhere does Paul say that obedience to the commands of Jesus (like loving God, and loving your neighbor as a part of life) after being saved by God's grace is another gospel. That would be adding something to Scripture that is not there. In fact, we know that Paul is in agreement with the words of Jesus and the doctrine according to godliness.
3 "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing,..." (1 Timothy 6:3-4).
Jesus agreed with the lawyer on the truth that said that we have to love God and love our neighbor as a part of inheriting eternal life (Luke 10:25-28). Jesus did not correct the lawyer. Jesus told him to do this (i.e. to love God and his neighbor) and he will live (Luke 10:28). Jesus did not correct the lawyer and say that he was wrong and that he only needs to have a belief on Him and not to worry about sin. Luke 10:25-28 involves the words of Jesus and he is clearly teaching salvation by obedience to God's commands.
Paul says if any man does not agree with the words of Jesus, they are proud and they know nothing.
James 4:6 says God resists the proud and he gives grace to the humble.
Jude 1:4 warns against turning God's grace into a license for immorality.
This is what I believe "Belief Alone-ism" does.
While on the one hand it says you can "sin and still be saved" by having a belief on Jesus, on the other hand it says you need to live holy to show forth a true faith. It is the kind of belief that is a contradiction.
