I did not explain away James 2:14-26 at all and I interpreted James 2:17-20 in context and I also properly harmonized scripture with scripture before reaching my conclusion on doctrine. I never said anything against faith that works through love (Galatians 5:6) and the love of God has been poured out in our (believers) hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7) We love Him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) So the dead faith of devils (James 2:19) that James talks about is not genuine faith that works by love and perverting the gospel by teaching "salvation by grace plus law, faith plus works" is not believing and following what God's Word says. (Galatians 1:6-9)
It's not me who is mistaken here and it's works-salvationists who typically confuse justification with sanctification and end up putting the cart before the horse. Man is saved through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet
genuine faith is substantiated, evidenced by works. (James 2:14-26)
Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works. It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not based on the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24-28; 4:5-6; 5:1);
yet faith that justifies does not remain alone (unfruitful, barren)
if it is genuine. (James 2:14-26) *Perfect Harmony*
According to James, we show our faith by our works. (James 2:18) Obedience/works which follows saving faith in Christ is the fruit, by product and demonstrative evidence of our faith, but not the essence of our faith and also not the basis or means by which we obtain salvation. Seeking salvation by works is not obedience to what God's Word says.
Ephesians 2:5 - even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, 9
not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. *We are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works.
John 6:40 - For
my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
These many people in Matthew 7:22 had the
wrong foundation. They were trusting in their works to save them and NOT IN CHRIST ALONE. Jesus
never knew them which means they were
never saved.
The heart of the issue as to why the devils are not obedient to what God's Word says is although they believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," they do not believe in/have faith in/trust in/reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, they do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and are not saved. Their trust and reliance is in Satan (and not in Jesus) as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.
I have numerous times. In Hebrews 11:1, we read that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Works-salvationists don't seem to make a distinction between faith "and" works. In Hebrews 11, notice in all of these occurrences that is was "by" or "out of" faith, not faith is in essence, these acts of obedience/works. Their faith was genuine and it was shown by their actions (works) so all of these works accomplished in Hebrews 11 were done "by" or "out of" faith, but those works are not the essence of faith, but are the evidence (fruit) of faith. That is absolutely critical to understand. We are saved through faith at it's origin and not at some time later, based on the merits of our works. Faith is the root of salvation and works which follow are the fruit. No fruit at all demonstrates there is no root.