"Faith without works is dead." Explain this, please.

Faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ.

But we can refuse His voice and remain in unbelief which is a sin.

If we resist Him and remain in disobedience then our 'works' are like straw and chaff and are burned up at judgement.

The bottom line is that He calls us to love and if we respond in love (co operating with His Spirit in our heart) then there are good works, fruit that lasts as He reaches out through us.

We are saved by grace through faith, not works. But, we were created for good works.

When we are saved there is an inward change that happens. When we walk out our salvation by walking in faith that inward change begins to manifest as outward fruit, which produces good works.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

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Jas 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

Click to expand...

To keep it simple, if you have faith you believe what God said, if you believe what God said and want to please God because you know that he loves you and saved you, then you change your way of thinking and acting and those changes cause you to do things to serve God and your fellow man. You do things because you ARE saved not to become saved.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

Click to expand...

Those who are born again have a new nature. The new nature hates sin. They love other Christians. They seek fellowship with other Christians. They love Jesus. Sooner or later, there will be fruit.

Works have nothing to do with salvation. But if someone says that they trust God but worry about everything, you would have to wonder about the reality of their faith in that aspect.

Works do not save. However, they are an indication of the reality of the person's faith.

Aussie Pete said:

Those who are born again have a new nature. The new nature hates sin. They love other Christians. They seek fellowship with other Christians. They love Jesus. Sooner or later, there will be fruit.

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Love that part!

To reply to the thread, here's a picture:

Your plant won't grow by itself, water it. Water your faith and work.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

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Yes, it means what it clearly says. A more complete picture is given if we include James 2:17:

ChristianForCats said:

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

Click to expand...

I agree, what is the big deal about works? We're created to do them (Ephesians 2:10). Belief in Christ without them is dead faith (so not Biblical Faith in Christ).

Jesus didn't create the big fence around works for coming to Him. We created it with errant thinking & understanding. When Jesus was teaching to bring people to Faith in Him, He had no problem recognizing the need for some human effort in the process - in fact He commanded it:

There's an entrance by Faith that works - then a walk doing the good works God created for us to do in a Faith that works - a Faith with works that God both created and worked to draw us into.

The works and Works of Law that Paul is addressing is another topic of discussion. James is foundational to understand what Biblical Faith actually is. "Faith Alone" was derived from theological battles long past. "Faith is never alone" was a theological response to it.

We're overzealous in protecting Faith from works. Our zeal is not always according to knowledge. We don't have to over-swing the pendulum in this theological battle. Let the Word speak. Think and speak as He speaks. Let God teach about works and think accordingly. Let Him delineate where, when and how our works are applicable. Next time we hear from a stage, "pfft, we don't work for a gift [IOW, how dumb to think such a thing]!" ask what Jesus means and commands in John 6:27. Listen and learn what God is teaching to make us "learned ones" (John 6:45 from Isaiah 54:13). Read the Bible.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

Click to expand...

This should clear things up, hopefully.
James 2:18
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Blessings

Good Day,

Douglas Moo has done a series of video on the book of James:


He answers the question with in the context of the book of James.

Bill

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

Click to expand...

Right.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

Click to expand...

Right again.

So what is the big deal about works?

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See the first part of your post above (i.e. faith without works is dead and you do not have faith unless you act on it.)

In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works (to evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith/dead faith.

So James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. Simple!

James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3)

“Faith without works is dead" does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith. That's like saying a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree and the fruit is the source of life in the tree.

James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely says-claims they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith (James 2:14) and not authentic faith. We are made alive together with Christ by grace through faith FIRST then UNTO good works. (Ephesians 2:5-10)

I guess the point being that the general statement about Biblical Faith is that it has Works. Whether or not those Works are a part of our initially being saved, is another part of the discussion. As is a discussion on the full scope of Salvation since James also says through a rhetorical question that Faith separate from works does not save.

GDL said:

I guess the point being that the general statement about Biblical Faith is that it has Works. Whether or not those Works are a part of our initially being saved, is another part of the discussion. As is a discussion on the full scope of Salvation since James also says through a rhetorical question that Faith separate from works does not save.

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I agree with this conclusion, but if you look at the verse in context I think James and Paul disagreed on justification. Maybe the disagreement was more verbal than substance, but we know from Paul’s letters that Paul and James actually did have some disagreements.

hedrick said:

I agree with this conclusion, but if you look at the verse in context I think James and Paul disagreed on justification. Maybe the disagreement was more verbal than substance, but we know from Paul’s letters that Paul and James actually did have some disagreements.

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Thanks for the comment. Good point about their disagreement. I still look for how they agree and how we may just get too technical with words like justification that you've identified. It's like the Faith and Works discussion. I don't think they disagree at all. In fact, I recall noting where I think I saw Paul make a comment that may well be pointing at James and then clarifying a point about works. IOW, Paul was not disagreeing, but making certain that Faith and Works are more completely understood beyond what James spoke of.

ChristianForCats said:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” - James 2:26

Literally, this means you do not have faith unless you act on it.

But Jesus said nobody can go to heaven by working.

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Light. Nobody comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So what is the big deal about works?

Click to expand...

Works done before justification, whether works of the law or anything else, are generally done for the wrong reaons and are empty. Works done after justification are Spirit-led, under grace, performed now in union with God. Those are expected. Under the New Covenant the obligation to be righteous and act accordingly does not go away. We just cannot do it without Him, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5.

So...man's first step in becoming who he was created to be is to turn to God in faith whereupon he enters fellowship with Him. Works cannot make us righteous; only God can do so. We must come to know Him. Adam thought he didn't need God-and basically forfeited that knowledge for all of us. We're here to learn that Adam was wrong. Then:

“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” Jer 31:33-34

Michael.brazil said:

Now read in James 2:21-23, how Abraham offered Isaac when tested by God ( the trying of our faith) and this justified Abraham to FULFILL THE SCRIPTURE ( fulfil the law of Christ) and then righteousness is imputed to Abraham and to us * by believing God raised up Christ from the dead, as Abraham believed God was able to raise Isaac) to be called the friend of God for us also)

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So, are Paul and James speaking of the same point about justification? Since the word can mean to be declared or deemed righteous, are we justified/deemed righteous only when we first believe in Jesus Christ, or is there another declaration of righteousness in being tested and passing the test as with Abraham - a declaration(s) that fulfills and validates God's initial declaration of righteousness?

Can James and Paul be reconciled, or are they in disagreement about justification?

fhansen said:

Works cannot make us righteous; only God can do so.

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As Christians, do works done in Faith substantiate our righteousness in Christ?

I was just trying to recall your identity and here you are.

GDL said:

As Christians, do works done in Faith substantiate our righteousness in Christ?

I was just trying to recall your identity and here you are.

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We can say they confirm it, yes, along with our hope, and, most relevantly, our love, since love is the prime motivator for doing good. Faith, by virtue of the union with God it establsihes, should lead to all that.

That union is the basis of man's righteousness; God, IOW, is our righteouness.