Justified by works?

[Catholic Dude]

Look at what Psalm 106:30f says:

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

​

Phinehas' action here was "credited as righteousness." It is the exact phrase (in Hebrew and Greek) that is used in regard to Abraham in Genesis 15:6.


Any proper exegesis of Gen 15:6 must include Ps 106, because Ps 106 is the only other time the phrase appears in the Bible. Further, the two phrases must be interpreted the same way, unless significant evidence can demonstrate otherwise.


In my study of this passage, I don't believe a significant case can be made, thus this is clear Scriptural evidence of justification by works.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
The common Old Testament Hebrew word for justify and/or justified, is tsadaq (tsaw-dak') which means: to be and/or to make right and/or righteous (in a moral or forensic sense)

Webster's defines forensic as belonging to, used in, or suitable to, courts of judicature (the administration of justice).

My question is; how much righteousness must a man produce in ratio to his unrighteousness order to mitigate his unrighteousness and come out with a balance of righteousness adequate to ransom his soul from the wrath of God and eternal punishment?

Is it two acts of righteousness per one act of unrighteousness, three acts of righteousness per one act of unrighteousness . . four to one, five to one, six to one?

†. Ezek 18:24 . . But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

C.L.I.F.F.
/

 

[visionary]

Look at what Psalm 106:30f says:

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

​

Phinehas' action here was "credited as righteousness." It is the exact phrase (in Hebrew and Greek) that is used in regard to Abraham in Genesis 15:6.


Any proper exegesis of Gen 15:6 must include Ps 106, because Ps 106 is the only other time the phrase appears in the Bible. Further, the two phrases must be interpreted the same way, unless significant evidence can demonstrate otherwise.


In my study of this passage, I don't believe a significant case can be made, thus this is clear Scriptural evidence of justification by works.

I like what you have found here of justification by works.. May I make a suggestion that first there must be righteousness by faith, which comes from having faith that God is right and that is the only way to do it.. and then God will justify your works because you were operating in His Spirit.

 

[visionary]

.
The common Old Testament Hebrew word for justify and/or justified, is tsadaq (tsaw-dak') which means: to be and/or to make right and/or righteous (in a moral or forensic sense)

Webster's defines forensic as belonging to, used in, or suitable to, courts of judicature (the administration of justice).

My question is; how much righteousness must a man produce in ratio to his unrighteousness order to mitigate his unrighteousness and come out with a balance of righteousness adequate to ransom his soul from the wrath of God and eternal punishment?

Is it two acts of righteousness per one act of unrighteousness, three acts of righteousness per one act of unrighteousness . . four to one, five to one, six to one?

†. Ezek 18:24 . . But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

C.L.I.F.F.
/

I do not believe that unrighteous acts are on the other side of a heavenly balance sheet and that is how good or bad you are. I believe that faith in Him who is able to redeem us from all sin, is the only way sin gets blotted out of our Book of Life. Then our unrighteousness is wiped by the blood of the Lamb when we seek forgiveness. All our righteousness are nothing but filthy rags until the Lord redeems us. Then our future righteousness is in the right context, for we then know there is no one righteous but Him, and He is our righteousness, and only through His Spirit will any righteous deed/word or thought be right.

 

[Catholic Dude]

I like what you have found here of justification by works.. May I make a suggestion that first there must be righteousness by faith, which comes from having faith that God is right and that is the only way to do it.. and then God will justify your works because you were operating in His Spirit.

This sounds right to me, so long as you are using 'justify' the same, then I would agree it begins with faith and grows with works.

I do not believe that unrighteous acts are on the other side of a heavenly balance sheet and that is how good or bad you are. I believe that faith in Him who is able to redeem us from all sin, is the only way sin gets blotted out of our Book of Life. Then our unrighteousness is wiped by the blood of the Lamb when we seek forgiveness. All our righteousness are nothing but filthy rags until the Lord redeems us. Then our future righteousness is in the right context, for we then know there is no one righteous but Him, and He is our righteousness, and only through His Spirit will any righteous deed/word or thought be right.

I would partly agree with this. There is a 'Heavenly balance sheet" in the sense that our glory can grow or diminish, but there is also a sense in which we can be permanently blotted out through grave sin (eg 1 Jn 3:15; Gal 5:19f). I agree with you on the part that through faith though we enter into a relationship, and from there our works do become pleasing and justifying.

 

[Apollos1]

When the scriptures say “works” it does not always mean “works of the law” (OT).
In this context there are –3- types of “works” mentioned in scripture:

1.) Works of merit: These are works performed to earn something – called “boastful works” in Eph. 2:9. Those works which would allow us to brag that we earned, and therefore merit our salvation and that we do not need God. “Works” that would let us say God owes salvation to us. This is the type of “works” mentioned in Romans 4:4 – see below.

2.) Works of “the law” (OT): No one is “accounted righteous” in His sight by these “works” - Romans 3:20. If you attempt keep one point of this law (OT) you must keep it all - Gal. 5:3, Jas. 2:10.

3.) Works of God: John 6:29 – “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom he hath sent.”. There are “works” that God wants us to do.

In all of Bible history the blessing of God has always been appropriated by the obedience of man. God offers His blessing by grace, and when man reciprocates in faithful obedience to God the blessing is received. If we do all that God wants us to do, we are still unprofitable servants – Luke 16:10. But ALL have a duty to God! God will account such “works” to us for righteousness - by His grace and mercy. This is called OBEDIENCE !
- - - - - - - - - -

In Romans 4:1-5 we note Paul is discussing works of merit in contrast to what Abraham did.
Verse 1 – Abraham found nothing according the “flesh”.
Verse 2 mentions “works’ that would have allowed Abraham to glory (boastful works), but not toward God.
Verse 4 speaks of working for a reward (one worked to obtain it, earn it), this in respect to the word “debt” (it is therefore owed to us).

When you recognize which type of “work” is under discussion from the context, you can know that all “works” are not condemned by Paul. Faith and works combine in perfect harmony when they chosen by God to bring one to the salvation God offers man by His grace. This is also why what Paul said here…

Romans 6:17-18 – “But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered; 18 and being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness.”

This is in perfect harmony with Romans 4, 16:25-26, Ephesians 2:8, and every other NT scripture on the topic of faith!

“Obedience from the heart” defines the “only faith” that will save !! This is "justification by works" !

 

[Catholic Dude]

When the scriptures say “works” it does not always mean “works of the law” (OT).
In this context there are –3- types of “works” mentioned in scripture:

1.) Works of merit: These are works performed to earn something – called “boastful works” in Eph. 2:9. Those works which would allow us to brag that we earned, and therefore merit our salvation and that we do not need God. “Works” that would let us say God owes salvation to us. This is the type of “works” mentioned in Romans 4:4 – see below.

2.) Works of “the law” (OT): No one is “accounted righteous” in His sight by these “works” - Romans 3:20. If you attempt keep one point of this law (OT) you must keep it all - Gal. 5:3, Jas. 2:10.

3.) Works of God: John 6:29 – “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom he hath sent.”. There are “works” that God wants us to do.

In all of Bible history the blessing of God has always been appropriated by the obedience of man. God offers His blessing by grace, and when man reciprocates in faithful obedience to God the blessing is received. If we do all that God wants us to do, we are still unprofitable servants – Luke 16:10. But ALL have a duty to God! God will account such “works” to us for righteousness - by His grace and mercy. This is called OBEDIENCE !
- - - - - - - - - -

In Romans 4:1-5 we note Paul is discussing works of merit in contrast to what Abraham did.
Verse 1 – Abraham found nothing according the “flesh”.
Verse 2 mentions “works’ that would have allowed Abraham to glory (boastful works), but not toward God.
Verse 4 speaks of working for a reward (one worked to obtain it, earn it), this in respect to the word “debt” (it is therefore owed to us).

When you recognize which type of “work” is under discussion from the context, you can know that all “works” are not condemned by Paul. Faith and works combine in perfect harmony when they chosen by God to bring one to the salvation God offers man by His grace. This is also why what Paul said here…

Romans 6:17-18 – “But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered; 18 and being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness.”

This is in perfect harmony with Romans 4, 16:25-26, Ephesians 2:8, and every other NT scripture on the topic of faith!

“Obedience from the heart” defines the “only faith” that will save !! This is "justification by works" !

I would largely agree with this.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
Well; all I'm saying is; that if it were at all possible to escape the wrath of God via one's performance, then there would have been no need for sacrificial systems: neither Abraham's, Aaron's, or Christ's.

†. Gal 2:21 . . I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the commandments, then Christ died needlessly.

†. Gal 3:10-11 . . For as many as are of the works of the commandments are under a curse; for it is written; Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the books of The Law to perform them. That no one is innocent by the commandments before God is evident; for; "The righteous man shall life by his faith."

†. Gal 3:21-22 . . For if a commandment had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on commandments. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

†. Gal 3:24-27 . .The commandments served as an escort to lead us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of an escort. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

†. Gal 5:3-5 . .You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be made righteous by the commandments; you have fallen from grace.

People can parse works into three categories all they want but it still boils down to just one field of operations: performance, and according to Paul, works-based plans of salvation put performance-oriented Christians in grave danger of eternal suffering because their performance will never, ever be consistent enough to merit an escape from the wrath of God. The problem is, in order to merit an escape from the wrath of God by works; one's performance can't be half-baked; viz: it can't be good some of the time; nor even good most of the time; no, it has to be good all the time: 100%. One slip, and it's back to square one.

†. Ezek 18:24 . . But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

To give an idea of just how precarious the situation really is for performance-oriented Christians: supposing somebody was a faithful Roman Catholic for 68 years, but when they died, they had just one(1) un-absolved mortal sin on the books: just one. Then according to Ezek 18:24 (and CCC 1035) they will go directly to Hell and eternal suffering; no stopover in a purgatory; it's a direct flight. All those 68 faithful years are stricken from the record and they become no more accredited in eternity than an Atheist, or a Hindu, or a Muslim. All those years of Sunday in church would have been better spent at Indian casinos and sports bars.

†. Mtt 7:22-23 . . Many will say to me in that day; Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

That passage doesn't target atheists, nor Hindus, nor Muslims. No, it targets people professing to have done many wonderful works in Christ's name; viz: it targets Christians— and not just your average rank and file pew warmers, no, but rather, it targets outstanding Christians like Mother Teresa: the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, and their dedication. It is to many of them that Jesus will say; "I never knew you."

Such is the fate of performance-oriented Christians.

C.L.I.F.F.
/

 

[visionary]

.
Well; all I'm saying is; that if it were at all possible to escape the wrath of God via one's performance, then there would have been no need for sacrificial systems: neither Abraham's, Aaron's, or Christ's.

†. Gal 2:21 . . I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the commandments, then Christ died needlessly.

†. Gal 3:10-11 . . For as many as are of the works of the commandments are under a curse; for it is written; Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the books of The Law to perform them. That no one is innocent by the commandments before God is evident; for; "The righteous man shall life by his faith."

†. Gal 3:21-22 . . For if a commandment had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on commandments. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

†. Gal 3:24-27 . .The commandments served as an escort to lead us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of an escort. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

†. Gal 5:3-5 . .You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be made righteous by the commandments; you have fallen from grace.

People can parse works into three categories all they want but it still boils down to just one field of operations: performance, and according to Paul, works-based plans of salvation are taking performance-oriented Christians to Hell because their performance will never, ever be consistent enough to merit an escape from the wrath of God. The problem is, in order to merit an escape from the wrath of God by works; one's performance can't be half-baked; viz: it can't be good some of the time; nor even most of the time; no, it has to be good all the time: 100%. One slip, and it's back to square one.

†. Ezek 18:24 . . But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

To give an idea of just how serious things really are for performance-oriented Christians: supposing somebody was a faithful Roman Catholic for 68 years, but when they died, they had just one(1) un-absolved mortal sin on the books: just one. Then according to Ezek 18:24 (and CCC 1035) they will go directly to Hell and eternal suffering; no stopover in a purgatory; it's a direct flight. All those 68 faithful years are stricken from the record and they become no more accredited in eternity than an Atheist, or a Hindu, or a Muslim. All those years of Sunday in church would have been better spent at Indian casinos and sports bars.

†. Mtt 7:22-23 . . Many will say to me in that day; Lord, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

That passage doesn't target atheists, nor Hindus, nor Muslims. No, it targets people professing to have done many wonderful works in Christ's name; viz: it targets Christians— and not just your average rank and file pew warmers, no, but rather, it targets outstanding Christians like Mother Teresa: the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, and their dedication. It is to many of them that Jesus will say; "I never knew you."

Such is the fate of performance-oriented Christians.

C.L.I.F.F.
/

That is why you never trust your performance, but remain trusting only in Him who can redeem you.

 

[BrotherHicks]

The works of righteousness presume a turn to God, a faith in God, for example:

Ezekiel 18:21-23
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

 

[BrotherHicks]

So it is not the doing of righteous things that justifies, but the turning to God from the wickedness that produces righteousness through faith.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
RE: So it is not the doing of righteous things that justifies, but the turning to God from the wickedness that produces righteousness through faith

I take it your conclusion is based upon the passage below that you quoted from Ezekiel 18:21-23?

"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?"

I don't see faith in that passage; no, I see performance: specifically legal performance because the Lord God mentioned His statutes, and that which is lawful. And not only do I see legal performance, but I also see a graph of peaks and valleys going from unrighteousness to righteousness and back again.

†. Ezek 18:24 . . But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Ezek 18:21-24 is a no-win situation. The moment a man commits unrighteousness, his previous righteousness is forgotten. Conversely, the moment he commits righteousness, his previous unrighteousness is forgotten; so that as he see-saws back and forth between righteousness and unrighteousness; he generates a zero-sum balance sheet. And God pity the man if he should die on the downswing because none of his previous righteousness will count to his good and he'll go into eternity with no righteousness to his account whatsoever.

Yhvh's people protested that the principles of Ezek 18:21-24 are unfair.

†. Ezek 18:29 . .Yet the house of Israel says; "The way of the Lord is not just."

Actually, Ezek 18:21-24 is perfectly just because it illustrates that the scales of justice have to balance.

Since Ezek 18:21-24 is law-based; then look at it this way. In real life I have a 99.99% perfect driving record. Yes, really, I do. But about a year ago, a cop caught me making an unsafe lane change. Did he take into consideration my previous driving record? No, he didn't; instead, he did as the law requires and wrote write me a ticket for something like $125. That's what Ezek 18:21-24 is saying.

†. Rom 2:9-11 . . There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

A rough-hewn definition of justice is: the application of law without passion or prejudice —which is why Ms. Justice with her sword and scales is always portrayed bind-folded.

That's the way justice works, and it's fair and square; which is exactly why no one should ever attempt to merit an escape from the wrath of God via performance. I can easily guarantee they will not succeed.

C.L.F.F.
/

 

[Robert Pate]

Look at what Psalm 106:30f says:

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

​

Phinehas' action here was "credited as righteousness." It is the exact phrase (in Hebrew and Greek) that is used in regard to Abraham in Genesis 15:6.


Any proper exegesis of Gen 15:6 must include Ps 106, because Ps 106 is the only other time the phrase appears in the Bible. Further, the two phrases must be interpreted the same way, unless significant evidence can demonstrate otherwise.


In my study of this passage, I don't believe a significant case can be made, thus this is clear Scriptural evidence of justification by works.

Catholicism does not have a gospel. I mean a gospel that saves. Like Paul wrote in Romans 4:5, "that God justifies the ungodly" Catholics have a lot of trouble with that scripture because they believe that God justifies the righteous. You are right about being justified by works. Christ work.

 

[visionary]

Justification by works.. is nothing more than the fruits of the spirit.. has nothing to do with salvation... other than it makes a difference on what kind of fruits from before to after... that is where the grafting changes the result..

 

[Apollos1]

W-H originally said -
No, it targets people professing to have done many wonderful works in Christ's name; viz: it targets Christians— and not just your average rank and file pew warmers, no, but rather, it targets outstanding Christians like Mother Teresa: the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, and their dedication. It is to many of them that Jesus will say; "I never knew you."

Although you stated it, you missed the CONTEXT of Matthew 7:23.
"I never knew you..." means they were NEVER Christians ! This very much eradicates your position on the verse.

Why is obedience to God's will and then being rewarded for it such a difficult concept for you? From the beginning God, by His grace, has extended His blessings to man. Man, by his obedience, then appropriates God's blessing.

Who prejudiced your mind to believe that it is somehow evil to do what God says in order to be blessed by Him ???

Do you not understand how works complement faith - or how faith complements grace?

 

[visionary]

W-H originally said -
No, it targets people professing to have done many wonderful works in Christ's name; viz: it targets Christians— and not just your average rank and file pew warmers, no, but rather, it targets outstanding Christians like Mother Teresa: the cream of the crop; the celebrities of the Christian world; renowned for their accomplishments, their piety, and their dedication. It is to many of them that Jesus will say; "I never knew you."

Although you stated it, you missed the CONTEXT of Matthew 7:23.
"I never knew you..." means they were NEVER Christians ! This very much eradicates your position on the verse.

Why is obedience to God's will and then being rewarded for it such a difficult concept for you? From the beginning God, by His grace, has extended His blessings to man. Man, by his obedience, then appropriates God's blessing.

Who prejudiced your mind to believe that it is somehow evil to do what God says in order to be blessed by Him ???

Do you not understand how works complement faith - or how faith complements grace?

On the part I highlighted in red... On earth, they may have been known as christians.. just not in the Lord's Book of Life

 

[Apollos1]

To Catholic Dude, for your consideration -

Abraham’s faith in Rom. 4:3 is used in a comprehensive sense (Rom.1:5 - “obedience of faith”, Rom. 4:12, “walk in the steps of that faith.&#8221.

Please let the record show that in Galatians 3:6 Paul again quotes Genesis 15:6 referring to “faithful Abraham” (v9). And James refers to the same passage in 2:23 to prove that Abraham was justified by works.

All these verses say the same thing in different ways.

Abraham believed and obeyed God and looked to Him for justification. He did not think he could save himself by perfect works, as this would require absolute sinlessness. No one should read more into Romans 4 than is written.

Romans 4:3 does not teach, for example, that Abraham did not work at all.
Read John 8:39 - “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.”

Romans 4:3 does not teach that Abraham did not obey God.
Notice Hebrews 11:8 - “By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed to go out…” You will observe that this faithful act of obedience occurred before Gen. 15:6.

Romans 4:3 does not teach that Abraham was not faithful to God (Gal. 3:9).
Romans 4:3 does not teach that Abraham was not justified by works (James 2:21-24).

The fact of the matter is that there is nothing that we can do- not even believe- which “in any sense of the word” would put God in our debt such that He “owed” us salvation.

So if anyone can understand how faith is necessary for our salvation even though it is a work (John 6:29), and if you are able to understand that this “work” does not “earn” salvation, then you should have no problem understanding how complying with any of the other terms of salvation does not put God in your debt – but is required by God.

 

[visionary]

Works are the fruits of the spirits... you do not look at works of righteousness that will bring salvation... but look at it as proof that salvation is at work in the heart... a drunk stops being a drunk because the Lord saved him not because he stopped drinking so the Lord could save him.

 

[Benefactor]

Look at what Psalm 106:30f says:

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

​

Phinehas' action here was "credited as righteousness." It is the exact phrase (in Hebrew and Greek) that is used in regard to Abraham in Genesis 15:6.


Any proper exegesis of Gen 15:6 must include Ps 106, because Ps 106 is the only other time the phrase appears in the Bible. Further, the two phrases must be interpreted the same way, unless significant evidence can demonstrate otherwise.


In my study of this passage, I don't believe a significant case can be made, thus this is clear Scriptural evidence of justification by works.

I would think that James has the correct understanding, faith without works is dead. We can't rule out faith and works.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
I found two apparently contradictory statements in your post.

I would think that James has the correct understanding, faith without works is dead. We can't rule out faith and works.

John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Does belief count as a work? The reason I ask is because Jesus testified that whosoever believes in him shall not perish. Well, I believe in him; therefore I shall not perish. But you say my belief is dead if it has not works. Okay, let's say my belief is dead because I do not go to church, do not contribute to charity, do not help old ladies across the street, do not care about orphans, do not care about homeless mothers, do not help out at the local rescue mission, do not contribute to a missionary fund, do not this, do not that, and do not the other thing; whatever. Am I going to perish? No.

How do I know that? Because the Bible's Christ is a man of impeccable integrity who's not in the habit of telling lies.

†. John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world, that He donated His only begotten Son, that whoever relies upon him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

†. John 10:27-28 . . My sheep heed my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish

†. John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who heed my message. and trust in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already transferred from Death into Life.

According to Jesus, I have already passed from Death into Life, I will never be condemned for my sins, and I also am in the right-now possession of eternal life; which Jesus says is a kind of life that shall never perish; therefore it is impervious to the wages of sin.

†. Rom 6:23 . . For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then, what is James really, really saying when he says faith without works is dead? Well, for one thing, he is certainly not saying a Christian whose faith is dead is going to Hell. Not a chance. No. What he is saying is simply that a believer whose faith is dead has no testimony and they are not very useful.

When people insist that Jesus' sheep are at risk of going to Hell for lack of works; what they are really doing is casting a vote of no-confidence in Jesus' and his Father's shepherding skills; and they are keeping the responsibility for their safety in their own hands rather than putting it in Jesus' and his Father's hands.

†. John 10:27-30 . . My sheep heed my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

If your shepherd cannot guarantee you a fail-safe, sin-proof, commandment-proof, works-proof, predator-proof, God-proof rescue from the wrath of God, plus full time protection from retribution and safe passage to the other side; then you need to dump the shepherd you have now and shop around for another one because the shepherd you have is a slave-driving Simon Legree rather than a kind-hearted shepherd that protects and cares for his dumb, stupid, little prone-to-wander flock even to the point of death.

†. John 10:11 . . I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

†. Ps 23:1-6 . .Yhvh is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of Yhvh forever.

C.L.I.F.F.
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