Salvation is through faith (rightly understood) IN CHRIST ALONE (Romans 3:24-28; 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..).
This means that we are saved the moment that we place our faith (belief, trust, reliance) IN CHRIST ALONE for salvation, which you are yet to do. You are unable to see the forest for the trees because you teach baptismal regeneration. You would walk around mountains of grace in order to find water.
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!
*Once again and please pay close attention - In James 2:14, we read of one who
says-claims he has faith but has
no works (to back up his claim). Where is the evidence? This 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.
It's faith (rightly understood) IN CHRST ALONE that saves. SAVED THROUGH FAITH, NOT WORKS (Ephesians 2:8,9)
which is not to be confused with what James means by faith "alone" - empty profession of faith/dead faith that "remains alone" - barren of works. Will you ever figure this out? This is a major stumbling block for works salvationists.
False. Faith to move a mountain that results in no obedience at all is an oxymoron. It's not faith and obedience/works which follows that saves. When will you get that through your head? Your true colors are really showing. You clearly teach salvation through faith
and works in contradiction to Scripture.
Joshua 2:9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
12 “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” 17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19
If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
The act of tying the cord saved her from what? There is nothing there about Rahab receiving eternal life based on the merits of tying the cord. By tying the cord, Rahab saved herself and her family from physical death, yet it was her faith that was the basis of why she would receive eternal life. With your logic, Noah would have been saved based on the merits of building the ark, yet Noah had already "found grace" (Genesis 6:8), was "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5), and "walked with God" BEFORE he built the ark. His obedience was a
DEMONSTRATION of his faith,
not the origin of it. So building the ark was a demonstration of Noah's faith and saved him and his family from drowning. You have the tail wagging the dog. The cart before the horse.
I don't listen to any of those men and all I ever hear about Benny Hinn is that he is a false prophet and I seriously doubt that I am a carbon copy of everything they teach. You don't even understand what a genuine believer means by salvation through faith (rightly understood) IN CHRIST ALONE. All you think of is an empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains alone - "barren of works" which IS NOT what a genuine believer means by salvation through faith IN CHRIST ALONE. Salvation by works is taught in Catholicism, Mormonism, Campbellism and by other false religions and cults.
Romans 4:2-3 - For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now continue to read verses 4-6. These passages of Scripture blow your works based false gospel right out of the water!
Luke 7:29 - God is said to have been
justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist. Notice that the NIV reads,
"acknowledged that God's way was right.." The ESV reads,
"they declared God just.." This is the sense in which God was justified,
"shown to be righteous".
"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
justified/vindicated/shown to be right by her deeds."
*My point remains - In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for justified "dikaioo" #1344 is:
1. to render righteous or such he ought to be
2.
to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
3. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
Again, In James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18.
Genesis 15:5 - He took him (Abram/Abraham) outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram
believed the LORD, and he
credited it to him as righteousness. *Also read Romans 4:2-3.
Notice that Acts 16:31 says to "Believe" on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, NOT believe
and get water baptized and then you will be saved. Their baptism followed their faith and conversion.
Again, in Matthew 12:37, we read - "For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This is because our words reveal the state of our hearts. Words will give evidences for, or against a man's being in a state of righteousness.
I explained these simple verses but unfortunately, you continue to stumble and tumble down the hill of self-denial in order to accommodate your biased church doctrine. You simply REFUSE to repent and believe the gospel. Your hands are full of your works and you will not let go in order to take hold of Christ through faith.
While on the surface the idea of requiring works in addition to faith for salvation may sound noble, in essence it disqualifies faith. Here's why - We receive eternal salvation by placing our faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. To say that we must "add works" to the gospel is to say that Christ’s finished work of redemption is insufficient to secure our salvation, and what we really mean then, is that we lack the belief, trust and reliance that He alone can eternally save us. This lack of belief, trust, reliance in Christ alone for salvation is the opposite of placing faith in Him.