Chris - as usual you're taking that one verse out of context. You have to read the entire chapter to fully see the message being given. You cannot keep cutting and pasting random verses, twisting them to support a different gospel. The bible flows together perfectly, so you need to read the entire bible and look at other scriptures that also relate.
I'm posting this not just for you, but also anyone that may be led astray by your post. But I get sharpened in the process, so an added bonus
James 2:14-24:
"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only"
The contrast is shown here between true faith and dead faith, because both people are claiming to have faith. See, even the demons believe.
A true believer will have works in their life. As the scriptures say, a good tree will bear good fruit, but a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, because that bad tree was bad all along - it's completely dead. A dead tree is dead, it will not bear good fruit. So a person can say they have faith, but they have no works in their life, so then they have a dead faith. Because... the works are evidence that the person is saved to begin with. A person can profess to be a christian but not actually be truly saved. They need to be born of God.
So works are evidence of salvation. They do not save a person. Just as the example given above... Abraham had faith and his obedience was evidence of his faith. Notice the scripture says he believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. He did not obey God in order to be saved, rather his obedience was evidence of his faith. He had true faith!! One who has true faith will obey! As in the James scripture "I will show you my faith by my works" - proof that I have the true faith.
The bible is flawless with no contradictions. James and Paul agree with each other. Here is another scripture. I pasted only one verse to show the relevance....
Galatians 2:16: "........knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified"
Here are more...
Ephesians 2:8-10: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - created for good works. We are saved by grace through faith. Not of works. We become new creatures in Christ (salvation first) and then the good works follow. And God prepared them beforehand.
Matthew 7:15-20: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" - you see, a bad tree will never bear good fruit. It's a dead tree all along. That person is not truly saved. And it says the dead tree will be thrown into hell. This is not a true believer, because the tree was always dead. Dead faith produces nothing. True faith WILL produce.
Matthew 7:21-23: "(judgment day) Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Many on judgment day (dead trees) will stand there boasting about their works. But they had a dead, non existent faith (they were never saved). Their works were of self and they will be called workers of iniquity.
I'm posting this not just for you, but also anyone that may be led astray by your post. But I get sharpened in the process, so an added bonus
James 2:14-24:
"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only"
The contrast is shown here between true faith and dead faith, because both people are claiming to have faith. See, even the demons believe.
A true believer will have works in their life. As the scriptures say, a good tree will bear good fruit, but a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, because that bad tree was bad all along - it's completely dead. A dead tree is dead, it will not bear good fruit. So a person can say they have faith, but they have no works in their life, so then they have a dead faith. Because... the works are evidence that the person is saved to begin with. A person can profess to be a christian but not actually be truly saved. They need to be born of God.
So works are evidence of salvation. They do not save a person. Just as the example given above... Abraham had faith and his obedience was evidence of his faith. Notice the scripture says he believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. He did not obey God in order to be saved, rather his obedience was evidence of his faith. He had true faith!! One who has true faith will obey! As in the James scripture "I will show you my faith by my works" - proof that I have the true faith.
The bible is flawless with no contradictions. James and Paul agree with each other. Here is another scripture. I pasted only one verse to show the relevance....
Galatians 2:16: "........knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified"
Here are more...
Ephesians 2:8-10: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - created for good works. We are saved by grace through faith. Not of works. We become new creatures in Christ (salvation first) and then the good works follow. And God prepared them beforehand.
Matthew 7:15-20: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" - you see, a bad tree will never bear good fruit. It's a dead tree all along. That person is not truly saved. And it says the dead tree will be thrown into hell. This is not a true believer, because the tree was always dead. Dead faith produces nothing. True faith WILL produce.
Matthew 7:21-23: "(judgment day) Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Many on judgment day (dead trees) will stand there boasting about their works. But they had a dead, non existent faith (they were never saved). Their works were of self and they will be called workers of iniquity.
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