Works of faith have a completely different measure of compliance:
(1) The works of faith are based on faith in God and in His promises; whereas works of the Law and works of righteousness are based on faith in ourselves and our ability to perform. (Luke 18: 9) Arguing against or seeking to diminish a command of God is a sure indication of faith in self and your understanding.
We are not saved by works of faith (works which are produced out of faith) but by faith in Christ. The works which follow are the fruit and NOT the root of salvation. You cannot dissect good works/works of righteousness from the MORAL aspect of the Law (Matthew 22:37-40).
(2) Works of faith are motivated by love for God. (John 14: 15) We love because He first loves us.
Amen!
Works of the Law are usually motivated by fear of punishment. Works of righteousness are usually motivated by self-aggrandizement.
Seeking salvation by works (regardless of whether it's the moral aspect of the Law or the entire Law) is motivated by pride, self righteousness and fear of punishment. I often hear Campbellites say we are not saved by works of the law, but by works of obedience, which is a distinction without a difference because works of obedience fall under the MORAL aspect of the Law. Your saved by "these" works and just not "those" works argument is bogus.
(3) Works of faith rest upon hope derived from the resurrection of Christ. This hope gives perseverance and continuance in observing all the things commanded by God.
Observing all the things commanded by God (after we have been saved through faith) is what we are saved FOR and NOT BY (Ephesians 2:10).
(4) Our faith works with our works of faith to perfect our faith; we are saved by a perfected faith (James 2: 22- 24),
That's just your sugar coated version of salvation by faith + works. So according to your faulty human logic, Abraham remained lost in his sins when he believed God in Genesis 15:6 (when his faith was accounted to him for righteousness) and he was not actually saved until many years later, after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.
*In James 2:21, notice closely that James
does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God's accounting Abraham as righteous. The accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6,
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to save his soul, but it
proved or manifested the genuineness of his faith. This is the sense in which Abraham was justified by works. He was
shown to be righteous.
In James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete, just like love in 1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on the merits of his works in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
In James 2:23, the scripture was fulfilled in vindicating or demonstrating that Abraham believed God and was accounted as righteous. Abraham was
accounted as righteous based on his faith (Genesis 15:6) not his works (Romans 4:2-3) long before he offered up Isaac on the alter and demonstrated the reality of his faith in Genesis 22.
In James 2:24, James is not using the word "justified" here to mean "accounted as righteous" but is "shown to be righteous." James is discussing the
proof of faith (
says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18),
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God (Romans 4:2-3). Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.
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
God is said to have been
justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 7:29). This act pronounced or declared God to be righteous. It did not make him righteous. The basis or ground for the pronouncement was the fact that God IS righteous. 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".
Matthew 11:19 "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."
a loving obedient faith. (Gal. 5: 6; Heb. 5: 9; Rom. 5: 1) Works of the Law and righteousness are about self- approval.
Faith results in producing obedience, yet we are saved through faith and not by obedience/works which follow. Believers obey Christ BECAUSE we are saved and not to become saved. You confuse descriptive passages of scripture with prescriptive passages of scripture and you also put the cart before the horse as you continue to promote your "works based" false gospel.
Since God alone knows the heart of man, it behooves us to use great care.
God bless
Yes, God does know the heart of man and God truly knows who is trusting in Christ as the all sufficient means of their salvation and who is also trusting in works for salvation. Our words reveal the state of our hearts on this matter.