Faith without works is dead,and a person is justified by works,and not faith alone,after we receive the Spirit.
James use of "faith without works" was about a church professing faith in God's Providence to the deparing poor that He would provide for the poor that were departing from the church after service without the church meeting any of the immediate needs of the poor from the bounty collected at church. This was never about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation because that is without works. Faith in God's Providence was what James was talking about; not faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. It is in the eyes of the poor that the church's faith in God's Providence was dead which is why the church's faith in God's Providence will not "profit" the poor nor "save" the poor when the church fails to lead by example.
Both Paul & James share the right hand of fellowship & the same concern for the poor.
Galatians 2:[SUP]9 [/SUP]And when
James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, t
hey gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.[SUP]10 [/SUP]Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
To have the right hands of fellowship, they had to speak the same thing and hold to the same judgment and the same gospel as Paul testified in the prior chapter of that same epistle to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:[SUP]6 [/SUP]I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:[SUP] 7 [/SUP]Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.[SUP] 8 [/SUP]But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.[SUP]9 [/SUP]As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
And even to the Corinthians...
1 Corinthians 1:[SUP]9 [/SUP]God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.[SUP]10 [/SUP]Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
So when Paul said this about Abraham's justification was NOT by works but by believing in Him....
Romans 4:1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?[SUP] 2 [/SUP]For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.[SUP] 3 [/SUP]For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.[SUP] 4 [/SUP]Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.[SUP] 5 [/SUP]But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.[SUP] 6 [/SUP]Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,[SUP] 7 [/SUP]Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.[SUP] 8 [/SUP]Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Look at what Paul had written earlier...
Romans 3:[SUP]26 [/SUP]To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.[SUP] 27 [/SUP]Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.[SUP]28 [/SUP]Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
So James was not talking about faith in Jesus Christ for salvation as needing works to follow for justification. James was addressing the church abuse and neglect of the poor by their using the verbalization of their faith in God's Providence in getting out of helping the poor. James reference to Abraham and Issac was a reference to the famous story of God's Providence in how Abraham had faith in God to provide a sacrifice for the altar to spare his son, Isaac. The name of that place is signifying that godly lesson... Jehovah Jireh... the Lord provides.... so James was talking about Abraham's faith in God's Providence to address the specific abuse & neglect of the poor by the church telling the poor to have faith in God to provide by saying "be warmed and be filled.." as if by voicing their faith in His Providence to the departing poor, it will happen so that the church will be excused from helping the poor from the bounty collected after church service.
Paul clears the air again in Titus...separating works that follow has nothing to do with salvation, but it is profitable unto men that do them in maintaining good works.
Titus 3:
[SUP]4 [/SUP]But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,[SUP]
5 [/SUP]
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;[SUP] 6 [/SUP]Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;[SUP] 7 [/SUP]That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.[SUP]8 [/SUP]This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
I know that believers are "programmed" into reading James only one way and not taking in context of what that kind of faith James was addressing in rebuking the church for doing to the poor... but I leave it to God to cause the increase as Paul's writings makes it clear for him to have that right hand of fellowship with James that faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is without works.... even without the works that follow after salvation.
Think about it. You preach to a sinner dying about the Good News in Christ.. and he believes but dies soon after. Where is his work that followed him for justification? So then it is by believing in Him is how anyone is justified.
Those who contend that faith without works in the Book of James also applies to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, cannot explain away what Paul had clearly refuted for any believer to be applying James' faith without works towards salvation when James was only addressing the abuse by the church in their profession of faith in God's Providence to the poor in getting out of helping the poor.
Sorry for going off topic, but you are right in that we are not controlled by the Holy Spirit to such a point that we lose self control...for the reason we are warned not to quench the Spirit ( 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ), and the spirits of the prophet are subject to the prophets ( 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 ), meaning no loss of self control which happens to be one of the fruits of the Spirit called temperance ( Galatians 5:22-23 ). That is why we are "led" by the Spirit rather than "controlled" by the Spirit for which we shall be held accountable for what we sow towards... the works of the flesh or the fruits of the Spirit... and applying faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd to help us lay aside every weight & sin in running that race ( Hebrews 12:1-2 ) and finishing His work in us ( Philippians 1:6-11 ) is how the just shall live by faith in sowing to the fruits of the Spirit & not doing His work by the deeds of the law ( Galatians 2:19-21 & Galatians 5:1 & 5 KJV ).
[video=youtube;_rR_Rdb1CTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR_Rdb1CTE[/video]