Grace Saves, Faith Receives, Christ Secures
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Then tell me how. I'll ask you one question, are you ever wrong about Scripture?Oh, the irony.
Nice oxymoron.
Show me the evidence for your conclusion
All of us have been wrong about something in Scripture. Which of us have NEVER been wrong about anything in Scripture?
What did I tell you? ALL of us have been wrong about something in Scripture at one time or another, including myself.
Faith (rightly understood) in Jesus Christ "alone" saves. (Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9) Not to be confused with an empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" barren of works. (James 2:14)
Again you didn't answer the question. I do like "(rightly understood)" which means the way you understand it. Lol. If faith alone was sufficient it wouldn't need completion. You either understand what sufficient means of you don't. There's nothing wrong with saying you don't.
I can see that you do not understand. "Rightly understood" clarifies that its faith which trusts in Jesus Christ "alone" for salvation saves, which is not to be confused with an empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" barren of works. (James 2:14)
Its not about just the way I personally understand it but the way all believers (including myself) who trust in Jesus Christ "alone" for salvation understand it.
Good grief! You respond to things I never said yet I'm supposed to believe you have a "right" understanding of Scripture? Yes Jesus alone save. That's not what I'm talking about. If you insist on using the world "alone" you should at least know what sufficient means but it's obvious there are holes.in your "right" understanding.
I see it different than you and you can't engage in a discussion. I asked you if you know what sufficient means. You still haven't answered. You folks rarely do answer questions because it seems like you've been programmed what to say. You folks also never show evidence that your understanding of Scripture is authoritative yet you have determined I'm the one that doesn't understand.You still don't understand.
Sufficient simply means enough, adequate. You folks? Back to US vs. THEM? What makes an understanding of Scripture authorative to you? There is more to understanding Scripture than simply paper, ink and human intelligence. (1 Corinthians 2:11-14)
Finally!!! Thank you. So if faith alone is enough/adequate (sufficient) why would faith need completion? If faith needs completion as James says, then by itself faith can't be enough/adequate(sufficient)
Faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation is sufficient to save because the OBJECT of our faith (Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption) is sufficient to save us. (Romans 3:24-26) But apparently not sufficient for you which explains why you turn to supplements. You seem to believe completion means completion in finally being able to save. You misunderstood James 2:22.
In James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It does not mean that Abraham was finally saved based on merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he fulfilled (vs. 23) the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
In James 2:21, notice closely that James does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God accounting Abraham as righteous. The accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6, (also see Romans 4:2-3) 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 account him as righteous, but it showed or manifested the genuineness of his faith. (James 2:18) That is the "sense" in which Abraham was "justified by works." (James 2:21) He was shown to be righteous.
So according to your misunderstanding about completion, Abraham would have remained a lost man in Genesis 15:6 when he believed in the Lord and it was credited to him for righteousness, until many years later, after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.
*HERMENEUTICS*
You want it to mean to maturity but that's not what scripture says. That what you want Scripture to say but Scripture says faith is made complete by faith if it needs completion then by definition not cannot be enough/adequate (sufficient)
So, Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:2-6 are a lie according to your understanding of complete. The Greek word for complete in James 2:22 is derived from the root teleioō. It signifies bringing something to its intended end, maturity, or completion. In this context, it describes how works bring faith to its full, mature, or intended goal.
Which means faith without works or faith alone is not sufficient. Goodness gracious some people just refuse to think