James 2:14-26, A verse by verse study

But obedience is still required

There are many other prophecies concerning Christ at his second coming that are yet to be fulfilled.

In this present dispensation of the grace of God, there is no difference between the Jew or Greek. But when this time is done, the Lord will fulfill his covenant with his physical people Israel.

What covenant? One that no longer exists? Why do you think Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed?

What obedience is required? How much? How often? Throughout one's entire life?

Obedience is the outcome of faith. That faith is evidenced in obedience means salvation has already occurred.

Romans 11:
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.

Faith is obedience; real faith works

Faith comes from outside an individual. It comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God. A person doesn't produce their own faith.

And you know this how? What scripture tells you that? The devils know and believe that Jesus is Lord. That’s why they tremble. You can’t tell them anything about Christ that they don’t already know; they know and believe in who He is. They are aware of his power. You think you know more about Christ than they do?

No it doesn't. It comes from within when a person hears the word/spirit, is persuaded it is the truth and believes

Faith
G4102 πίστις pistis (piy'-stis) n.
1. a trust.
2. a firm persuasion, a confidence

What do the demons believe? They believe there is one God. James is answering the question, does faith save? James is not answering the question, will works follow faith?

Verse 14: “If some one says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him?” It’s a rhetorical question; and the answer is “no.”
This is his premise and the rest of the verses in this chapter support and prove this premise.

[/quote} Boom, spot on. If one says he has faith. but he has zero works. his claimed faith can not save him, it (his faith) is dead.

Um no. no place in this passage is this what it says. it says works period. A work is a work is a work. James is saying they are hearers of the word and not doers. They claim a faith. but their faith has no life. hence why they have no works.

lol. There is no such thing as dead faith. You just contradicted your first sentence. that says works are not required to be saved.

A dead faith will never save anyone. James is not attacking people for having real saving faith but not doing the works required. he is telling them to test their own claimed faith to see if it is real or not.

You workers amaze me how you are unable to take focus off yourself and what you do. and keep credit from god who did it all

I wish you had specified the antecedents of this and that but when Paul says a soul must believe Jesus is Lord in order to be saved who YOU think devils believe this and are saved?

I wish you had specified the antecedents of this and that but when Paul says a soul must believe Jesus is Lord in order to be saved who YOU think devils believe this and are saved?[/QUOTE

Absolilutely not! That is the point of James 2:14-26. Every example he uses—Abraham, the demons, Rahab, the body and the spirit—all are used to show (prove) that faith by itself DOES NOT SAVE. The demons are an example of someone who only had faith—without works. The demons believe but obviously they do no works of God. Since he is saying faith without works is dead—that means the demons have a “dead faith!” He is not saying be like the demons!! Really folks, thIS is not hard to understand. James is saying if you try to be saved by faith only —without works of salvation, your faith is just like the faith of demons; they have faith, too, but it’s a dead faith because they do no works of salvation.

Look at the passage as a whole and try to get the main point of what James is saying.

Verse 14: “If some one says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him?” It’s a rhetorical question; and the answer is “no.” This is his premise and the rest of the verses in this chapter support and prove this premise.
Note: the “works” talked about here are works that “save” , works of salvation. “Can works SAVE him?” These are soul saving works, necessary for salvation.

Verses 15-16 - are used as an EXAMPLE. If someone is hungry and cold, you have not helped him if all you do is say be filled and warmed. That doesn’t accomplish anything. That will not suffice,, that is not enough. Thus, therefore, also, in the same way, (verse 17) just having faith alone, without works, will not accomplish salvation. He puts it this way “Faith by itself, if it does not have works , is dead.” Faith without works does not meet the requirements of salvation.

Verse 18: you cannot “see” faith without works; but you can see my faith by the works that accompany my faith.

Verse 19- now he shows the foolishness of having faith apart from works. “Even the DEVILS believe! Demons are BELIEVERS! If just believing “alone” will save you, then the demons will be saved!! They believe so strongly that they tremble! If you believe all you have to do to be saved is believe, how are you any better than the demons? This is his point. You can’t be saved by “faith alone.”

Verse 20- do you not know “oh, foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”

Verse 21- He uses another example—Abraham—to prove his point. Abraham had faith but was justified by his work of obedience when he offered his son as a sacrifice like God told him. That’s when he was saved—not before, when he only had faith and had not offered that sacrifice. “Abraham was justified (saved) by works when he offered Isaac. ..”

Verse 22- HERE IS THE ANSWER TO THIS DEBATE ABOUT FAITH AND WORKS—“ you see that faith was working TOGETHER with his works and by works his faith was made PERFECT!” The answer is it takes BOTH—faith and works Both are necessary for salvation. It’s not one or the other—it’s BOTH!

Verse 23 says Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness (BECAUSE it was accompanied by works).

Verse 24-He confirms that a man is saved (justified) by WORKS—not works alone—and NOT BY FAITH ALONE. Or faith only. The works he is talking about are ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION; and while they are “proof” of salvation their purpose is not for “evidence” but for the saving of the soul.

Verse 25- another example: Rahab. Rehab did not just believe; she was saved ( justified) by her work when she helped the spies. Another example to show how salvation is NOT by faith alone.

Verse 26- the last example of body and spirit. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” This is the message and premise of James 2:14-26. It teaches one thing: The only way to be saved is to have “faith and works together” but faith only will not save anyone.

The “works” that save are the works that God has commanded us to do—like “repentance”. Acts 17:30- it originated with God not man. It is commanded by God. It is a “work of God” John 6:28-29. But if you believe in “faith only” you have eliminated Repentance as being necessary to salvation. You can’t have it both ways! Faith only means only faith and nothing else. It means nothing but faith is necessary to be saved. And you have eliminated “repentance.” Same for “confession”. Romans 10:10 Confession is necessary for salvation but “the doctrine of “faith only “ removes confession as being necessary. Salvation by faith alone makes repentance and confession unnecessary. So you can just forget them because you are already saved by faith alone. The problem is that you are denying what God says and calling Him a liar. Because if we are saved by faith alone then we will NOT be lost if we don’t repent. And if faith alone saves us then we won’t be lost if we don’t confess Christ and God just lied when He said it was for salvation. Romans 10:10.

The only way to harmonize Acts 17:30, Roman’s 10:10 and James 2:14-26 is to reject salvation by faith alone and accept what James 2:22 says— it takes BOTH, faith and works, working together to produce salvation of our souls.

Hebrews 12:15- Be careful lest anyone FALL SHORT of the grace of God.

Verse 14: “If some one says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him?” It’s a rhetorical question; and the answer is “no.” This is his premise and the rest of the verses in this chapter support and prove this premise.

Note: the “works” talked about here are works that “save” , works of salvation. “Can works SAVE him?” These are soul saving works, necessary for salvation.

Verses 15-16 - are used as an EXAMPLE. If someone is hungry and cold, you have not helped him if all you do is say be filled and warmed. That doesn’t accomplish anything. That will not suffice,, that is not enough. Thus, therefore, also, in the same way, (verse 17) just having faith alone, without works, will not accomplish salvation. He puts it this way “Faith by itself, if it does not have works , is dead.” Faith without works does not meet the requirements of salvation.

Verse 18: you cannot “see” faith without works; but you can see my faith by the works that accompany my faith.

Verse 19- now he shows the foolishness of having faith apart from works. “Even the DEVILS believe! Demons are BELIEVERS! If just believing “alone” will save you, then the demons will be saved!! They believe so strongly that they tremble! If you believe all you have to do to be saved is believe, how are you any better than the demons? This is his point. You can’t be saved by “faith alone.”

Verse 20- do you not know “oh, foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”

Verse 21- He uses another example—Abraham—to prove his point. Abraham had faith but was justified by his work of obedience when he offered his son as a sacrifice like God told him. That’s when he was saved—not before, when he only had faith and had not offered that sacrifice. “Abraham was justified (saved) by works when he offered Isaac. ..”

Verse 22- HERE IS THE ANSWER TO THIS DEBATE ABOUT FAITH AND WORKS—“ you see that faith was working TOGETHER with his works and by works his faith was made PERFECT!” The answer is it takes BOTH—faith and works Both are necessary for salvation. It’s not one or the other—it’s BOTH!

Verse 23 says Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness (BECAUSE it was accompanied by works).

Verse 24-He confirms that a man is saved (justified) by WORKS—not works alone—and NOT BY FAITH ALONE. Or faith only. The works he is talking about are ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION; and while they are “proof” of salvation their purpose is not for “evidence” but for the saving of the soul.

Verse 25- another example: Rahab. Rehab did not just believe; she was saved ( justified) by her work when she helped the spies. Another example to show how salvation is NOT by faith alone.

Verse 26- the last example of body and spirit. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” This is the message and premise of James 2:14-26. It teaches one thing: The only way to be saved is to have “faith and works together” but faith only will not save anyone.

The “works” that save are the works that God has commanded us to do—like “repentance”. Acts 17:30- it originated with God not man. It is commanded by God. It is a “work of God” John 6:28-29. But if you believe in “faith only” you have eliminated Repentance as being necessary to salvation. You can’t have it both ways! Faith only means only faith and nothing else. It means nothing but faith is necessary to be saved. And you have eliminated “repentance.” Same for “confession”. Romans 10:10 Confession is necessary for salvation but “the doctrine of “faith only “ removes confession as being necessary. Salvation by faith alone makes repentance and confession unnecessary. So you can just forget them because you are already saved by faith alone. The problem is that you are denying what God says and calling Him a liar. Because if we are saved by faith alone then we will NOT be lost if we don’t repent. And if faith alone saves us then we won’t be lost if we don’t confess Christ and God just lied when He said it was for salvation. Romans 10:10.

The only way to harmonize Acts 17:30, Roman’s 10:10 and James 2:14-26 is to reject salvation by faith alone and accept what James 2:22 says— it takes BOTH, faith and works, working together to produce salvation of our souls.

Hebrews 12:15- Be careful lest anyone FALL SHORT of the grace of God.

where did I lose you? The first sentence in this post is not mine—it is the Holy Spirit’s.. And it is a question—not a statement. The question is asked by the Holy Spirit-about a man who has faith but does not have works. CAN FAITH SAVE HIM?

The answer to this question is “no.” I know this because verse 17 says faith BY ITSELF, without works is dead. And again in Verse 20, FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. That’s a statement of truth, not a question. And I know this also because verse 26 says FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD! GOd says it 3 times. I got it the first time. How many times does God have to say it before you get it??

Are you like the Atheist who UNDERSTANDS Genesis 1:1 that in the beginning was God, but won’t accept it or believe it. Are you pretending to mis-understand it because you won’t accept what He says and believe it? Just wondering why you are having such a hard time understanding plain English.

where did I lose you? The first sentence in this post is not mine—it is the Holy Spirit’s.. And it is a question—not a statement. The question is asked by the Holy Spirit-about a man who has faith but does not have works. CAN FAITH SAVE HIM? The answer to this question is “no.” I know this because verse 17 says faith BY ITSELF, without works is dead. And again in Verse 20, FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. That’s a statement of truth, not a question. And I know this also because verse 26 says FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD! GOd says it 3 times. I got it the first time. How many times does God have to say it before you get it??

Are you like the Atheist who UNDERSTANDS Genesis 1:1 that in the beginning was God, but won’t accept it or believe it. Are you pretending to mis-understand it because you won’t accept what He says and believe it? Just wondering why you are having such a hard time understanding plain English.[/QUOTE

This post was a reply to
this post was a reply to Everlasting Grace. I’m not sure why it posted this way, but very likely I did something wrong. I hope everyone is able to figure it out. Sorry for the confusion.

well here is your first mistake. You did not accurately quote the verse even,

it does not say they have faith. it says they CLAIM to have faith.

Claiming to have faith and having faith are not the same


if you get the first part wrong. the rest of it is wrong also