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I know you said it was about direction. But it seems like you are saying there must also be a measure of success in real life, not just having the correct orientation to God's laws. The question I have for you is, "How much real-life success obeying God's laws is required?" Or, asked another...

Faith/belief/trust is invisible to people because it exists in the mind. But physical actions inspired by faith/belief/trust are visible to people. So that is why James said "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (Jas 2:18). We need to see a person's...

Seyong said, "It doesn't mean that they will live in perfect obedience to it, but it does mean that they will repent if they fail short." I said I agree with that. I guess there is a caveat. God always corrects His children when they go astray (Heb 12). And I take that to mean that He never...

The action (work) that accompanies salvation is "rest". If someone is working for their salvation, their faith is dead.

I think that is what he was saying, but they always repent when they do it. At least that's how I read it. I actually agree with that sentiment. But I don't think good intentions and regret over sin is rewarded. I think it is a feature of Christ living in us and correcting us when we go astray...

I'm not accusing anyone. I'm applying James' statements (which were not about faith that leads to the salvation of peoples' souls) to the kind of faith that leads to salvation. Saving faith has an element of works, as James said about "faith" in general. The work (or action) associated with...

So I take this to mean that the only difference between a sinner who possesses the gift of salvation and a sinner who doesn't is that the first wants to obey God's laws and repents when he fails but the second doesn't. It also appears that the former always repents after sinning. This looks like...

Which one is it? It can't be both. I say the first one is right and the second is wrong. Growing spiritually is about becoming more mature over time, it is not about sinning less or "obeying more fully". I see that you prefer to link spiritual maturity with not sinning as much as before. Fruit...

So you know that the new man is "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24) and that the old man "grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Eph 4:22)? Do you know of any verses that say the new man becomes more righteous and holy over time or that the old man...

If a person rests all his hope on Christ, then he will cease from his works that he previously pursued in order to gain salvation. If James saw a person working hard for his salvation, he might tell them that their actions prove their profession of faith in Christ is dead.

I pretty much agree with what you said here. But I would like to hear more about what you mean by, "Someone can’t possess the gift of salvation from sin while their life is still directed at being a doer of sin." It seems like this saying has buzz-words ("their life is still directed at being a...

I'm not calling God's command to be holy legalism. I'm saying the way he looks at it is legalistic. You may be in the same boat as him. I don't know. Maybe you can address the two points I made about legalism and its proponents, since he does not appear to want to do it. The two points I made...

Thank you for the kind words. You would not believe how long it took for God to deliver me out of legalism or the bumpiness of road I've taken. But now, having been delivered and standing on the other side, I would not trade the experience for anything.

Preaching down to people about the righteous requirements of the law without preaching that the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us because of Jesus (Rom 8:3-4) is one of the flaws of legalism. I know you don't want to address that point. Since holy people like you are not...

There are many different flavors of legalism. But they all have obedience to the law (in some form) as the cornerstone and foundation of salvation. What they all lack is the concept that the new man (which is a creation of God by Spiritual birth) is "truly righteous and holy" (Eph 4:24). In the...

I answered that question in my post. You think those words in James applies to the salvation of our souls. This is what I said about that. The first sentence is sarcasm. The second sentence is a question that you did not answer. Yes, James makes it clear that in order to be saved you must offer...

Thanks for the head's up. Can you link a post where he says he's not a Christian?

You are right. That's what I said too. But we apply the Scripture differently. How does a person who trusts that he is right with God on the basis of Christ's sacrifice for his sins change the object of his faith to something else? It happens (see Galatians 1:6-7). But like Paul, I am puzzeled...

Yes, James makes it clear that in order to be saved you must offer up your firstborn son as a burnt offering to God (Ja 2:21) or you must lie to the authorities concerning the whereabouts of people they are looking for (Ja 2:25) or you must meet the needs of the hungry (Ja 2:15-16). Or have you...

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but...