Faith or Works ? by Chad Bates

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" ~James 2:20

Faith vs. Works. Many there have been that have tried their very best to explain away the teachings of our dear brother James. But why I ask? James is presenting no new gospel. Paul taught the necessity of works in the believers life (Titus 3:8), as did Jesus himself (John 15). James here has a very sobering word for us in that faith alone will do no one any good whatsoever! James never once raised faith higher than works or works higher than faith, his message was straight forward; if you have Jesus as Saviour and Lord then you will show forth good works!

One famous verse of scripture that is used to try and disprove works is Ephesians 2:8-9..."For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." But wait just a second, in the following verse we learn that good works are expected from the people of God... "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." I wonder, how then can any religious leader, teacher, preacher or lay-person say that works are unnecessary whenever God's word teaches us differently?

I think one thing that has dampened the teaching of works is the fear that by teaching believers that they are required to live holy, separate and peculiar that many would get the wrong idea and think that salvation is by works. Make no mistake! There is no forgiveness of sins but by the sacrificial work of the Son of God on Calvary, Jesus blood is the only way to be cleansed of your sins! But while presenting this glorious truth let us not forget that God requires his people to be abundant in good works! "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14

We who have repented of our sins and have truly put our trust in Jesus have found that our desires are new (II Corinthians 5:17), no more longing for the pleasures of this world, no longer living for gain in this world but rather a heart purified, longing to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). We as children of the Almighty God are now pilgrims and strangers in this old sin-cursed world (I Peter 2:11). Why do we find it so hard then to swallow the words of Jesus when He so plainly said... "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:..." John 14:21

The way that most "fundamentalist" present the gospel today leaves the hearer thinking that God only requires that they believe in His son Jesus and if they believe that then they can live like Hell and still go to Heaven. Sorry, but if you live like Hell while on earth then Hell will be your home in death! There is a saying that boils my blood and causes me to draw up into an extensive cringe, the saying is this..."Salvation is faith in Jesus, plus nothing minus nothing". Let me say that this is truth but only partial truth. Jesus was very plain when preaching here on earth that faith accompanied with repentance was required in order for one to be forgiven, yet today repentance holiness and lordship have been left out of the gospel message and as a result we are seeing a sea of professing Christians who know only a half gospel and a half gospel is no gospel at all! I do alot of open-air preaching and most people that I talk with are absolutely blind to the fact that God hates sin, they live as though God requires nothing of them. These people claim to be Christians and even say that they attend church regularly. I think Hannah W. Smith put it best when she said..."Can we, for a moment, suppose that the Holy Ghost, Who hates sin in the sinner, is willing to tolerate it in the christian?"

My desire is to see a genuine reformation and revival among God's people, a spiritual sobering that will convict our hearts of this soft, fleshly evangelism. After all that God has done for us in giving us blessed hope through His darling Son. Oh that God's people would bring forth good works for Him!

www.thepathwayofapilgrim.blogspot.com

Amen.

James 2:24

The Holy Spirit convicted me about a year & a half ago about where I was with God, He taught me that it is out of being with God that the doing will come, the most important thing is our relationship with God. Sometimes God just wants us to be with Him, it is in these times that our faith will grow, we will get to know God better. I know over this time my walk with God has strengthened.
My husband & I are at a place where we are waiting for what God would have us do, it would be so much easier if we just went out there & got busy doing, we are better to wait until He reveals His will to us. That does not excuse us from our everyday life, of being open to witnessing & praying for His will for that day & being open to divine appointments.
He has shown us how important it is to be filled with His Holy Spirit. When Jesus walked the earth He only did what He saw the Father doing & Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit! How much more important is it for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit & waiting on Jesus to reveal where He is at work & then join in what He is doing, rather than to start doing something & then expect Jesus to come & join us!!!!!

My interpretation of "works" is obedience, not relic worship, prayer rituals, good deeds, etc.

Very well put my friend, but works is not necessarily ministry, works are much deeper than that, works are the very proof of a life yielded to Christ these works are obedience to the Spirit, seperation from this worlds wicked ways, holiness before a God who expects holiness etc. Certainly witnessing and prayer and Bible study are works as well. As far as waiting on God many times we miss God's will because we are looking so hard for it, sometimes God's will is right in front of us and we can't even see it.

Obedience, Spiritual fruit, sterring clear of sin brother frank

appolus wrote:
Chad writes.......

"My desire is to see a genuine reformation and revival among God's people, a spiritual sobering that will convict our hearts of this soft, fleshly evangelism. After all that God has done for us in giving us blessed hope through His darling Son. Oh that God's people would bring forth good works for Him!"

Well brother , you have come to the right place. Now, to complete your piece you just have to define , in the context of James, what he was talking about when he said "works."......Frank

"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." Acts 26:19,20
This is the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached. Repent; Turn to God; and do Works befitting repentance.
Something else to ponder - Jesus taught us to love our neighbours - how can we express this love, without doing at times, practical works out of a heart of love?

Hi there,

I wanted to reply to ChrisMo and his thoughts on waiting on God. I have been learning the same and I am coming more and more to the realization that so much in Christendom, even and especially in those who pursue holiness and a real walk with God, there is so much religion. There is so much bondage to legalism. Actually, the only thing I can do is to come with empty hands to the Lord and ask Him to be my holiness, my everything.

I have nothing. It is very easy to live in self-ordained and proclaimed works and have a self-rightouesness and a self-imposed cross, but that is the contrary to walking in His yoke. When we walk in the Lords yoke, we will find rest for our souls? A question to all of you: Do you walk in perfect rest and peace and have you ceased from your works to try to please God?

Well, I dont really know if this has something to do with this thread, just, thats what I am learning more and more and maybe someone needs to hear that. Now, yes, I am learning to wait on the Lord. It is painful. It offends pride in us because we want to "do". We want to go and produce and do for God. But the only work that will ever be of pleasure to God is His own work. And all he needs is a humble vessel. So, what should I be doing? What is the first commandemant? Loving God with oll of my heart...and loving my neighbour. I fail terribly at this. Terribly. The Lord has been stripping and stripping from everything I thought I had. If he is not gracious I have no love, holiness, fruit..nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. Without an abiding union with Him I can do a million works but all it will produce is death, legalism, bondage to me and others.

So...let us strive to love God and allow Him to break and mold us and put to death our self so that He can live in and through us and his life might be poured out...

Just some thoughts...

Daniel

Very good thought Daniel- I agree!

Amen Know-Him! You can not do away with God's word and what He's established!!!