Claiming Chapter Eleven?
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17 (ESV)
Having to file Chapter Eleven is never a real good thing. The way things are for some of us in these present days, filling that gas tank up, just to get to work, feels as if we are going to exhaust any resources we have. And if we have one of those big trucks, we just might be keeping the papers we need to file Chapter Eleven in our glove boxes just in case our wallets are emptied at the gas pump. The way our national economy is going it would behoove us all to trim back on things and brace for the coming “Economic Armageddon”. On the flip side of this, to claim you are bankrupt, but able to pay off your debt, and all your claim is based on is your own "stick it to them" everyday greed you could be as wrong as someone who does their good deeds without the proper faith based motivation.
If we look at the entirety of James 2:14-26 we can see how real faith shows up in the life of the Christian. However, there has apparently been a sticking point that the smartest of theologians used to (and just may still) stumble over. It is in verse 14 where we read "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him”? Somehow this gets interpreted that there is justification before God by faith PLUS works. (Didn't Martin Luther have a problem with this?) James warned about proclaiming faith without having true faith. It was Paul that warned about adding works to faith.
What we need to keep in mind is that the New Testament teaches that your salvation comes by grace THROUGH faith. AND the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us, because of this, is the same Holy Spirit that guided the pens of both Paul and James. So, why would there be any contradiction to the leading of the Holy Spirit? To ask that question today just raises an eyebrow. But in Luther's time to even ask such a question would have landed you on the rack after spending a lovely afternoon with "The Inquisition." I guarantee they weren't serving you tea and biscuits to go along with “The Rack” back in those days.
In his book, "Blessed Reassurance", John Woodward brings up this point. "Can real faith be isolated from outward words actions? An imaginary objector could say: "You have faith, and I have works.' [James replies] 'Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Notice again the show me emphasis. The only way real faith can be detected by people is if it is manifested in corresponding works." He also adds that, “Saving faith goes beyond this intellectual agreement; it includes repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus”.
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17 (ESV)
Having to file Chapter Eleven is never a real good thing. The way things are for some of us in these present days, filling that gas tank up, just to get to work, feels as if we are going to exhaust any resources we have. And if we have one of those big trucks, we just might be keeping the papers we need to file Chapter Eleven in our glove boxes just in case our wallets are emptied at the gas pump. The way our national economy is going it would behoove us all to trim back on things and brace for the coming “Economic Armageddon”. On the flip side of this, to claim you are bankrupt, but able to pay off your debt, and all your claim is based on is your own "stick it to them" everyday greed you could be as wrong as someone who does their good deeds without the proper faith based motivation.
If we look at the entirety of James 2:14-26 we can see how real faith shows up in the life of the Christian. However, there has apparently been a sticking point that the smartest of theologians used to (and just may still) stumble over. It is in verse 14 where we read "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him”? Somehow this gets interpreted that there is justification before God by faith PLUS works. (Didn't Martin Luther have a problem with this?) James warned about proclaiming faith without having true faith. It was Paul that warned about adding works to faith.
What we need to keep in mind is that the New Testament teaches that your salvation comes by grace THROUGH faith. AND the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us, because of this, is the same Holy Spirit that guided the pens of both Paul and James. So, why would there be any contradiction to the leading of the Holy Spirit? To ask that question today just raises an eyebrow. But in Luther's time to even ask such a question would have landed you on the rack after spending a lovely afternoon with "The Inquisition." I guarantee they weren't serving you tea and biscuits to go along with “The Rack” back in those days.
In his book, "Blessed Reassurance", John Woodward brings up this point. "Can real faith be isolated from outward words actions? An imaginary objector could say: "You have faith, and I have works.' [James replies] 'Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Notice again the show me emphasis. The only way real faith can be detected by people is if it is manifested in corresponding works." He also adds that, “Saving faith goes beyond this intellectual agreement; it includes repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus”.
We can claim a lot of stuff out of our mouths. It is as if sometimes we can just speak things into existence and they become real but it is the backing up of what we say where the rubber meets the road. When it comes to faith we should bear the fruit and not really have it asked for it…ever. Luther considered the Epistle of James as "a letter of straw", and "unworthy of the apostolic Spirit", but I think it has bared much fruit. I consider this Epistle one of you better understand your faith and how to incorporate it into your everyday living or else you will caught with your gas tank empty with no paperwork to file. Pray that you do not bankrupt on your faith. Amen? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a Freedom Fighter contributor
Team YOU: Numbers 17-19; Proverbs 28; Mark 6:30-56
Motivations: “Faith is the root and goods works are the fruit. Christ does the saving: ‘Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works’. (Titus 2:14)”---John B. Woodward.
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 3:14-15; Level 2: Ephesians 3:8-13
Powered Up: It is necessary that in our general prayers for others we should not exclude our enemies. Thomas Aquinas
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