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Eric loves to pull out the same scripture again and again to try to prove that John’s confidence in the finished work of Jesus by faith is not actually enough – the only problem is Eric doesn’t seem to know just how many works are considered enough to make his faith live, and because of that he ends up filling his whole life up with the pursuit of good works – but what about your faith Eric?
If faith without works is dead, then we better listen to how Jesus described the work of God we are to do: Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29
This is the reason that the Rich Young ruler went away sad. He came to Jesus & asked Him, “What must I do….?” There is never “enough” in the religious or super spiritual mindset. Religion will always say there’s one more thing you must do, but Jesus wanted to show the man it isn’t in ‘doing’ but ‘following’. It is “grace through faith” & that’s how we begin & finish. We can’t even start without the work already being finished. He said “not one jot or tittle would pass away until it was finished”, & then in John 19 He said “It is FINISHED”! We are freed from the works of the Law to live them by the Spirit? Nope.
The Book or James was actually written to the Jews:
Verse 1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. ”
So it is actually an argument for Grace!
2:18
‘Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ‘
Grace, through Jesus, is the only reason we can ever have a relationship with God. And it's because of this grace and God's influence in our lives that good works (i.e. more than just believing – read Matthew 25 for and 1 Timothy 5:8 for two examples) will naturally happen in our everyday lives.
Of course we can't earn our salvation with works, but our salvation is what leads us to good works automatically, if our faith is God-centred rather than me-centred. And the absence of good works shows something isn't quite on track with our relationship with Him. That's the real context of the passage from James that's discussed in the cartoon. If we love God, we'll also love others.
Good one, Mick!
that's the verse that actually started me on the path to grace…^_^
Got to love the path to grace