Alright on this episode of the sword of the spirit podcast understanding James 2 starts in 60 seconds
I
How's it going everybody
sword of the spirit podcast
this
Is
episode
50 it's gonna be a fun show tonight as I titled it
Understanding James 2 this is probably the most
commonly twisted
chapter in the Bible used to teach a works-based salvation
You know, there's no more basic
Doctrine in the Christian faith then salvation by grace through faith alone. That's what you have to believe to go to heaven and
Yet since we are living in the falling away in my opinion, it's attacked right there are people out there who deny
Salvation by grace through faith alone. There are people out there who deny the gospel of Jesus Christ and their minds evidently the death
Burial and resurrection of Christ wasn't enough
To save them and so they feel like they have to add their own works into the mix
They'll go to James 2 oftentimes to try and prove this doctrine if you go soul-winning
the most commonly twisted verse in James 2 that you'll hear is
Faith without works is dead
People will repeat this ad nauseum. Of course, they don't know what it means, but they'll regurgitate this verse
Taking it completely out of context well faith without works is dead
you can't just live however you want after you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
Expect to go to heaven. It's because they don't understand James chapter 2
There are a lot of false teachings about this chapter
There are those who would say that this chapter is teaching that once you believe the works come
Automatically and so that's how Paul and James can be reconciled that their writings can be reconciled
Because James 2 is trying to say that once you believe the works come
Afterward and if those works never actually manifest themselves, then you were never saved to begin with total garbage
That's a false doctrine. That's not what James 2 is trying to articulate whatsoever
So the purpose of this podcast is to clear the air on this chapter for those of you who are a little confused on
What it's trying to teach. I know for me personally when I read through the Bible the first time I
Was confused on what James 2 was trying to teach
Now I was kind of like I know
salvation's by grace through faith and I know it's not of works I just finished reading verse after verse after verse about how it's by
Faith alone and one saved always saved and all those great passages about salvation
By the time you get to the book of James, you've read them all in
Galatians and in Romans and in the book of John and yet when I got to James 2 it
Confounded me for a long time. I wasn't quite understanding what it was teaching
But after doing some study listening to sermons and diving into the scriptures myself. I realized, you know what this chapter is
Teaching and you know, it just makes perfect sense after doing the study and ended up making perfect sense. So
I'm really excited to just sort of dive into this here before I do
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Well, let's dive into this here James chapter 2. What is James chapter 2 trying to teach?
Well, first of all, I think we have to understand the premise which is that no one goes to heaven based on their works
Okay, the Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 3 verse 8 yet doubtless
Yea, doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
My Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them
But dumb that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law
But that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Philippians chapter 3
Verse 9 is one of the clearest verses in the Bible describing the imputed righteousness of Christ on the believer
When the individual chooses through their own agency to believe on Jesus and accept the gospel then at that point
Christ's righteousness is imputed on that individual and the thing is the Bible
Tells us over and over again that salvation is by faith Romans chapter 4 says but to him that worketh not
But believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness
Even as David also described it the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works
Titus chapter 3 verse 5 says not by works of righteousness, which we have done but according to his mercy
He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. It also says in the book of Titus
It says and being justified by his that being justified by his grace
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life
Galatians chapter number. Let me go here Galatians chapter number
2 it says in verse 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law
but by
the faith of Jesus Christ
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law
For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified
It doesn't get any more clear than that verse 21 in this chapter says
I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain
There would have been no reason for Jesus to die on the cross
for the death barrow and resurrection of Jesus if
Salvation were by works if righteousness could be attained by the works of the law by following God's commandments
Then Christ died in vain
Those are some very powerful words there in
The book of Galatians John chapter 3, of course the most famous verse in the Bible John 3 16 for God
So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have
Everlasting life for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but the world through him might be saved
Bible also says he that believeth on him is not condemned
But he that believeth not is
Condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God John 3 36 says he that believeth on
The Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life
But the wrath of God abideth on him do I have to keep going John chapter 6 verse 47 he that believeth on me
Hath everlasting life Jesus Christ says John chapter 10 verse 28 and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand verse after verse scripture after scripture I can go I can go on all night
Bible couldn't be more clear that
Salvation is a completely free gift Ephesians 2 for by grace are he saved through faith and that not of yourselves
It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and then of course, you know, Romans 6 23
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our look at me we go on and on here folks
Okay, but at the end of the day, it's got to be either faith or works. It can't be both
Romans 11 says and if by grace then is it no more of works?
Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace
Otherwise work is no more work, right? So it's got to be either works or faith
It can't be both. You can't mix the two together
Otherwise according to Romans chapter 4 verse 14, then your faith is made void and the promise is made of none effect
So
That's all I wanted. I just want to start off with that
You know this idea that James 2 would teach a works based salvation would be a complete
Contradiction when you look at the rest of the Bible and there's scores of scriptures
But let's dive into now what James 2 is actually trying to teach us with that in mind spiritual salvation grace through faith alone
What could James to be trying to teach when it says that Abraham was justified by works when it says?
Seemingly that salvation is by works. Well, how does that make sense? What's it talking about?
Let's look into it James 2 verse 10 for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point
He's guilty of all
So I want to start there because a lot of people who would try and twist James to to teach what it's not teaching
would ignore verse number 10 and they would
Basically pretend that doesn't exist when verse number 10 would completely debunk the lordship salvation crowd
It says that if you keep the whole law but offended just one point
You're guilty of all now
this is not saying all sin is equal a lot of people misunderstand this verse and try and teach a
very
Low IQ doctrine that says all sin is equal
Well, no, that's false
what it is saying is that if you offend in just one point you're just as guilty as
Someone who doesn't follow God's law at all. It doesn't matter how many commandments you think you're following
You'll never measure up to the perfect standard by which you will be judged at the Great White Throne
Judgment if you reject the gospel of Christ, but rather attempt to justify yourself by your own works. Why well
Like I just said it's impossible
You can't meet that standard the Bible tells us that
There's not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not
Second Chronicles 6 36 says for there is no man which sinneth not
Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and
Of course James 2 10 tells us that if you just defend in one point
Even if you're doing a great job in other areas, well, you know what you're guilty of all, right?
So
Let's keep going verse 11 for he that said do not commit adultery said also do not kill
Now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the law
So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of Liberty
so look
Bible says in fact, it was God who said do not commit adultery. Do not kill
Now if you're not committing adultery, but you are killing then you're still a transgressor of the law
You still deserve to go to hell you could follow 99% of the law
But if you're not following 1% of it you deserve to go to hell
Right unless you're following the law perfectly unless you're a perfect person. You would deserve hellfire
Okay
Now the thing is verse number 12 now we start to switch gears a little bit
It says so speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of Liberty
Would be the Word of God
okay, and so we ought to act and behave in such a way as
Those who one day will be judged by this Bible. In fact, we're judged by this Bible every day of our lives
God judges us our behavior on this earth
Based on what his law says just because you're saved and you're gonna go to heaven when you die you have eternal life
Doesn't mean that you can go live however you want
I'll get to more of that a little bit later on in the sense that you're not gonna lose your salvation
Obviously, but God will judge us here on this earth and punish us here in this life if we rebel against his commandments
Verse 12 says as they that shall be judged by the law of Liberty
The question is what happens when you're judged by the law of Liberty like what I just told you
You get chastened here on this earth 1st Corinthians 11 says but when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord
So there you go
clearly the context here before we get into the meat and potatoes if you will on James to the portion of the chapter that's
twisted contorted by heretics we can clearly see the context is
The chastening of the Lord on this earth that it's talking about those
Who are should say it's talking about saved people
All right
That's actually something that I needed to point out earlier that James 2 is talking to the saved
It says in verse number 1 my brethren James chapter
Number 1 verse 2 says my brethren count it not all joy or should say counted all joy when he fall into diverse
temptations
Okay, James chapter 3 my brethren is where it starts out there as well
So you have my brethren my brethren my brethren over and over again this is
Written to the saved. All right, and the context like I said before we get into the main portion that's twisted is
That we need to act we need to behave
We need to speak as those are gonna be judged by the law of Liberty
And of course when you compare scripture with scripture Bible tells us 1st Corinthians 11 that when we are judged were
Chastened and of course that chastening is a physical chastening. It's a punishment here on
This planet verse number 13
For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy and mercy rejoiceth against
judgment
so the thing is is that
We're gonna be judged harshly if we don't show mercy towards others. I mean you think about this if
God chose to not be long-suffering with me and
To not show any mercy toward me then he would just kill me right now
I would just die on this broadcast live on the broadcast right here and right now
but
Because of the fact that he showed mercy toward me
I'm still alive right now. Okay as a sinner and
Since God chose to show that kind of mercy toward me
It's my responsibility to show mercy toward other and not just toward others and not just
You know get angry with them
Quickly and just snap quickly at everybody who messes up but rather to forgive
Verse 14. What does it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him?
This might seem like it's confusing if you understand salvation is by faith went over that already tons of scriptures
what is this trying to teach because
It seems to be indicating that faith cannot save the individual who has faith but doesn't have works and
I will submit to you that the answer to this question can faith save him the answer to this question is no faith cannot save
the individual
Who has faith but does not have works?
Now the thing is though you have to understand what that word save is talking about
Remember that James chapter 2 is written to the saved
It's not teaching people how to get saved and go to heaven
So when you read this chapter when you read this book
You have to remove spiritual salvation out of your mind completely. That's the only way you're gonna understand it
completely remove
Spiritual salvation from your head when you're looking at James chapter 2 just forget about it
We've already established the fact that salvation is by faith when it comes to going to heaven
So what it says can faith save him the answer is no, but it's not talking about
Spiritual salvation it's talking about a physical salvation. It's talking about that if you have
Faith, but you don't have works
Then that faith is not gonna save you from the chastening of the Lord
Physically on this earth in this life remember the context just a few verses ago
It talked about how we should behave in a way
I should say that we should behave as those and speak as those
Who are judged or going to be judged by the law of Liberty 1st Corinthians 11 told us that when we're judged were
Chastened so we have faith, but no works
Then that's not gonna save us from the chastening on this earth again remove spiritual salvation
From the equation when you're reading James chapter 2 and it'll really help you out
because I tell you what a lot of people go into this and they're thinking that this is teaching people how to go to heaven and
That's how they get confused. They're like what the hell's going on here. I
Just read John 3 16. I just read Romans chapter 4. I just read all these other scriptures Galatians 2
How's this what what's going on is there a contradiction the Bible and of course the atheists
They'll point to James and Paul and say oh they contradict each other the thing is they don't have the Holy Spirit
So they're not under they're not able to compare spiritual with spiritual. So what looks like a contradiction to the unsaved eye
Is really not and and even to the saved eye
If that even the saved eye that's kind of a wacky term, but anyway
What might appear to be a contradiction even to the saved is really not right there might be something that?
Stumps you in the Bible that is seemingly a contradiction but every time you actually study that out
you'll realize it's not actually contradiction at all and
Paul's writings and James writings is another example of that
So faith alone cannot save a man from the chastening of the Lord Hebrews chapter 12 says in verse number 6 for whom the Lord loveth
He chasteneth and scourges every son whom he receiveth
Hey
just because you're eternally secure doesn't give you a license to go out and
Live a wicked life because if you choose to do that God's gonna punish you here on this earth
Just like a father would punish his children
Now you say Ben. I don't believe you that can faith save him is talking about
chastening or the salvation of the flesh
Every time the word save is used in the Bible. It's always about spiritual salvation. Okay
Well acts chapter number 27 in verse 30
This is Paul as he's on his way to Rome and he ends up sailing into a storm and the sea is raging
there's some
tumultuous waves
Says in verse 30 and as the shipment were about to flee out of the ship
When he had led when he had let down the boat into the sea under
Color as though they would have cast anchors out of the ship Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers
Except these abide in the ship you cannot be saved
Now is Paul doing some evangelism here is he trying to give him the gospel
No, okay. What he's talking about is the flesh
Okay, they're in the middle of a storm and he's referring to the fact that except these abide in the ship
Okay, but he was saying there is that you cannot be saved physically
Because of the situation they were in in the midst of a storm
All right. So that's an example in Scripture
of
the word saved not referring to
spiritual salvation going to heaven
Matthew 24 is another example this it says and because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold
But he that shall endure into the end
the same
shall be
saved
Again, the Pentecostals will go here a lot to try and teach that you have to endure to the end
But Matthew 24 if you keep reading which I will do that for you
Let me go to it real quickly here
Matthew chapter number 24 if you keep reading that it actually tells us
Explicitly that it's talking about the flesh
Because it says
That except those days should be shortened talking about the Great Tribulation
For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no
Nor ever nor nor ever shall be and then it says and except those days should be shortened
There should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days
Shall be shortened. So that's proof that the salvation it's talking about a verse number 13 is
The salvation of the flesh so we see a biblical precedent for that interpretation of
James chapter 2 verse 14
But let's keep reading because I don't want to take all night here. So let me go to James
let me go back to
James chapter 2 and
It says in verse 16 if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food that's verse 15 rather
Here's verse 16 and one of you saying to them depart in peace be he warmed and filled notwithstanding
You give them not those things which are needful to the body
What does it profit? So if you have a brother or sister who is in dire straits physically and
You don't actually help them. They're naked and you don't clothe them. They're starving. You don't give them any food
You just say be warmed and filled you pay lip service to them then
That's not profitable. It's not profitable for them you think about this in terms of salvation
When you go knocking doors and all you do is leave a tract on the door
What does it profit? You're basically saying be you warmed and filled. You're not actually
Profiting them and getting them saved. So that's sort of a spiritual application to this verse
But obviously the carnal application is help out a brother or sister in need
Just saying well, I'm good luck. Hope you figure it out. That's not really gonna help them
verse 17 says even so
Faith if it hath not works as dead being alone
so we see a comparison to somebody who
Says be warmed and filled to brethren in need to a brother or sister in need and yet doesn't actually do something
You're not profiting them in the same way if you have faith, but you don't have works
That's not gonna profit other people and it's certainly not gonna be profitable
period
It's not gonna be profitable period you're not gonna earn rewards in heaven. You're not gonna earn blessings in this life
When you have no works
coupled with your faith
Now this is not teaching
Faith without works doesn't exist
That's what you have to understand. All right, because if faith without works doesn't exist this
Verse is nonsensical
Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone
So this presupposes that the concept of faith without works
exists
Okay, you see what I'm saying?
Think about it this way if you had a cell phone that was dead if the battery was dead
That cell phone would not be profitable for you to make phone calls with or to make text messages text messages with
However, it still exists the cell phone still exists
It's just not profitable same way as your faith if you have faith with no works
It's not profitable but the faith still exists and you will still go to heaven with a dead faith
So
Let's keep going here James chapter 2
Yeah, I mean may say thou has faith and I have work show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith
By my works, so it's possible for you to show your faith
By your works, okay
And I think in terms of salvation the best example I could give is of course the Bible tells us in Romans chapter 1
Further in is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith that is as it is written that just shall live by faith
Salvation itself is
Faith to faith meaning that only a safe person can get another person saved. I
Am showing my faith when I go out solely
I'm showing my faith by my works when I get another person saved
Because the work of giving the gospel to another individual and
Helping them call on the name of the Lord
Is a way in which I display outwardly
my salvation
So that's sort of the application I would take to verse number team
All right
Let's look at verse 19 thou believeth that there's one God thou doest well the devil's also believe in tremble
See it says right there. You have to have works or you're not gonna go to heaven
The devil's also believe right? No, that's stupid
It doesn't say the devil's trust in the gospel for salvation and then they still tremble
Jesus didn't die for Devils. It's not even talking about the gospel here. It says thou believeth there's one
God the devil's believe that too yet. They still tremble. What's this trying to articulate?
Well, here's the thing if you have good doctrine, but you don't have works
Coupled with that God's still gonna judge you the devil's are capable of believing right doctrine. The devil's believe there's one God
But they still tremble at the prospect of being judged by the Lord
Okay, so the same thing can be true for us in the sense that hey we can believe that there's one God
Obviously if you're saved you believe that
You have right doctrine
But if you don't have works coupled with that right doctrine
You're still gonna be judged on this earth, okay, I could believe the poster of pre-wrath rapture all I want
I could believe in replacement theology all I want and certainly when it comes to essential doctrines
Like the fact that there's only one God I can believe that all I want and yes, those things are important
Obviously very very very important
But James 2 is admonishing us to have works as well
so if I believe right doctrines like that, there's only one God which is a
fundamental as you can get
But I don't have works as well. I'll face the consequences for that here on this earth again
The devil's believe there's one God yet. They tremble I ought to tremble as well if I don't have good works
coupled with
some good doctrine
So, I mean that's all it's really saying. Okay, it's not that hard to understand that
Believes that there's one God thou doest well
Congratulations, you believe good doctrine the devil's also believe in tremble
Just because you believe good doctrine doesn't mean there aren't going to be consequences for you in this life
if you choose
to live a wicked life
But of course it repeats it in verse 20. It says but wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead
Alright, so if you have a dead faith
Like I already talked about not profitable. You can't be a friend of God, which it talks about a little bit later on verse 21
Was not Abraham our father
Justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar
Seeing thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled
Which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God
Now a lot of people when they read this passage
They'll skip over the last portion of verse 23 and he was called the friend of God
You have to understand here that what this is talking about is
Abraham being a friend of God if you have no works matched with your faith
You can't be a friend of God. You have to obey God to be his friend
More on that in a little bit
Abraham
Justified by works now
What have I already talked about here on this podcast and if you're just joining me tonight obviously from the title
of the podcast you can tell I'm talking about James to
understanding James to and if you want to understand James to get
Spiritual salvation out of your mind when you read this chapter because that's not what it's about
Get it out of your head
Physical we're talking to the save he starts off my brethren James 1 says my brethren my brethren my brethren
We're talking to the saved
So Abraham justified by works to go to heaven no, he wasn't justified by works to go to heaven
But he was a friend of God
King Jehoshaphat himself refers to Abraham as a friend of God because he was a righteous man because he had faith
And he had works
It says in
In
Second Chronicles chapter
number 20 in verse 7 art not thou our God who didst drive out the
inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel
This is Josh about praying to the Lord and gave us it to the seed of Abraham thy friend
forever
So Abraham known as God's friend in the Old Testament
Jehoshaphat refers to him as such when he prays to the Lord
God calls him his friend in Isaiah chapter 41 says in verse 8
But thou Israel art my servant Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham
My friend so with that in mind
Let's now understand verse 21 of James chapter 2 which is was not Abraham our father
Justified by works. We had offered Isaac his son
Upon the altar. He was justified by works in the sense that he was God's friend
Okay, if you want to be a friend of God
Then you must add works to your faith your faith. So again
Abraham was justified by works not to go to heaven
not for spiritual salvation
but rather Abraham was justified by works to be God's friend and
The scripture was fulfilled which said Abraham believed God
It was kind of different righteousness and he was called the friend of God. He was justified by works to be God's friend
Not every saved Christian is the friend of God. Jesus Christ himself said you are this is John 15 verse 14
ye are my friends if
You do whatsoever. I command you if you do
the commandments of the Lord
Then you'll be God's friend. You're not just automatically his friend just because you got saved
And that should be an admonition to you
Don't be a backslidden Christian, you know, most of the people that get saved out sowning when you go door to door
They're not God's friend because they never actually do anything
They just accept the gospel they get saved they do no works
They just sit at home play video games all day sit on their hands eat
Doritos
Okay, watch TV listen to music
Go to work come home and repeat the cycle over and over again until the day they die
Never step foot in church a lot of them do
Or if they do they go to some lame community church
Not God's friends. You want to be God's friend. You got to get plugged into a local independent Baptist Church
Now the thing is if Abraham were justified by works
Romans chapter 4 tells us for a favor hammer just fiber works. He had to work to glory but not before God
so Romans chapter 4 is telling you that if James 2
Was referring to a spiritual salvation?
Then
That would be impossible
Because he would be justified but not before God
Romans chapter 4 verse 2 and James 2 21 fit together like a glove. There's no contradiction
Why because one's spiritual one's physical?
James 2 is talking about somebody's already saved and
Admonishing that person to add works to their face. It could be profitable and be a friend of God Romans 4 is
Talking about spiritual salvation. Okay, there's a difference
Another thing to keep in mind as well, which I think obliterates the idea that James 2 is talking about spiritual salvation
Just totally destroys it
Is you have to look at when Abraham even got saved himself
He didn't get saved when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar
That's not when he got saved. He got saved way before that
That happened in Genesis chapter 22
Guess when Abraham got saved Genesis 12
verse 8 and he removed from thence unto a mountain under the east of Bethel and pitched his tent having Bethel on the west and
hai on the east and there he builded an altar under the Lord and
Called upon the name of the Lord now
What do you have to do to be saved?
Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
Abraham did that in Genesis chapter 12 verse 8. I think that's when he got saved personally
That's my opinion. I believe he got saved in Genesis chapter 12
So if he got saved all the way well
Move my got a little excited there and hit my mic
If he got saved all the way in Genesis chapter 12
Are you hearing this? I?
Have a studio audience here if if Abraham got saved all the way back in Genesis chapter 12 and
yet
He offers up Isaac in Genesis chapter 22
How could you sit there and say he got saved in Genesis 22 doesn't make any sense that is proof right there that the
Justification James 2 was talking about which it says happened after you offered Isaac a son upon the altar was not spiritual
Verse number 24. It says ye see then how
That by works a man is justified and not by faith only
Well, how is a man justified by works if he wants to be a friend of God?
That word how very important you see then how that a man is justified. Well, how is that? How's a man justified by works?
If he wants to be God's friend
Just like Jesus said in John in John
15
verse 25 likewise also
Was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out
Another way if you remember this story Joshua chapter 6
Rahab hid the messengers who had spied out Jericho and in verse 17, Joshua 6 17
It says in the city shall be accursed even it and all that are therein to the Lord only Rahab the harlot shall live
She and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent so Rahab was
allowed to live because she hid the messengers
Now James 2 is telling us that she was justified by works when she received the messengers. Is that when she got saved?
No, she had already been saved
Spiritually take that out of your head when you're talking about this chapter when you're reading this chapter
What this is telling us is that Rahab was justified by works in the sense that?
Her flesh was spared
from destruction
She got to dwell in peace in Israel
Because she took those messengers and it was her works that justified her
in
The sense that she wasn't killed
All right
and again, just because
You are saved and you're gonna go to go to go to heaven doesn't mean that God
Can't kill you if he wants to look at Ananias and Sapphira
Acts chapter 5 they died because they lied to the Holy Ghost drop dead just like that
So Rahab her flesh was spared from the men of Israel
That's what it says there
I believe what it's teaching rather in James 2 25
It says verse 26 for as the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead
Also, if you remember the analogy I gave earlier
That I thought that this phrase faith without works is dead was analogous to a dead cell phone
but we see the Bible making a very similar analogy as well as
a body
Is dead without the spirit faith without works is dead in the same way now that body still exists
It's still laying on the ground. It's just not moving around. It's not useful
Think of a dead vehicle where the engine is blown and it's not working anymore
And the vehicle still exists folks
It's just you can't drive it anywhere, right?
the Bible talks about being a vessel unto honor and
Being fit for the Masters use
I'm not satisfied with just
Yeah, I believe the gospel and I'm just gonna go on and live
You know to feed the flesh and
We shouldn't be satisfied with that
Because if that's all you ever end up being you will not be used of God
Bible tells us in John chapter 15 that God can purge us so we can bring forth more fruits
We can go on and get people saved
And if you want to be used mightily of the Lord, you have to add works to your faith
Yes, we emphasize greatly that works are not necessary to go to heaven
But once you actually accept the gospel and you have the Holy Spirit inside you then works are extremely important
If you want to be used of the Lord if you want to earn blessings you don't be chastened and
That's what James 2 is all about folks
And the reason I want to do this podcast because I'm sick of it being
Twisted I'm sick of it being contorted. I'm sick of
Pentecostals and
Catholics and
All these other false denominations
Taking James 2 out of context atheist Stephen who think that Paul and James contradict each other
I think I proved beyond any shadow of a doubt what this chapter is actually talking about tonight
and
Just to recap James 2 admonishes us to add works to our faith so that our faith can be
Perfect now that we're perfect
doesn't mean
Flawless it means complete
Perfection
Oftentimes in your King James Bible means
Complete James who tells us that Abraham was justified by works in the sense that he was God's friend
And he was willing to offer
His son Isaac upon the altar
The fact that he was willing to go through with something as extreme as that tells you. Yeah
he had a
very strong commitment to following the Lord and
He was God's friend
Consequently, it tells us also that Rahab the harlot was justified by works in the sense that
Her flesh was spared from destruction
What's the lesson we could take from James 2
I'll just wrap it all up here in a nice little bow and then we'll go home
What's the lesson that James 2 is trying to teach us?
Why is this chapter in the Bible that seems to have confounded so many people?
Here's what it's saying if we add works to our faith
We will be God's friend
and
on top of that our
Flesh will be spared from destruction on this earth from the chastening of the Lord on this earth
That we would deserve if we chose to live a wicked life
again, Ananias and Sapphira actually, let me just go to it real quickly because
to me this is a
warning
for us as saved Christians
Bible says in verse number one Acts chapter 5
But a certain man in Ananias with Sapphira's wife sold a possession and kept back part of the price
His wife also being privy to it and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostles feet
But Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of
The land whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power?
Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart that was not lied unto men
But unto God and Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost and great fear came on all them that heard these
things
So when Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession and lied about
The profit they made from that
They lied to the Holy Ghost and they were judged by God their flesh judged. I
Don't know why I snapped but there you go their flesh was judged and they died
Here's an appropriate time to use a snap
Just like that. Okay, they died both of them
Here's Sapphira
Right here and it was about the space
It's a three hours after when his wife not knowing what was done came in and Peter answered under her
Tell me whether you sold the land for so much and she said yay for so much
So Sapphira repeats the same lie gives Peter a false
number
that they allegedly sold this land for and
Peter said unto her how is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord behold the feet of them which
Have buried thy husband are at the door it shall carry thee out
Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost and the young men came in and found her dead and carrying
her forth buried her by her
Husband so Anna's Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead. Here's another example
In which a saved Christian
Might just drop dead
first Corinthians chapter 11 it says
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body for this cause many are weak
And sickly among you and many sleep
So if an individual who is saved takes the Lord's Supper unworthily
then that person runs the risk of
dying
That's what it's saying right here 1st Corinthians 11
many sleep for taking the Lord's Supper
unworthily now what I personally think that that means is if you take the Lord's Supper and you're in
Wicked sin the kind of sin that would get you kicked out of church
Like what the Bible describes in 1st Corinthians chapter
5
so anyway, the reason why I bring that up is simple because what we can get out of James 2 is that we
can be justified by works in the sense of being God's friend and we can also be justified by our works in the sense of
not being afflicted or
Punished in the flesh on this earth in this life by adding works to our faith and also
Abraham would be a an example of somebody who was justified by works to be God's friend and
Rahab an example of somebody justified by works in
terms of not being afflicted in the flesh
She would have died
She would have died if she didn't take those messengers in
just as sure as we could die if we live a wicked life here on this earth and
Anais and Sapphira are examples of that and of course 1st Corinthians chapter 11 as well. So I
Think that's gonna do it for the show tonight. Hopefully that cleared up James 2 for you guys if you were a little confused on it
I think that
That makes sense to me makes a heck of a lot more sense than it
Magically being about salvation when that doesn't fit with the context at all and
So you could use this when you're out soul winning obviously don't have time to
Spend an hour going through the whole chapter
But if somebody takes a verse out of context, I think now you have plenty of ammunition to clear the water on
What this chapter is?
Actually talking about but folks I think it's time to go ahead and wrap this thing up
So thanks for tuning in in the chat room as usual
I really appreciate it for more information on the podcast go to bend the Baptist kjv.com
That's where I upload the show every week. You got the video there. You got the audio there
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If you have anybody out there is confused on James 2 I would hope this could help them. God bless you all. I
Will talk to you guys again very soon
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