Matthew 7:18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
James 2:10
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. NKJV
I've always attributed this James passage to be speaking about God's perfect standards, His justice, His holiness. And while that still applies, now I'm wondering if this a literal statement. Meaning, could he be saying that... if you are willing to admit the you have sinned once, you must also admit, that you are a bad tree, thus it's all sin.
Jesus, in His incarnation, gave two sides to the same coin. Being both fully God, and fully man, in one instance, when He was called good, from the perspective of being fully man (flesh), He replied, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." (Luke 18:19). In another instance, from the perspective of being fully God, He said “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Nothing good implied.
The context doesn't suggest it, but is good tree is God, we (the flesh) are the bad tree. Every believer has both. The James-Paul, works plus faith simplified. James is speaking of the fruit of the spirit. One who is already in Christ justified. Paul is speaking of those who think that they can justify themselves by works of the flesh. What do you have (that is good), that you did not receive (from God), and if you did receive it (from God), why do you boast.
Anyways, the question at hand, James...his meaning. James 2:10.
Thanks
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
James 2:10
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. NKJV
I've always attributed this James passage to be speaking about God's perfect standards, His justice, His holiness. And while that still applies, now I'm wondering if this a literal statement. Meaning, could he be saying that... if you are willing to admit the you have sinned once, you must also admit, that you are a bad tree, thus it's all sin.
Jesus, in His incarnation, gave two sides to the same coin. Being both fully God, and fully man, in one instance, when He was called good, from the perspective of being fully man (flesh), He replied, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." (Luke 18:19). In another instance, from the perspective of being fully God, He said “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Nothing good implied.
The context doesn't suggest it, but is good tree is God, we (the flesh) are the bad tree. Every believer has both. The James-Paul, works plus faith simplified. James is speaking of the fruit of the spirit. One who is already in Christ justified. Paul is speaking of those who think that they can justify themselves by works of the flesh. What do you have (that is good), that you did not receive (from God), and if you did receive it (from God), why do you boast.
Anyways, the question at hand, James...his meaning. James 2:10.
Thanks
