Bible Study Faith without works is dead.

[JohnD]

Ephesians 2:8–10 (AV)
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

1 John 2:3 (AV)
3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

John 14:21 (AV)
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 16:27 (AV)
27For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

John 21:15 (AV)
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

Luke 14:26–35 (AV)
26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
34Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

1 John 2:6 (AV)
6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

 

[Kidron]

I have 2 questions for you.
What is the "gift of Righteousness", and why is it free?
Romans 5:17

 

[JohnD]

The righteousness of Christ imputed to our account.
It is impossible for anyone but Jesus to attain.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

The righteousness of Christ imputed to our account.
It is impossible for anyone but Jesus to attain.

Hi John D
Could you explain this to me please.
Thanks
Jim

 

[Kidron]

Hi John D
Could you explain this to me please.
Thanks
Jim

For God to accept you into his family, you have to be as righteous as he is.
So, for that to happen, he has to give you his righteousness.
This is what happens at the Cross........Its a swap.
Jesus (God) died for your sins.... and from this sacrifice, Jesus's righteousness is imparted (given) to you, literally.
This is "Saved", "Born Again", "Salvation", "Redeemed", etc.

 

[JohnD]

Hi John D
Could you explain this to me please.
Thanks
Jim

1 Corinthians 15:45 describe Jesus as the last Adam. This is indicative of his human nature being that of Adam before the fall into sin (Genesis 3). From that time forward humanity has been incapable of keeping the Law of Moses requirements for righteousness. The point being by giving the Law of Moses in addition to establishing the grounds for right / wrong and good / evil... is the utter futility of man trying to keep the Law. This forces us to seek mercy / grace rather than justice / (our own) righteousness.

The Law of Christ that trumps the Law of Moses (the law of sin and death) is that whosoever believes in Jesus has his righteousness imputed to their account. That his payment of sin in your stead is activated and you are given eternal life as a son / daughter of Almighty God.

 

[JLB]

I have 2 questions for you.
What is the "gift of Righteousness", and why is it free?
Romans 5:17

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7

We are given the gift of righteousness when we repent and confess Jesus as Lord. Our past sins are washed away, and all things are new.

We are now ready to practice the righteousness that the Holy Spirit will lead us to do.

He who practices righteousness is righteous... Let no one deceive you into thinking otherwise.


JLB.

 

[JLB]

The Law of Christ that trumps the Law of Moses (the law of sin and death)

The law of Moses is certainly not the law of sin and death.

Adam sinned and death spread to all mankind long before Moses was born.

Adam simply disobeyed God's Voice.

That is sin.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Romans 5:12-14

For until the law, sin was in the world.

The law was given to the children of Israel, not to the world.

...death reigned from Adam to Moses,

Since death reigned before Moses the law of sin and death was being employed before Moses.


JLB

 

[JohnD]

John 5:43–45 (AV)
43I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

The Law of Moses is still in effect condemning all who disbelieve Jesus.

Romans 2:27 (AV)
27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

Romans 2:29 (AV)
29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 7:6 (AV)
6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

2 Corinthians 3:6 (AV)
6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

 

[JLB]

John 5:43–45 (AV)
43I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
44How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

The Law of Moses is still in effect condemning all who disbelieve Jesus.

Jesus was speaking to Jews.

24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 15:24

You have a few things to clean up in your doctrine.

The law of sin and death was present in the Garden, and is most certainly not the law of Moses, sir.

The law of Moses was for the children of Israel in the land of Israel.

The law of Moses has been declared obsolete, by God Himself, and has vanished away.
Hebrews 8:13

JLB

 

[JohnD]

Death prevailed since the introduction of sin, but Romans is clear that the Law of Moses is what deemed it the law of sin and death.

Romans 7:9 (AV)
9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

You need to read your Bible.

 

[gr8grace3]

Death prevailed since the introduction of sin, but Romans is clear that the Law of Moses is what deemed it the law of sin and death.

Romans 7:9 (AV)
9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

You need to read your Bible.

Romans 7:9 also points to the age of accountability. Remember the days of blissful ignorance as a kid? Fishing on the bank of a river,lying about how many fish we caught, kicking our feet in the water. Talking to your best friend about the cute girl in your class. A camp fire that you spit in to hear the sizzle. Not a care in the world.( a small glimpse of heaven IMO) Then one day we woke up and understood that lying about how many fish we caught broke a commandment. And the sin nature came to life with vigor and we died.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

For God to accept you into his family, you have to be as righteous as he is.
So, for that to happen, he has to give you his righteousness.
This is what happens at the Cross........Its a swap.
Jesus (God) died for your sins.... and from this sacrifice, Jesus's righteousness is imparted (given) to you, literally.
This is "Saved", "Born Again", "Salvation", "Redeemed", etc.

Hi Kidron,
Thank you for your reply. It is not that I do not know about the gift of Righteousness but the way it is worded from the OP did not makes sense to me. I was not sure how he was seeing it.
Blessings and Thanks again !!
jim

 

[JLB]

Death prevailed since the introduction of sin, but Romans is clear that the Law of Moses is what deemed it the law of sin and death.

Romans 7:9 (AV)
9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

You need to read your Bible.

Romans 7 is where we learn the difference in the law of Moses and the law of sin and death.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:21-25


...the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

...but I see ANOTHER LAW...

Can you read what Paul wrote?

The law of Moses, the scriptures that Paul had studied his whole life, and meditated over and over in his mind, only revealed the sin nature that dwelled in his flesh.

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

...the law of sin which is in my members.

The way the Lord teaches us to walk in the freedom, that He paid for on the cross for us is found in the next few verses.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1

The law of sin dwells within our flesh, and brings us into the bondage of death, if we obey its desires.

JLB

 

[Sparkey]

God spoke through James telling us how to become more like Jesus. If somebody were to ask me what the book of James was about that is exactly what I’d tell them. It’s about the 'how' of things. Paul, on the other hand, was led to concern himself with the mysteries of the Kingdom. Paul spoke primarily to Gentiles who were no longer apart from God. He opened up sacred secrets. He took great care to lay a proper foundation for them (for us) lest they should fall.

Paul teaches that Jesus was more than someone we were to model ourselves after; that apart from him none would be saved. If we were to imagine a conversation between these two men it might go something like this:

James: “Paul, you know as well as I do that faith without works is dead.”

Paul: “Yes, of course but in ourselves, we can do nothing. All that we do by our strength is only credit for ourselves. It is nothing to God.”

James: “You are correct in what you say but that does not let us off the hook. We are told to be holy and to depart from sin. Again, action is required for this to even begin to happen.”

Paul: “None is good. Salvation is not by works, lest any should boast.” Paul continues, “We realize that we can not, of our own power, change the way things are, we realize that we must even live with our natural imperfections until God changes us. Paul says, 'For it is when I am weak that I am strong.’

James: “The sages tell us that it is brotherly unity, it is there that the Lord commands the blessing.” (Ps 133).

Paul: “And none can accomplish the unity of the faith apart from Jesus. He is the way and the truth and the life. We, apart from him, are nothing.”​

We could continue the discourse until the realization began to dawn on us. That there is no disagreement between the men who declare, “It is by faith, not works!” and those who say, “Faith, apart from works is dead.” There is only one truth. What we see when we compare what the Holy Spirit inspired each of them to say is simply the views of two different men while regarding the same thing. Paul spoke and taught that the church would be presented to Jesus as his bride. James spoke and taught about how we are to ready ourselves for this union.

Let us ask ourselves then, "How should we prepare?" I think we are to begin by supporting each other. It is like James says, "Let each be slow to speak and quick to listen." My thinking here is that he was talking about a special kind of listening, the kind that Jesus spoke of.

One of the women had spoke up saying, "Blessed is the womb that bore you!" Jesus contradicted her saying, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey."

Paul taught that we are to contend for the unity of the faith.


Here then, my favorite Psalm - it's very short, only three verses.

Psa 133:1-3 HNV (Hebrew Names Version) 1 A Ma`alot Song. By David.
See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,

that ran down on the beard,
even Aharon's beard;
That came down on the edge of his robes;​

Like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Tziyon:
For there the LORD gives the blessing,
even life forevermore.​

 

[JLB]

We could continue the discourse until the realization began to dawn on us. That there is no disagreement between the men who declare, “It is by faith, not works!” and those who say, “Faith, apart from works is dead.” There is only one truth. What we see when we compare what the Holy Spirit inspired each of them to say is simply the views of two different men while regarding the same thing.

The works that Paul referred to is the works of the law.

The works that James refers to is the obedience of faith. That is, the effort that obedience requires.

Abraham believed God, and therefore he obeyed God.

Adam on the other hand showed that he believed Satan, rather than God, so He dis-obeyed God and obeyed Satan instead.




JLB

 

[JohnD]

Romans 7 is where we learn the difference in the law of Moses and the law of sin and death.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
[snip]
JLB

Are you so certain the Law of God = Law of Moses?

1 Corinthians 9:19–21 (NASB95)
19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
21to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

Not under the Law of Moses but under the Law of God (Law of Christ).

Galatians 6:2 (NASB95)
2Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NASB95)
31“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
32not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

God writes the Law of Moses written on their hearts in this, the Gospel in the Old Testament? Or the Law of God (Law of Christ)?

Makes you read more carefully what God is saying when he refers to "the Law" versus "my Law."

 

[JLB]

Are you so certain the Law of God = Law of Moses?

1 Corinthians 9:19–21 (NASB95)
19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
21to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

Not under the Law of Moses but under the Law of God (Law of Christ).

Galatians 6:2 (NASB95)
2Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NASB95)
31“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
32not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.
33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

God writes the Law of Moses written on their hearts in this, the Gospel in the Old Testament? Or the Law of God (Law of Christ)?

Makes you read more carefully what God is saying when he refers to "the Law" versus "my Law."

In the context of Romans 7, Paul is contrasting the law and the law of sin, which dwells in his members.

The law of God vs the law of sin.

The law of God, the scriptures, that the inward man delights in vs the law of sin that dwells in our flesh that constantly compels us to gratify its sinful desires.

That is what Paul teaches us.

I couldn't agree more that Paul contrast's the law of Moses and the law of Christ in his other writings.

It is just simply a matter of rightly dividing the word.

The law of sin and death was manifested in the garden with Adam, long before Moses was born.

Sin is disobedience to God. Death is the result of that disobedience.



JLB

 

[Hermit]

(NIV) James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
The body without God's creative Spirit, the body will have no will to live, so faith without God's creative Intent is invalid/uncreated.
This verse can be transposed.
God's creative Spirit without a body cannot impart/transmit true life, so God's creative Intent without faith is not doing, but stuck in doubt/trying/non-creativeness.