Just came in from Wednesday Service, as we are going through the entire book of James. This week, we are in CHapter 2, and around verse 14, he mentions that "several people' got the following mixed up because they choose to focus in on ONE verse, but ignore everything around it.
Anyways...starting at verse 14.....using the Message Version: (All emphasis are mine(
14-17Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" AND WALK OFF without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
(My comments: Sounds JUST like a JW eh?)
18I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
19-20Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
21-24Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
25-26The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.
***What it says here is that your works is BECAUSE of your Faith...AND your Love towards other men. You just don't just minister to them, you help them out. The WORKS in this passage is HELPING OUT THE OTHER FELLA in a time of need**
My Bishop shreads the "Salvayion is by works" bit in less then 5 minutes.
by A-Team 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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A-Team
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drew sagan
Leaving disagreements between James and Paul about what Christianity means aside, i'd would point out one particular thing I think that is worth noting in regards to the Watchtowers 'faith through works' theology.
Remember that because the WTS views preaching that the end of the world is close as the most important message, this "work" becomes the work that trumps all others. So not only do they teach you need works, they give you a very short list to work from. -
WTWizard
That is something you will not find in any washtowel. Salvation, according to the Bible (if you choose to believe it at all), is by faith and grace alone, not works. Notice Ephesians 2:8 and 9--that is the essence of what is said there.
Works are not necessary for salvation. However, works do come as a result of compassion for one's fellow human. And there can be a variety of works. You could recommend a vitamin or herb that would ease someone's suffering, and that would qualify as a work. Or, you could donate to a charity that takes care of people that suddenly fall into hardship. Looking after a friend or family member in need is another work. Helping a co-worker do a job that they are not able to do without much struggle (and you are in a good position to help) is yet another work. Helping someone fix a flat tire is another. And there are many more.
But preaching a scam is not a work that befits such faith. You are effectively stopping a human being from thinking for themselves, and ruining lives in the process. That keeps those people helpless, and the organization can then take advantage of them. I do not care what the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger says--these are NOT works!
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Room 215
What JWs choose to ignore about James' exhortation is that the works he refers to have nothing to do with knocking on peoples' doors; it's all about social conscience, sensitivity to the temporal needs of others, i.e., food, clothing, etc.