Thursday, January 8, 2015

"Faith By Itself, If It Is Not Accompanied By Works, Is Dead!"

Both apostles are right!
(William Bacon Stevens, "Waiting and Watching!")

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man
claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him?" James 2:14

The religion of JESUS CHRIST
is made up of two parts--
faith and works.
Faith is the root of works.
Works are the fruit of faith.

belief, however true and pure,
if it is accepted only by the intellect,
and is not carried out into practice--
translating the faith held by the mind,
into active duties--
is a barren faith, which
will not be accepted by GOD,
and which will not secure salvation.

On the other hand, works,
however good, which do not
spring out of faith in the LORD JESUS,
but which are done merely from
human and worldly motives--
are of no avail before GOD, because
"whatever is not of faith, is sin."

Thrice has James told us,

"Faith without works is dead!"
(James 2:17)

And just as distinctly has Paul declared,

"By the works of the law, shall
no flesh be justified in HIS sight."
(Romans 3:20)

Both apostles are right! 

Works without faith--
have no living root.
Faith without works--
has no authenticating fruit.

They are the two parts of the one tree, 
namely, the root and the fruit. They are 
the two halves of the one whole--
together they make up the true Christian.

"In the same way, faith by itself, 
if it is not accompanied by works, 
is dead!" James 2:17 
  
 ~  ~  ~  ~

GraceGems has published the following  article by Thomas Wilcox, the Puritan
"Honey Out of the Rock

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