mailmandan
Well-Known Member
"Type 2 works salvation" is not a false term and it fits your doctrine perfectly and does not leave out your belief that we are also "initially" saved by God's grace through faith, but it also "includes" works in the equation: Salvation by grace through faith AND WORKS is what you teach, which is "type 2 works salvation." Just admit it, own it and deal with it.The plane is still flying over your head. To say I believe in “Type 2 Works Salvation” is a false term or name because such a term does not include my belief in the Bible that I believe that we are also saved by God’s grace. So you label my belief falsely even though you understand my belief. Your term “Type 2 Works Salvation” leaves out my belief in that we are also saved by God’s grace. That is why your term is a false accusation to what I actually believe (even though you appear to understand that I believe in two aspects of salvation).
Doesn't matter because James is talking about an empty profession of faith/death faith that remains "alone" - barren of works. Says/claims (key word) to have faith, but has no works. (James 2:14) That is not genuine faith but a bare profession of faith. So as I already showed you, James is not using the word "justified" to mean "accounted as righteous" but is shown to be righteous. James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3)Look friend. I just showed you that the same word “justified” is used for both faith and works in the same verse (James 2:24).
Romans 4:2 - For if Abraham was justified (accounted as righteous) by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it (faith, not works) was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. So once again if "justified by works" meant "accounted as righteous" by works in James 2:24, then we have a contradiction here and there are no contradictions in God's word. We are justified (shown to be righteous) by works and not by an empty profession of faith/dead faith that produces no works. Not hard to understand. Just hard for you to accept.
We are not accounted as righteous by an empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" - (barren of works) because it's not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. (James 2:14) If someone merely says-claims they have faith yet lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. Simple!That would mean you are saying that we are not accounted righteous by faith by admitting to this dumb kind of interpretation in James 2:24.
This has nothing to do with OSAS and everything to do with genuine faith that results in evidential works vs. an empty profession of faith/dead faith that produces no works. The text is not illogical and useless once you come to understand that James is discussing the evidence of faith (says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3) Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.But of course you must do the OSAS dance at any cost (even if it renders the text as illogical and useless).
You are unable to see otherwise.First, like before, you are unable to see that your belief is contradictory here.
Works are evidence of salvation and are not the means of salvation.You say that works is evidence of salvation.
Works are the fruit of salvation, but not the root of it. God knows the condition of our hearts. He knows whether or not we are trusting in Jesus Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16) even before we produce good works as new born babes in Christ. So works are not part of the salvation equation of "saved by grace through faith, not works." (Ephesians 2:8,9) We are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works. (Ephesians 2:10)That means that you need to have works in order to truly show you are saved (Meaning works is a part of the salvation equation).
We show our faith by our works, (James 2:18) but we do not establish it. You have to be saved FIRST in order to show evidence that you are saved, so my belief is not inconsistent at all. You just don't get it and there is a reason for that.If this was not the case, then no works would be necessary to show evidence that you were saved. So your belief here is not consistent.
I certainly don't label the book of James an epistle of straw. I understand what James is teaching and James 2:14-24 is in perfect harmony with Romans 4:2-6 as I already demonstrated multiple times.It would be more consistent of your false belief if you were to label the book of James as an epistle of straw like Luther did (if indeed Luther believed this statement all the way unto his death).
It's you who holds to a contradiction and you are either unable to see your contradiction or just too stubborn to admit that you are wrong. If you can't get this critical, foundational doctrine right, then you are in serious trouble and you will continue to stumble through the rest of scripture as well. The end result of your error leads to 'type 2 works salvation' along with confusing 'descriptive' passages of scripture with 'prescriptive' passages of scripture and getting swept away in the 'holier than thou' superiority facade. Until you get this most critical, foundational doctrine right that salvation is by grace through faith and is NOT BY WORKS (Ephesians 2:8,9) then our conversation will remain one big waste of time. If you choose to continue to ignore this critical, foundational doctrine and insist on getting back to your 'type 2 works salvation' - 'holier than thou' - 'anti-OSAS' marathon (and we all know how much you love to hear yourself talk ;)) then it's time for me to shake the dust off my shoes and move on. I do hope and pray that one day your eyes and heart will be open to the truth.But currently, you hold to a contradiction and you are either unwilling or unable to see your own contradiction.