Hello @Ghada , welcome to CyB!
You have lots of very good points in your post, thank you!
"We know them by their fruits"...that produce good works, amen!
The issue for me is that, there is not a "works based salvation" offered, because then, why would we need Christ?
Thank you very much for the compliment. But if the points are good, then why isn't the conclusion? Or maybe I'm not clear enough about the conclusion? I don't say the Bible teaches a 'works' based salvation and justification. The Bible does not teach being justified by works only, nor by all works, but only by specific works of God
through us by Jesus Christ.
James 2 cannot be speaking of any works without faith, since the context is of faith. Nor can he be speaking of any sinful works of the flesh, since the context is of doing good in the family of God, as well as doing faithful service for God, as with Abraham and Rahab.
In the Bible, all works are not the same, because God does not judge all works the same. He judges all works, but only His works of righteousness by the faith of His Son are justified by the Father.
All men understand the difference between good and evil works, however not all men discern the difference between natural good deeds of any man, and Christ's good deeds only through the faithful members of His body on earth. Natural man does have conscientious and good and helpful works to our fellow man and neighbors, but they are not judged by God
as being holy and righteous and pleasing to Himself.
Why not? Because God does not see in them the Spirit of His Son doing them. When God judges works worthy of Himself, it is only because He judges Jesus Christ to be the Author and Finisher of those works by His faith.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul is saying here that in Christ, the works he now does are not his own as before Christ, but are now Jesus' works done through him.
Even in works, it is still Jesus that the Father is honoring to justify us by. When we please the Father as the Son by pure works of His goodness and righteousness, He judges that it is
His Son doing the works through His own body, even as He did in the days of His flesh.
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
The members of the body are justified by the faithful works done, only because it is the Son that is honored and judged as
making them worthy of the Father through us. We are judged worthy to walk with God, only because of Jesus Christ within us. He is One doing them through members of His body.
And so, with this Bible judgement in mind pertaining to works, we now see that James 2 only speaks of
Jesus' works through us, that justify us. To say no man is justified by
any works at all, is in fact saying none of man's works are being done by Jesus Christ. It judges the works of Jesus' members are the same as the works done by natural man. And so they teach no works have any part in being saved and justified by Christ.
They are declaring the opposite of Paul, that their works are still being done by themselves alone, and not done by Christ Jesus. Even as they separate their own faith from their works, they also separate their own works from God.
That is why there are Christians teaching all their works are still judged by God as filthy rags, just like the natural good deeds of any man, that has not Christ. They are teaching that all good deeds of all men on earth are the same, and so judged the same by God: either filthy rags of our own righteousness, or sinful works of the flesh. And so, they teach for themselves the Psalm that condemns all men with no faith. The judge themselves to be the same as the unrighteous that never do good by Jesus Christ doing the works through them.
We see also that Paul is speaking only of those natural works
of our own without Christ, that do not save nor justify any man with the Father.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3 alongside Eph 2 and Rom 4, clarifies that Paul is only speaking of our own works done alone without Christ. James never speaks of 'our' works, but only of the works justified by God through Jesus Christ. Those who say Paul is sepak of any and all works, are condemning themselves the same as the natural man that has not the faith of Christ, nor discerns the spiritual difference between natural good works of man, and the Spirit's good works through His faithful believers.
It is impossible for Paul in Romans 4 to be speaking of Abraham's work of faith by offering up Isaac. In James 2 God justified Abraham by his work, because God judged that work
as being done by Himself, through the righteous and pure faith of God in him. Abraham was not justified by his naturally good works of providing for his own household, but only for the service He did to God in obeying him contrary to all natural good sense.
We see by revelation of Heb 11, that Abraham only did that service, because of his faith in God. While journeying and climbing the mount, and raising the knife to slay his promised son, Abraham believed in his own heart that God would raise Isaac from the dead,
in order to fulfill His promise of a chosen seed.
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
It was God speaking the words of faith into Abraham's heart at that time, and Abraham believed Him. And so in James 2, we see it was not until he had offered up Isaac, that God justified Abraham and called him His Friend. And since Rahab is justified by the same work, then we can say she too believed the God of Israel would spare her from the destruction of the city.
The words of the Spirit spoken to their hearts were recieved and believed as being God's own will.
The Bible shows that only believing God's words to be true, does not justify a man with God. Only when we believe to do His word and will, are we justified with God, because it is not us alone doing the work, but is God Himself doing His will through us on earth.
God already knows His word is true. God is not pleased by any faith that only agrees with Him, but does not do the work that brings His words to pass in this life.
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
The gospel of faith without works is only the imperfect gospel of imperfect faith, where the believers are still judged as the natural man and believers of other religions, because their works are still same as before. They are all their own according to their own natural good will. They just endeavor to sin less along the way. But then, plenty of natural men and women do the same, as well as the faithful in other religions of man.
Although, we know them BY their fruits; produced naturally from becoming born again :)
You can see the above Bible teaching about natural good works of man.
The Bible never teaches anything of God's work in man being natural. Rom 7 & 1 Cor 2 teach all things of God, including His law and works are all spiritual in nature. Romans 11 teaches God's holy things and holy fruits are only produced from spiritually holy roots.
The Christian teaching of 'natural outflow' of good works is the Christian theological version of having natural good works, that are as filthy rags to God. They are done naturally by man's own will, and not done by the Spirit and love of God in Jesus Christ.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
If Jesus is not doing the works in and through us, then nothing man does naturally is any good nor justified with the Father.
