Faith apart from works is head belief, and therefore dead belief.

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 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead...As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”   [James 2:14-17,26]

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Faith apart from works is head belief, and therefore dead belief.

These verses are commonly misused to support the heresy that we are saved by faith plus works. In other words, we must trust the Lord Jesus as our Savior, but that is not enough.  We must also add to His redemptive work our own deeds of charity and devotion.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. [Eph 2:8-9].

Grace is the principle upon which God justifies; faith is the means by which man receives it; blood is the price which the Savior had to pay; God is the active Agent in justification; power is the proof; and works are the result.

James insists that a faith that does not result in good works cannot save. There are two keys which greatly help in the understanding of verse 14.  First of all, James does not say “What does it profit… though a man has faith…” Rather he says, what does it profit…if someone says he has faith. In other  words, it is not a question of a man who truly has faith, and yet is not saved.  James is describing the man who has nothing but a profession of faith.  He says he has faith, but there is nothing about his life that indicates it. “Can that faith save him?” Such a faith is worthless. It is all words, and nothing else. 

It is not enough to believe in the existence of God. True, this is essential, but it is not sufficient. Even the demons believe in the existence of God and they shudder at the thought of their eventual punishment by Him. The demons believe the fact, but they do not surrender to God. This is not saving faith. When a person truly believes on the Lord, it involves a commitment of spirit, soul, and body. This commitment in turn results in a changed life. Faith apart from works is head belief, and therefore dead belief.

As soon as Abraham believed in the Lord, he was justified in the sight of God. But then, seven chapters later, God put Abraham’s faith to the test. Abraham demonstrated that it was genuine faith by his willingness to offer up Isaac. His obedience showed that his faith was not merely a head belief, but a heart commitment.




 

Rahab taken the two spies and hidden them


 

Rahab the prostitute considered righteous...

 “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.

...In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. ” [Joshua 2:4; James 2:25-26]

You cannot earn eternal life by keeping the law!

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 “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ”   [Luke 10:25-29]

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You cannot earn eternal life by keeping the law!

The lawyer, an expert in the teachings of the Law of Moses, was probably not sincere in his question. He was trying to trick the Savior, to put Him thoroughly to the test. Perhaps he thought that the Lord would repudiate the law. To him, Jesus was only a Teacher, and eternal life was something he could earn or merit.

The Lord took all this into consideration when He answered him. If the lawyer had been humble and penitent, the Savior would have answered him more directly.  Under the circumstances, Jesus directed his attention to the law.  What did the law demand? It demanded that man love the Lord supremely, and his neighbor as himself. Jesus told him that if he did this, he would live.

At first, it might appear that the Lord was teaching salvation by law-keeping. Such was not the case, God never intended that anyone should ever be saved by keeping the law. The Ten Commandments were given to the people who were already sinners.  The purpose of the law is not to save from sin, but to produce the knowledge of sin. The function of the law is to show man what a guilty sinner he is.

It is impossible for sinful man to love God with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself. If he could do this from birth to death, he would not need salvation.
Eternal life is only for sinners who acknowledge their lost condition and who are saved by God’s grace.  Thus Jesus’ statement, “Do this and you will live,” was purely hypothetical. If His reference to the law had had its desired effect on the lawyer, he would have said, “If that’s what God requires, then I’m lost, helpless, and hopeless. I cast myself on Your love and mercy. Save my by Your grace!”
Saint Paul kept the law as none of us would, yet he says “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I am the worst of them all.”[1 Timothy 1:15].

Dear friend, Salvation is by Grace alone, in Christ alone, and not by works. Good works will follow you, once you are truly saved with a repentant heart.  But salvation is by Grace alone and not by keeping the law or doing good works.  No man can keep the law 100% and be perfect.

“God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us…” [Romans 8:3-4].




 

The Ten Commandments


" Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law..."

 “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, ... Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith... Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,”
[Galatians 3:10-13]

Where Is the Promise of His Coming?

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 “...knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ”   [2 Peter 3:3-7]

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Where Is the Promise of His Coming?

Peter writes about the scoffers who will be present in the last days. They won't think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you and say, "Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit."

Christians should remember this. They should not be bowled over by the arrogant and blasphemous denials of these men. Rather they should see in them a definite indication that the end of the age is nearing. These mockers reject the knowledge of God and fearlessly indulge their appetites.  They advocate permissiveness with total disregard of any impending judgment.

Their primary scoff has to do with the coming of Christ. Their attitude is, “Where is the promise of His coming?” meaning, “Where is the fulfillment of the promise?” But what do they mean by His coming?

Do they mean Christ’s coming for His saints which we speak of as the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18)? It is doubtful that these scoffers know anything about this first phase of the Lord’s return.
Do they mean Christ’s coming with His saints to set up His universal kingdom (1 Thess. 3:13)? It is possible that this could be included in their thinking.
But it seems clear from the rest of the passage that they are thinking of the final judgment of God on the earth, or what is commonly called the end of the world. They are thinking of the fiery destruction of the heavens and earth at the end of the Millennium.
What they really say is this: “You Christians have been threatening us with warning about a terrible judgment upon the world. It’s all a pack of nonsense. We have nothing to fear. We can live as we please. There is no evidence that God ever has intervened in history; why should we believe that He ever will?”
The scoffers deliberately ignore one fact—the flood. God did intervene in the affairs of men, and the specific purpose of His intervention was to punish wickedness.
There is other group of people who say—“How can a loving God destroy the very man and women and their world which He created?” Look at how much time He provided for them to repent. From the time Noah received the order from God to build the ark until the rain began, a span of 120 years had elapsed. Certainly this was time enough for everyone to hear the prediction and take appropriate action.



 

Noah's Ark attraction in Hong Kong


" I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights"

 “And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
... And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.  Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground,  male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.”
[Genesis 7:5-9]

"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

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 “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”   “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”   [Matthew 16:13-16]

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"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Everything hinges on getting the answer to this question right: Who is Jesus Christ?
The crowds knew Jesus was unusual, but nobody could figure out why. Their best explanation—he was a rerun of one of their heroes—fell short of the truth.
It matters because if Jesus is just the latest in a long line, then we’ll always be waiting for someone else to come along and upstage him. His relevance would diminish over time, and his importance would fade. But since Jesus is the One and Only, we cannot afford to make any mistakes in our relationship with him.

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Our Lord pronounced a blessing on Simon. The fisherman had not arrived at this concept of the Lord Jesus through intellect or native wisdom; it had been supernaturally revealed to him by God the Father. But the Son had something important to say to Peter also. So Jesus added, “And I  also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  The question is,”Who are what is the rock?” Part of the problem arises from the fact that Greek words from Peter and for rock are similar, the meanings are different. The first, petros, means a stone or loose rock; the second, petra, means a rock, such as a rocky ledge.
So what Jesus really said was “..you are Peter(stone), and on this rock I will build My church.” He did not say He would build His church on a stone but on a rock.

If Peter is not the rock, then what is? If we stick to the context, the obvious answer is that the rock is Peter’s confession that Christ is the Son of the living God, the truth on which the church is founded. Ephesians 2:20 teaches that the church is built on Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone.  Christ is spoken of as a Rock in 1 Corinthians 10:4.

Jesus took up their old Hebrew illustration—rock, always the symbol of Deity—and said, “Upon God Himself—Christ, the Son of the living God—I will build my church.”

Dear friend, do you believe in the truth that God revealed to Peter, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God? Everything hinges on getting the answer to this question right: Who is Jesus Christ?



 

"The stone the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone"

 “Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:“‘The stone the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
[Luke 20:17-19]



The Treachery of Judas

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 “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests  and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. ”  [Matthew 26:14-16]

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The Treachery of Judas

Then one of the twelve—one of the disciples who had lived with the Lord Jesus, traveled with Him, seen His miracles, heard His incomparable teaching, and witnessed the miracle of a sinless life—one whom Jesus could call “my familiar friend… who ate my bread” (Ps. 41.9)—it was that one who lifted up his heel against the Son o God. Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and agreed to sell his Master for thirty pieces of silver.  The priests paid him on the spot—the contemptible total of about fifteen dollars.  It is striking to note the contrast between the woman who anointed Jesus at Simon’s home and Judas.  She valued the Savior highly. Judas valued Him lightly.

And so the one who had received nothing but kindness from Jesus went out to arrange his part of the dreadful bargain. Realizing his sin in betraying innocent blood, Judas offered the money back to the chief priests and elders.  These arch conspirators who had cooperated so eagerly a few hours ago now refused to have any further part in the matter. This is one of the rewards of treachery.

Judas was remorseful, but this was not a godly repentance that leads to salvation. Sorry for the effects which his crime brought on himself, he was yet unwilling to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He could have run to Jesus asking for forgiveness instead of ending his life.

In desperation Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the temple where only the priests could go, then went out and committed suicide. Comparing this narrative with Acts 1:18, we conclude that he hanged himself on a tree, that the rope or branch broke, and that his body was hurled over a precipice, causing it to be disemboweled.

Are you selling your own Savior, like Judas, for some material gain in this fleeting world?  Have you repented of your sins at the cross of Jesus, instead of just being filled with guilt and remorse?  Ending your own life is not the solution. There is forgiveness in Him who died for your sins. You just need to accept Him into your life as Savior and Lord and surrender yourself to Him!




 



 Judas went away and hanged himself

 “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
   “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. ” Matthew 27:3-5]

In Christ Jesus...

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 “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. ”  [Galatians 3:26-29]

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"In Christ Jesus..."

The key point in this passage is “In Christ”. In Christ you are all children of God through faith. In Christ you are all one. In Christ you are all counted as Abraham’s seed and become heirs to the promise.  In Christ you are all chosen. [Eph. 1:3]. In Christ you have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.

The pronoun “you” here includes both saved Jews and saved Gentiles.  Such people are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Union with Christ, which takes place at the time of conversion, is confessed in water baptism. This baptism does not make a person a member of Christ or an inheritor of the kingdom of God.  It is a public identification with Christ, which Paul speaks of as a “putting on” of Christ. Just as a soldier proclaims himself a member of the army by “putting on” his uniform, so a believer identifies himself as one who belongs to Christ by being baptized in water. By this act he or she publicly expresses submission to Christ’s leadership and authority. He portrays visibly that he is a son of God.

By baptism the believer signifies also the burial of the flesh and its efforts to obtain righteousness.  He signifies the end of the old way of life and the beginning of the new one.

The law made distinctions among these classes. For instance, the distinction between Jew and Gentile is insisted on in Deuteronomy. In Christ Jesus these differences disappear, that is, as far as acceptance with God is concerned. A Jew is not preferred over a Gentile, a free man is not more favored than a slave, nor is a man more privileged than a woman. All are on the same level because they are in Christ Jesus.

This verse must not be pressed into meaning something it does not say. As far as everyday life is concerned, God does recognize the distinction between male and female.  The New Testament also speaks separately to slaves and masters, husbands and wives, and parents and children. In our heavenly position all believers are the same before God. In our earthly condition we have to submit to our earthly masters.



 

 "They were all baptized into Moses..."

 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  They all ate the same spiritual food  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” [1 Corinthians 10:1-4]



"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation"

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 “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch....

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  [Mark 14:32-34, 37,38]

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"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation"

Darkness had settled over the land. It was Thursday night running into Friday morning.  When they came to an enclosed piece of ground name Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus left eight of the disciples near the entrance.

He took Peter, James, and John with Him deeper into the garden. There He experienced an overpowering burden on His holy soul as he anticipated becoming a sin-offering for us.  We cannot conceive what it meant to Him the Sinless One, to be made sin for us. He left the three disciples with instructions to stay there and stay awake. He went a little farther into the garden—alone. Thus would He go to the cross alone, bearing the awful judgment of God against our sins.

First, He prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. If there was any other way by which sinners could be saved than by His death, burial, and resurrection, let God reveal that way. The heavens were silent. Was He asking to be excused from going to the cross? Not at all; this was the purpose of His coming into the world. There was no other way in which we could be redeemed.  Do NOT believe the devil’s lie “that all paths lead to  God”. "For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." [Matt. 7:13]

Returning to the three disciples, He found them sleeping—a sad commentary on fallen human nature. Jesus warned Peter against sleeping in that crucial hour. Only recently, Peter had boated of his undying steadfastness. Now he couldn’t even stay awake.  If a man cannot pray for one hour, it is unlikely that he will be able to resist temptation in the moment of extreme pressure. No matter how enthusiastic his spirit may be, he must reckon with the frailty of his flesh.


 

 



"...Yet not what I will, but what you will."

 “Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” [Mark 14:35]