let me get this straight, "with works" applies to a gift?
The gift of faith creates works in our lives. Some have preached works are ours, rather they
are the fruit or consequence of the faith in Christ. If the works are missing the faith is not the
gift people claim it is.
The false teaching is to take out the fruit as if Gods Holy Spirit in our hearts has no effect or
consequences. Those who do not know what a truly sinful life style looks like think like this
because they as people are "nice" and "nice" christian and "nice" non christian look very similar.
When you know real sinners who have let rip and their lies are a disaster, for God to work things
will change or it is meaningless.
James put it simply. If we claim we love God yet hate others, and do nothing to meet need, we
are lying. It is this brutal yet James is 100% correct. Faith is to do with the heart and being
born again, a new creation, something that is of heaven and eternal from something that is
mortal and dying. Once one grasps the breadth of these statements to claim there is no fruit
and it is real, is simply absurd and a denial of what Jesus is.
Jesus has always been about action faith not passive faith. Sinful man understands the benefits
of salvation and feels the beauty of a transformed life, yet cannot pay the price, yet wants the
rewards. There are no halfway houses in God. Either you turn your back on the world and walk
with Him or He abandons you.
34 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels
Mark 8