What do you do with it?
It doesn't say justified. It's says complete.
Let's look at
@Justified said.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
He quoted V8.
That verse is true.
Moving onto verses 9:10
Yes we see we have not been saved by works but God is working in as a result of being in Christ for good works that he knew and prepared before we came to Christ to do them.
No mention of being justified.
But let's look at being justified, basically it means to be declared righteous.
This is not as a result of our works but based on our faith only.
As a result of this faith we will produce works per Ephesians.
We do not need to justify ourselves before God in order to be saved.
He knows if our faith in Jesus is true and meaningful then we are declared righteous.
Our works justify our faith before men.
This is what I feel James was addressing.
If we look at James 2 we see Abraham and Rahab mentioned.
Abram was called by God to leave Ur and go to a different land.
That he did.
That was faith.
Isaac was not born yet.
Yet we see
Genesis 15:6
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
It actually says faith
without works it’s dead and can’t save doesn’t it ?
“
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that
faith without works is dead?
Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou
how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And
the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that
by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
For as the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:17, 20-24, 26 KJV
it seems plain really the only way around it is to reject it and argue arguments against what it says
the idea is faith brings us into the right works and is in no way n excuse for us to reject the world prepared for us by Christ .
works “ of the law “ have zero rondo with it no one has argued for the law here it doesn’t actually contain good works in the law but rituals and ordinances. Good works are taught by Jesus not moses
When we’re talking out salvstion we should
Look to the savior
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and
ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me in: Naked, and
ye clothed me: I was sick, and
ye visited me: I was in prison, and
ye came unto me.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and
ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me not in: naked, and
ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and
ye visited me not.
…Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but
the righteous into life eternal.”
Matthew 25:34-36, 40-46 KJV
we can reject the matter of our works but we should accept the words of Jesus he’s going to judge us by his word.
we’re saved by living and active faith that creates the right heart that will do the right deeds not because we think we’re earning anything but because our faith is genuine it’s going to created works
just like Abraham’s faith created his obedience in all God asked of him ultimately we have to face Christs judgement me his works are a matter of loving other people who have needs we can meet lovong in deed and truth
it’s why the apostles us the example with faith there or love here it always includes our deeds
“But whoso hath this world's good, and
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”
1 John 3:17-19 KJV
Faith
“
What doth it profit, my brethren, though
a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a
brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James 2:14-17 KJV
Faith is more than saying we have faith faith will create a heart That reaches forth to help those who need help and then we’re going to be set on the right d called into the kingdom of we don’t ever change it’s going to be found an empty faith like a dead body without life