Utter Confusion
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:20 NASB
You foolish fellow – Oswald Chambers’ devotional for October 28 makes an astounding statement. “I am not saved by believing; I realize that I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is a sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus.”
Read that again! Chambers wasn’t part of the contemporary “Hebrew roots” movement, but he understood Scripture. I don’t “earn” my salvation because I believe. God alone accomplishes my salvation through the manifestation of His Son and the atonement brought about by the sacrifice of the Lamb. When I believe, I simply acknowledge that I now understand what God has already done. Of course, to understand is the Hebrew equivalent of transforming my actions in accordance with my acknowledgment. Until and unless my life changes as a result of this realization, I do not believe. Believing is not a function of my saying something. It is the acknowledgment seen in my doing something. In Hebrew thought, to hear is to obey. And in Hebrew thought, to believe is to do.
Now you know why the Hebraic consciousness of James draws the conclusion that if you do not do what God demands, then you do not believe. Faith is living according to the insight that God has saved you. Faith is doing what God asks because He has already shown favor toward you. If I say that I have faith in YHWH, then I am saying that I live according to His commands. If I do not live according to His commands, then in Hebrew thought I do not have faith.
This seems so patently obvious to James that he calls anyone who does not see the absolute unity of faith and “works” (actions) as “foolish.” The word in Greek is kenos. It literally means “empty,” and is found in the New Testament in phrases such as “empty words,” or “empty deceit.” It implies something vain, useless and ineffective. But it does not mean “stupid.” “Foolish” always has moral connotation in Scripture. Very clever, very intelligent men can still be fools if their lives do not live up to the standard of God’s holiness. And this is James’ point. The reason this fellow is foolish is that he attempts to draw a distinction between “faith” and “works,” a distinction that does not exist in Hebrew thought.
Notice how James introduces this idea. In the prior verse he says, “You believe that God is one. You do well; . . .” The unity of God is the foundation of James’ argument. God is not divided between belief and action, faith and works. So how can we even think that such a division exists in our lives as followers? That would be kene – empty. As Chambers says, “It is not Christ for me unless I am determined to have Christ formed in me.”
Topical Index: faith, works, law, grace, unity, James 2:20
“I am not saved by believing; I realize that I am saved by believing.”
“It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is a sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus.”
“Read that again!”
Hi Skip,
I see your point but think that Oswald Chambers’ writing leaves a lot to be desired
In the first sentence, Oswald directly contradicts himself
How can he “not be saved by believing” and “saved by believing” at the same time 🙂
In the second sentence, Oswald says “It is not repentance that saves me”
But why would someone think that repentance would save us in the first place?
Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness and to forgive others for their sins or debts to us.
It might make a bit more sense if Oswald had said
Repentance does not save me
Rather it is a return to God and an expression of feeling sorrow for our sins
My 2 cents 🙂
Good morning Michael,
Hey guys put on your big boy pants and hang on. This sounds harsh but it’s not aimed at anyone in particular. I’m simply using the metaphor for unfaithfulness to God that we see from cover to cover in scripture and giving a personal painful testimony to make the point.
For most of the folks we know, returning to God means praying “I’m sorry”. Then like the man who looks at his face in the mirror and then forgets what he see’s as soon as he turns away, they go right back to life as usual.
Or like a close relative of mine that cheats and then says “sorry” and receives forgiveness and then switches to porn and internet relationships. He justifys himself with things like “well I’m not putting her at risk of disease what’s the deal!”
The deal is that he isn’t satisfied what with she has to offer him. She needs a boob job a face lift new make up and different hair color. She needs to be a photo touched up whore as well as a saintly faithful wife and mother who keeps her figure and dotes on him day and night to make it all happen. But now that she’s done all that it still isn’t enough! When he gets his hand slapped he says “sorry” again. But nothing changes. At best it just morphs into a different form of the same old sin that says to her you aren’t good enough for me.
This is the big deal. Is life with God good enough for me or is it not?
“I’m simply using the metaphor for unfaithfulness to God that we see from cover to cover in scripture and giving a personal painful testimony to make the point.”
“For most of the folks we know, returning to God means praying “I’m sorry”.”
Hi Pam,
To be honest, and for better or worse, I don’t really think in terms of “returning” to God
Or being “unfaithful” to God
Rather I tend to think in terms of being more or less connected to God
And that being connected to God is a good feeling
To use a metaphor from the game of Poker
As I get older, I often feel like God has dealt me a hand that “leaves a lot to be desired”
But think my job is to accept what He has given me and to be grateful for it
Knowing that things could always get a lot worse 🙂
Hey Michael,
I’m thinking of people who claim to be believers who are instructed and continue in a lawless life. James I think is addressing the same kind of people. To say we believe and continue in a lawless lifestyle is exhibiting unfaithfulness to Elohim. He has shown us what is good and exceptable in His sight.
To claim to be His bride is to say you have excepted the terms of the marriage contract contained in torah. To then reinterpret the contact is a breach of contract or unfaithfulness. To Shuv/repent is to discover your indiscretion and change to conform to the terms.
We in this country are really without excuse. Even with all the history of the lawlessness of the church there is no shortage of bibles in this country. I didn’t need to be able to read Hebrew and Greek to figure out that My life did not conform to scripture. The English did a fine job of explaining it thank you very much.
It was my research into the history of the church 1st – 3rd century that showed me how the thing got so convoluted and at that point I repented and returned to YHVH in Spirit AND IN TRUTH.
Skip wrote;
The word in Greek is kenos. It literally means “empty,” and is found in the New Testament in phrases such as “empty words,” or “empty deceit.” It implies something vain, useless and ineffective. But it does not mean “stupid.” “Foolish” always has moral connotation in Scripture. Very clever, very intelligent men can still be fools if their lives do not live up to the standard of God’s holiness. And this is James’ point.
The frightening thing these days is that people are becoming more and more aware of the truth and making choices to stay unfaithful even though they are now accountable. When they didn’t know they were being unfaithful grace covered them. Now they justify their actions with lame excuses and rationalize their continuing on.
My life’s goal at this point in the game is not to see how close to the edge of the kingdom I am allowed to live. My goal is to be as front and center as I can possibly be. But that doesn’t seem to be the common goal these days.
Like my relative, he wants to enjoy all the benefits of his marriage and push the limits of his covenant beyond the boundaries at the same time and believe it’s just fine.
That is what struck me so hard about this post.
I had to read that several times before I got it; the key is in the word emphasis. Try this:
“I am not saved by BELIEVING; I REALIZE that I am saved, by believing.”
The saving has already taken place; the believing allows me to see it, to realize it.
One of my favorite illustrations of spiritual blindness is the scene with the dwarfs in the stable in Lewis’
The Last Battle. They are being fed good food, surrounded by the presence of Aslan and His Father,
and all they can see is rotten food and a dirty stable. All they had to do to enter into the presence of Aslan and all His gifts was to believe that they were real and there. That’s all we have to do to be saved:
believe that God has already done it all for us.
I really got a lot out of this TW, Skip; thank you!
Good clarification, thanks.
Yes, absolutely and amen!- I cannot work my soul to save, that work’s already done! (Remember? “It is finished!/final!/complete!), but I will work like any slave for the love of God THE (resurrected) Son.
Calvary is a done deal. An action (Christ laid down His life for us) in the past with results that continue to affect the future. The cross of our LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ, still enables and empowers and gives new life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins. The words of God, though written centuries and millenia ago, are still as fresh as tomorrow’s newspaper. How can this be said any other way other that what God has already said,
~ The Word of the LORD abides/remains/endures forever ~ (Isaiah 40.8)
If God said it, -it is so, and it only “matters” to me, whether or not “I” believe it, and yes, “act” on it. Trust/belief involves doing something and no, it is not walking down a church aisle and adding a name to the church rolls. What we ‘believe’ we “live by,”- all the rest is religious talk.
But salvation/deliverance is a “crisis followed by a process.” Life (truly) begins at death and then ends with life again. The seed falls into the ground and dies.. and then? Miraculous transformation, life begins again and growth occurs. How does a “newborn” Christian grow? What does a baby crave- and I’m talkin’ no small cravin’ either! A newborn or /new bairn’ wants one thing and one thing only.. and all of them lil’ cravin’ critters desire (lust after!) this… – “I” demand milk. Selfish little buggers? No.. they are hungry, feed them. FEED MY SHEEP. Bread of Heaven, Word of God (that is His Name) feed me ’til I want no more..
~As newborn babes, (intensely) desire (epipothēsate) the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby ~ (1 Peter 2.2)
Looking for a “command” to obey? Haven’t we just been “commanded”- “Let’s eat?” (I like this “command..”) Fitness, my friends, is 80% diet. What have we greedy consumer babies been eating? Feeding our minds (and bodies) with “junk food”- long live the Twinkie! . Artificial Everything. Mr.- It goes like this.. G-I-G-O sir. Garbage in and garbage out. What’s in your brain? Inquiring minds, like me..- want to know.
Another “command” from the God to obey? (not to worry- there are “not a few..”) For we (brothers and sisters) are to “welcome the Word..” Is Jesus (the resurrected Word of God) “welcome” at our house? Is He a stranger to us? or a Friend? Do we warmly welcome the Word?
The word of the LORD is truly beautiful. (Have you seen the beauty of the scriptures?- One amazing Book, -not a doubt!)
From the KJV: ~ (Remember, these are His “commands!”)
~ Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness *the engrafted word,* which is (very completely) able (dunamenon) to save your souls ~ (James 1.21)
Receive how? with meekness
Receive what? the engrafted word, the word of the LORD.
And just how (he inquired) shall a young man ~ cleanse his way, or keep his way pure? ~ Is this also a ‘command?’
~ By taking heed (listening intently!) to Your word(s).
Uhh.. Whose words are these again? –
~By living according to Your word ~
Uhh.. Whose words are these again?
~ By obeying Your word ~
Uhh.. Whose words are these again?
~ [He can do it] by holding on to Your word ~ (Psalm 119.9)
And one last word of ‘advice’ from the mother of THE MESSIAH..
~ whatever He says unto you- “do it” ~ (John 2.5)
and from the lips of our LORD:
~ If you love Me, you will obey what I command. ~ (John 14.15)
And “Who?” he inquired, was the most “obedient Man” ever to have lived?
~ what do the scriptures say? ~
~ And He wore a garment soaked with blood, and His Name is called The Word of God, (the resurrected, living Logos of YHWH) ~ (Revelation 19.16)
to quickly clarify.. it is not “the cross” per se that gives life, it is the atoning blood of Calvary’s Lamb, for ~ without the shedding of blood,- there is no remission of sin ~
And to simplify again.. We provide the “sinner” (for all have sinned) and God (has) provided the Savior.
~ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, (even by the Greeks!) that Christ Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost ~ (1 Timothy 1.15)
Move over Paul.. is there room for one more at the foot of the cross?
Thank you LORD for saving my soul
Thank you LORD for making me whole
Thank you LORD for giving to me
Thy great salvation, so full and free.
~ How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the LORD, it was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Breath, (the Ruach HaKodesh) according to His own will ~ (Hebrews 2.4)
~ Let all things be done decently and in order ~ (1 Corinthians 14.40)
1. by grace
2. through faith
3. unto good works
Ephesians 2.8-10
~ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ~ (Ephesians 2.8)
~Not of works, lest any man (no one) should boast ~ (Ephesians 2.9)
~ For we are His creatures (and His children!) who are created in Yeshua THE MESSIAH for good works, those things which God had from the first prepared that we should walk in them ~ (Ephesians 2.10)
“~ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ~ (Ephesians 2.8)”
Hi Carl,
Unlike Oswald Chambers’ writing, Paul’s point about grace is perfectly clear
However, without continual works, I would think our grace could be negated at some point
And the God that has saved me from myself many times might just stop giving his “gift”
Wouldn’t you agree?
There are so many “gifts” given unto us by our glorious Giver, Michael, it is hard to know where to begin! Start with the seemingly small.. our heartbeat would be a good place, then our breath would be another.. “there but for the grace of God go I” might be another! And “according to the scriptures”- according to God’s Instructions- “we will enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise.. (We are to) ~ be thankful unto Him and bless His Name..
Eternal summer lives in the grateful heart.
O magnify the Lord with me,
Ye people of His choice.
Let all to whom He lendeth breath
Now in His Name rejoice.
For love’s blest revelation,
For rest from condemnation,
For uttermost salvation,
To Him give thanks.
Refrain
Let all the people praise Thee.
Let all the people praise Thee,
Let all the people praise Thy Name
Forever and forevermore.
O praise Him for His holiness,
His wisdom, and His grace;
Sing praises for His precious blood
Which ransomed all our race.
In tenderness He sought us;
From depths of sin He brought us;
The way of life then taught us.
To Him give thanks.
Had I a thousand tongues to sing,
The half could ne’er be told
Of love so rich, so full and free,
Of blessings manifold;
Of grace that faileth never,
Peace flowing as a river
From God, our glorious Giver.
To Him give thanks.
in the grateful heart
grace could be negated
Hi Carl,
Just for fun, to play around with a little pun
We can find the GATE (GrATEful) in your GRATEful (GREAT) Heart
But without grace there would be No Gate
Jaroslav Pelikan, in his book, Bach Among the Theologians noted that the post-Reformation Pietistic movement changed the message. He wrote,
“[T]he way Pietism came to interpret the relation of the soul to Jesus entailed a shift of emphasis from objective to subjective, from the idea of “Christ for us” which had predominated in orthodox interpretations both before and after the Reformation, to a primary interest in “Christ in us,” which had never been absent from orthdoxy but which had been pronouncedly subordinated to the primary concern with the objectivity of the Gospel history and of the redemptive transaction on the historic cross. Orthodox critics of Pietism pointed to that shift as clear evidence of the heresy and dishonesty in the Pietist program. A study of the Pietist vocabulary would certainly show that in both homiletics and hymnody “Jesus” superseded “Christ” or “Jesus Christ” as the most common name, and – perhaps even more significant – that “Savior [Heiland]” replaced “Lord [Herr]” as his most common title.”
According to one theologian at the time of Bach, Johann Bengel, “the practice of saying ‘Savior, Savior [Heiland, Heiland]’ has become so customary that among many coarse people it is nothing but a proverb.”
Great word thank you. Gerry