John 6:28 Then they said to Him, What shall we do that we might work(2038) the works(2041) of God? 29 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work(2041) of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.
How does this change the way we read the following scripture from James?
James 2:14 My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works(2041)? Can faith save him?
James 2:17 Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works(2041). Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works.
G2038 ἐργάζομαι ergazomai (er-gad'-zom-ahee)
Middle voice from G2041; to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.: - commit, do, labor for, minister about, trade (by), work.
G2041 1ἔργον ergon (er'-gon)
From ἔργω ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.
6 comments:
Brilliant!
Good James.imagine what he would have done if he had had the revelation of Grace. send us deeper please Lord.......
suppose to say (Good old James)
I skeem God put the book of James in the bible so that we could see that law is driven even in the new testament times. I reckon God is triyng to show us something here.
Hey there... just wanted to say thanks for listening! We continued on with the same subject in our next program, and I even decided to title the program "What Shall We Do?" :) (We recorded both programs at the same time, but we only upload one per week). We're getting ready to record our next program or two, and I've suggested to Mike that we continue on with this theme, with bits of Romans 4 as a backdrop.
"Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness..."
I've personally struggled with understanding James over the years, but I don't really have a problem with him in the long run.
To me, the key is "if a man says> he has faith..." A person can say he has faith but not have faith. The "proof" will be in the pudding. The pudding doesn't save him, but shows that the ingredients are real and not just fictional. I think that true, genuine faith will produce real, genuine fruit, and the fruit simply shows the faith to have been real in the first place. My thoughts, anyway. :)
I agree with Joel. I think it's simply the fact that if Christ is in someone, that person cannot remain the same because God's Spirit is in him, sanctifying him. It all goes back to the, "I am the Vine, you are the branches" for me.
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