John 6:28-29 Explains James 2:18-20?

John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” James 2:18-20, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

I was thinking today (I thought I smelled wood burning...lol). I was thinking about the Bible. The Lord gave me a truth that burned in my heart. There is much debate among theologians, and in the churches, over the accurate meaning of James chapter 2. Specifically, James' statement in verse 20, “FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.” I heard a horrible heretical sermon the other day that someone sent to me, by Pastor Daniel Phelps (Chuck Phelps son) at the Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sadly, the church is a cult, caught between grace and works, preaching another gospel of Lordship Salvation. This is the ungodly Bob Jones University crowd today, a bunch of infidels who pervert God's grace.

Anyway, in his sermon Daniel Phelps uses James chapter 2, corrupting it's true meaning. According to Daniel, a person cannot be saved unless they have “WORKS” to prove that their faith is genuine. But wait a minute! That is man's speculation, not what God's Word teaches. I love what Dr. John R. Rice taught me, to always let the Bible interpret itself. Thankfully, we have Jesus' own words, defining exactly what “WORKS” we must do to get to Heaven. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” I love that! 

So when James says that “FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD,” he is simply saying that believing in God is not enough to get to Heaven. The devils also believe, and they tremble, knowing that they are doomed! You don't get your sins forgiven by having faith in God, you must BELIEVE ON HIM, the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” So if you have faith in God, but not in Jesus, you will NOT go to Heaven when you die! The Holy Bible is very plain about that. I have met religious people while soulwinning, who spoke nothing but praises toward God the Father, but then cursed at the very mention of the name of “Jesus.” You see, they have churchianity without Christianity!

My friend, the Apostle James was not teaching Lordship Salvation, he was simply saying that to be saved, you must BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! What saith the Scripture? Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Oh, how simple is the Bible, if we just let the Bible speak for itself, and stop listening to these damnable false prophets today, who keep lying and telling people that they must “turn away from your sin” to be saved. No you don't! Jesus came to save you and me friend from our sins!

Now, could I be wrong in my interpretation of James 2? Sure, I am only human. In James 2:18, the apostle says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” James is speaking about being justified in the eyes of men, not God. Yet, in the next verse James mentions the fallen angels, who tremble in fear of coming judgment, torment and damnation in Hell (Matthew 8:29), which would make it a salvation issue. So I will let you decide dear reader what James chapter 2 means. It could be referring to our walk as believers in “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14b). Hebrews 12:14 simply means that we are the only Jesus someone may know. So if we are not emulating Christ through our life, then someone may go to Hell because of our poor testimony. Every believer is a walking billboard. What are you advertising?

In the Epistle of Romans, the apostle Paul clearly teaches about justification by faith alone (Romans 4:5-6). This plainly teaches us that James absolutely cannot be saying that our faith in Christ is not genuine if we don't have works (turning from sin, holiness, good deeds, et cetera). Taken by itself, James chapter 2 can be wrestled (tortured) to say just about anything. Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) wisely said: “A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one.” James chapter 2 is definitely obscure (i.e., it's meaning is highly debated by Bible students). Romans 4:1-6 is as plain as the noon day sun! 

Romans 4:4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” If turning away from sins is required to be saved, or to prove that one's faith is genuine (as the foolish Bob Jones University crowd constantly claim), then salvation is a reward that is earned, and God is INDEBTED to you. I looked up the Greek meaning of the word “reward” here, which means “pay for service.” The Bible is saying that if you attempt to do WORKS to get to Heaven, then salvation becomes a reward (pay for service), so that God would owe you. Folks, that is not how salvation works. That is why Paul is refuting the very idea here!

I am sick and tired of hearing the apostate Bob Jones University crowd, which today are all Calvinists preaching hardcore Lordship Salvation, saying that salvation is BY GRACE, but we must DO WORKS to prove the genuineness of our faith. That absolutely is NOT what James is teaching in his epistle. I KNOW this to be true, because it would boldly contradict the plain teachings found in the Gospel of John, the Epistle of Romans, and the very Words of our dear Lord Himself in John 6:28-29. So either James was speaking about justification in the sight of men (not God), or he was talking about justification by faith alone in Christ (which is the only “WORKS” which God requires or allows to be saved). 

Whosoever BELIEVES ON THE SON has worked the works of God. That is EXACTLY what Jesus said in John 6:28-29, I didn't say that. If you believe, your religious faith is not dead anymore, it is alive in Christ Jesus! I love you dear reader with God's unconditional love, whoever you may be. I just want to be a blessing to help others for Christ. I give Jesus ALL the praise and credit (John 15:5). Thank you for reading my blog articles. God bless!