Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
2:18 Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

Millions and perhaps billions of human have been enslaved to false religion by James words above, into doing good works for a religious group. Moreover, their being judged for not meetings the laws of organized religion, being killed, and kicked out as wicked for not following the rules for good works of a religion. But are all good works God's good works? In other words, was James the half brother of Christ teaching the exact opposite of the others apostles of Christ whom said: "we cannot be saved by works?"

Galatians 2:16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

First, we must understand there are works of law, God's law, which did not save Israel, and there are mankind's own works in government, religion, and commerce, which cannot save us. Than there are works of Christ, which are vastly different than all other works of sin, which sin is darkness and yeast to God's good works found in Christ which save us!

1 John 3:9 Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

John 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."

John 6:28 They said therefore to him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?" 6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 6:30 They said therefore to him, "What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"

God YHWH has a tree He planted which tree is the seed of Christ, it will crush and put an end to all other kingdom on this earth, rather that be government, religion and/or commerce. Christ Kingdom will fill the whole earth, but what is unique about Christ Kingdom is its not formed with human hands, it is rather formed by God's own holy, holy, holy, hands, without mankind's help. His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom free from sin and corruption of fallen mankind. Those making up the Kingdom of God must be born anew and be grafted into a tree of righteousness, which means without sin, the tree is the seed that grows into the Christ and produce fruit of Holy Spirit freeing humans from sin and corruption unlike the nations of our world or for that matter religion.

John.15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.
15:2 Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 15:3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

So what does this have to do with works? Actually everything, Christian's must do the works of God by faith, Christ works are God's works formed not by human hands, they are factually God working in, and through humans, which glorify God's name. To do God's works, they have to be sinless works, not of human sold into sin and death by Adam disobedience. Thus, a person has to be in Christ, why? Christ was sinless, and obedient onto death to his Father, he is the one faithful slave proven by his glorification by his Father Jehovah in giving him his incorruptible Kingdom, this Kingdom will not share its glory with human kingdoms, religion, or commerce, it is free, and its is above and the only way one can enter into this Kingdom of Christ is by being born anew into the life of Christ so Christ can work through us.

John 3:7 Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.'

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!

Daniel 2:44 In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 2:45 Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall happen hereafter: and the dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.

Those indwelt with Christ produce fruit of the tree they are attached to, a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, whereas a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. So in context to James writings he is saying: “you cannot be apart of Christ and not produce good works and/or fruit because Christ is alive living in you, and proof of that is your good works done by faith in Christ Jesus, which faith caused your new birth into a sinless his life of Christ. He is not saying all works that human consider good, and call good is God's or Christ good works because they are done in the name of Christ. For we have seen as many evil works done in Christ name as good. He is not saying if you do enough good works you will get the Kingdom of God, no!

Matt.7:21 Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 7:22 Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?'

Romans 9:11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls.

Romans 4:4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt.

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

Romans 3:28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

What he is saying is the life of Christ in a person produce good works for God and if your apart of that life you must produce good works because that is what a good tree does. There is no mystery or an enslaving of humans into works to make others feel guilty so they will produce more for a religion using God's word the bible.

Matt.7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

See also: www.nu-truth.com