Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

James 2:21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;"{Genesis 15:16} and he was called the friend of God. 2:24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.

A person needs to stop, take a breathe here, and ask some hard questions, what did God YHWH ask Abraham to do? Was it to follow an order of a man, to follow an order of a religion that uses God's word the bible? What did God personally ask Abraham to do? Was it too obey the laws of the land?

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."

What he ask Abraham to do was to kill his son as a sacrifice to him for what? Sin, yes, what other reason did man need to take a life for, if its not too pour out innocent blood for redemption, and purification of sin of man so he can stand righteous in peace with God?

Hebrews 9:22 According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

Now that we have established why Abraham would have sacrifice his own son to establish peace with God, what did his faith do? Abraham's faith said: “if God ask this of me I will trust that God is good and righteous and it must be for his good purpose as my sovereign King”. What works did Abraham do? Did he make this whole episode up, thinking that somehow it would go down into history as a good story? Did he set around for a hundred years thinking of a ways that he could do something great for God? No! Abraham did God's works when ask at God's time, that is, the work God ask him to do by faith.

Rom.10:4 For Christ is the fulfillment{or, completion, or end} of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.

Ephesians 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

Abraham did according to man an evil by his laws, he went against all mankind had created in their governments, he went against the entire world to offer up his son on altar to God. Abraham's faith offended the politically correct views of mankind what they thought God's works are for mankind!

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.

In other words, Abraham did not go to man an listen to what works they interpreted from their understanding of God was, than claim those works as accepted by man as pleasing God to justify unrighteous works. Abraham could not be justified by any work, but God's works by faith his faith in the works God he commanded him to do. Abraham's faith must be in God's works, not in some else faith telling him what God's works are for Abraham. What were God's works for these Christian's at James time? Well, if they were Christian's that is in Christ life (sinless) they had already been justified in God's works for mankind, Christ Jesus; not in the works of a religion, or self-works what mankind demands as God's work to be pleasing to God then hanging words from their bible to justify their works as God's works for mankind.

1 Peter 3:18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

No! James was speaking to Christian's justified in the sacrifice of God's son Christ Jesus for their sins, they were justified by faith already. Hence, that is what the story of Abraham picture. So what are we speaking about here?

We are speaking about faith making us what? Righteous, which is exactly what James says would happen if we put faith in God's works for mankind for salvation. They would be made righteous by their faith in God being justify by his works in Christ Jesus. Does a Christians have to be on a ladder of good works to be justified over and over again throughout their life, or are they justified once through the blood of Christ Jesus for all times? In other words, is Christ enough to justify us by faith, or must one go beyond what Christ has done for us by faith into many works of faith?

Hebrews 9:26 or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 10:10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

If Christian's must be sanctified by faith daily by doing good works how would they rest in Christ by faith? That is, desisting from their own works if they have to be in constant state of doing works to be saved? So lets get things into context to all the holy writings, Christian's are dead to the works of this world, they are dead to their old life, they are not doing works from a reformed fleshly body that is factually and accurately dead in Christ. Christian's are doing works from Christ Jesus life living in them and working through them because they are part of a righteous, holy good tree as its branches bearing the fruit.

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.

This is James real meaning here, Christ living in a person produces works, which works are justified by faith, our faith in Christ Jesus which are God's works for mankind to put faith in. We have been justified once for all time in Christ. He is not saying, anyone can do works for God by some law of man, or a religion, and be justified, nor is he saying we can be justified before God outside of the blood of Christ by works. There is no other name God has give to mankind by which to be saved, but Christ Jesus.

Acts 4:12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!"

If it is the works that false religion claim in these verses than we as Christian's are faced with some very serious and disturbing questions? What of all the evil works done in the name of God by these same religions, how can a good tree bear bad fruit, or a bad tree bear good fruit?

Matt.7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
7:18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

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.

See also; www.nu-truth.com