Justified works justifies man

[Ghada]

The teaching in James 2, that the works spoken of do not justify the man (but are only a fruit and sign of faith), is saying that God judges a man apart from his works. And that God judges a person's works apart from the person.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

The person is judged by God according to their works. We are judged by our works. We are judged as our works are judged.

We are either judged and justified or condemned by God, according to how our works are judged by God, whether being justified unto life, or condemned to death.

 

[Ghada]

We are known by our works. Our works are not just a sign about us.

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Our works are our fruit, and our fruit is who we are. We are our works. If the fruit is good, the man is good. If the fruit is evil, the man is evil.

We are judged and known and justified or condemned by our works.

Our works do not just signify something about us in general. Our works expressly declare who we are. Our fruit is not just a 'sign of faith', but is our faith and who we are. Where there are no works, there is no person nor faith, because the works are the person.

Faith without works is therefore dead, because any person without works is dead. A dead person has no faith nor works.

If our works are judged as justified with God, then so is the man judged as justified by doing them.

God does not judge nor justify any man's works, apart from judging and justifying the man.

It's the same with God judging and condemning any man by his works.

 

[Ghada]

Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

For there is no respect of persons with God.

Our soul is judged and justified by what we do. No person can be judged and justified apart from our works, because we are our works.

Our soul is the life we live. When God judges our works, He is judging our soul.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

As the Bible concludes: our soul is judged when our works are judged. Our soul is either justified or condemned, by our works either being justified or condemned.

Strong delusion is any person supposing that our soul is judged and justified or condemned, apart from the life we live and the works we do.

It is we that are being judged, when are works are being judged. It's not just the works being judged apart from our soul.

 

[Soyeong]

The teaching in James 2, that the works spoken of do not justify the man (but are only a fruit and sign of faith), is saying that God judges a man apart from his works. And that God judges a person's works apart from the person.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

The person is judged by God according to their works. We are judged by our works. We are judged as our works are judged.

We are either judged and justified or condemned by God, according to how our works are judged by God, whether being justified unto life, or condemned to death.

When someone does good works, such as helping the poor, then the significance of their action is not that they need have first helped the poor a certain amount in order to become justified as the result as if it could be earned as a wage, but rather helping the poor is the way to express our faith and it is by that faith that we are justified.

While it is true that Abraham believed God, so he was justified (Genesis 15:6), it is also true that he believed God, so he obeyed God's command to offer Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), so the same faith by which he was justified was expressed by being an obeyer of God, but he did not earn his justification by his obedience as a wage (Romans 4:1-5). In James 2:21-24, Abraham was justified by his works when he offered Isaac, his faith was active along with his works, and his faith completed his works, so he was justified by his works insofar as they were expressing his faith, but. not insofar as they were earning it as a wage.

 

[Ghada]

When someone does good works, such as helping the poor, then the significance of their action is not that they need have first helped the poor a certain amount in order to become justified as the result as if it could be earned as a wage, but rather helping the poor is the way to express our faith and it is by that faith that we are justified.

Since nothing I said has anything to do with what you're talking about, then there's nothing for me to say about it.

so the same faith by which he was justified was expressed by being an obeyer of God,

I see no point in quibbling about words, as though it makes in difference in real life.

A work is not just an 'expression' but a fact of life. And God judges our work to justify or condemn our soul. Our soul is our life we live, and our works are what God knows us by.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works… Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only… Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works.

Both Abraham and Rahab are God's examples of being justified with Him by works through faith.

but he did not earn his justification by his obedience as a wage (Romans 4:1-5).

I can agree with this, but it has nothing to do with the fact of being justified by works, and never just by our faith alone.

Where no works are, there is no justification from God.

Doing His righteousness by His faith does not earn us present salvation and justification; however, it certainly does earn us the reward of being resurrected from the dead to inherit His everlasting kingdom.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

We can't and shouldn't boast about loving God and doing His will by grace, but we certainly have a hope of eternal reward for doing so unto the end of this life.

Thanks for the response and the clarification. So long as you're not trying to say any man is justified by Christ without or apart from works, then we agree.

 

[Ghada]

The problem with not being jsutified by works, is not being justified by our works.

If we can't justify how we live, how much less the righteous Judge and Lord of all the earth.

If we know our manner of life does not justify us as being righteous, then neither does the Lord.

1 John{2:29} If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John{3:7} Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous

Justification with Christ is being righteous as He is. Being righteous as the Lord is only by doing His righteousness.

Anyone not walking as He walks, is not living righteously as He, and is judged unjust with the world.

1 Peter{1:14} As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: {1:15} But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; {1:16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. {1:17} And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:

And so the problem with not being justified by our works, is being unjust doers of unrighteousness not justified with Christ.