Justification by Faith

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Hi,
How would I reconcile to my protestant friends what they would see as a contradiction in:

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:24

and

know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16

Thanks
 
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dljl:
Hi,
How would I reconcile to my protestant friends what they would see as a contradiction in:
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:24
and
know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16
Thanks
Click to expand...
Could you explain this a little more? I’m afraid if I give you my interpretation it won’t be what your looking for.
 
I still want to go over to the other thead if possible because I think it would benefit all parties involved greatly.

But the basic answer is that whenever St. Paul uses the word law he is referring to the Mosaic law, not the principles of the moral law. It gets quite a bit more complicated than that if you want to be 100% technically correct, but that ought to do unless they bring up something that forces it to go further.
 
Hello dljl,

You have to clarify with your Protestant friends what they mean by “Justification”.

1: Are they asking if anyone can earn their way to heaven outside of the saving blood payment of Jesus? No Catholics beleive this.

Or

2: Are they asking what differentiates those who go through the saving blood of Jesus into heaven and who does not go through the saving blood of Jesus into heaven?

Please visit Jesus, What Must I Do To Share In Everlasting Life?

Please visit forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=72153

NAB JOH 5:27

"The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned." NAB ROM 2:6 (St. Paul is speaking)

. . . when he will repay every man for what he has done: eternal life to those who strive for glory, honor, and immortality by patiently doing right; wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.
**NAB **REV 22:12

“Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! **Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life **and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood.” NAB MAT 25:31

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
 
NAB JOH 12:44

Jesus proclaimed aloud: “Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me; and whoever looks on me is seeing him who sent me. I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who **believes **in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken it is that which will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own; no, the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to speak. Since I know that his commandment means eternal life, whatever I say is spoken just as he instructed me.”
NAB DEU 30:15 The Choice before Israel.

"Here then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live

**NAB MAT **19:16
“Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?” He answered, “Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied “You shall not kill”; ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ‘You shall not steal’; ‘You shall not bear false witness’; ‘Honor your father and mother’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
NAB SIR 15:11 Man’s Free Will.

Say not: “It was God’s doing that I fell away”; for what he hates he does not do. Say not: “It was he who set me astray”; for he has no need of wicked man. Abominable wickedness the LORD hates, he does not let it befall those who fear him. When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will. There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him.
NAB JOH 15:10

"You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and **live **in his love."
**NAB MAT **7:12

Enter through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!"

“Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheeps’ clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl. You will know them by their deeds. Do you ever pick grapes from thronbushes, or figs from prickly plants? Never! Any sound tree bears good fruit, while a decayed tree bears bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit any more than a decayed tree can bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You can tell a tree by its fruit. None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not exorcised demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well?” They I will declare to them solemnly, “I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!”
 
**NAB MAT **5:20

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven . "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

NAB LUK 13:23

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom** of God and you yourselves cast out.**

**NAB MAT **18:21

’You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."

**NAB MAT 13:47-50 **

The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things. When it was full they hauled it ashore and sat down to put what was worthwhile into containers. What was useless they threw away. That is how it will be at the end of the world. Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just and hurl the wicked into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth.
 
Obviously St. Paul is not throwing out the need to obey Jesus and do as Jesus tells you you must do to go to heaven which is to obey the commandments and feed the poor. St. Peter firmly warns us of the ignorant who distort St. Paul’s writings. St. Paul, when speaking of the “law” is talking about circumcision and the Pharissee created laws, not Jesus’ and the Father’s commandments.

Do not throw out Jesus teachings, as your Protestant freinds have done, for what they misleadingly think St. Paul is saying. If you cannot make Jesus and St. Paul’s teachings coenside with one another, choose what Jesus teaches for it is he who believes in the words of Jesus who is promised eternal life.

NAB 2PE 3:14 Preparation for the Coming.

So, beloved, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found without stain or defilement, and at peace in his sight. Consider that our Lord’s patience is directed toward salvation. Paul, our beloved brother, wrote you this in the spirit of wisdom that is his, dealing with these matters as he does in all his letters. **There are certain passages in them hard to understand. The ignorant and the unstable distort them (just as they do the rest of Scripture) to their own ruin. You are forewarned, beloved brothers. Be on your guard lest you be led astray by the error of the wicked, and forfeit the security you enjoy.**NAB ACT 15:1

Some men came down to Antioch from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” This created dissension and much controversy between them and Paul and Barnabas.NAB ACT 21:20

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have come to believe, all of them staunch defenders of the law. Yet they have been informed that you teach the Jews who live among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, to give up the circumcision of their children, and to renounce their customs.” **NAB PHI 3:5 (St. Paul is speaking.) **

I was circumcised on the eighth day, being of the stock of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew origins; in legal observance I was a Pharisee, and so zealous that I persecuted the church. I was above reproach when it came to justice based on the law. (GAL 6:13)**NAB 1CO 7:19 (St. Paul is speaking.) **

Circumcision counts for nothing, and its lack makes no difference either. **What matters is keeping God’s commandments.**NAB ROM 2:13 (St. Paul is speaking.)

For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; it is those who keep it who will be declared just. When Gentiles who do not have the law keep it as by instinct, these men although without the law serve as a law for themselves. They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts. Their conscience bears witness together with that law, and their thoughts will accuse or defend them on the day when, in accordance with the gospel I preach, God will pass judgment on the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.NAB COL 2:20 (St. Paul is speaking.)

If with Christ you have died to cosmic forces, why should you be bound by rules that say, “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” as though you were still living a life bounded by this world? Such prescriptions deal with things that perish in their use. They are based on merely human precepts and doctrines. While these make a certain show of wisdom in their affected piety, humility, and bodily austerity, their chief effect is that they indulge men’s pride.
 
That was Steve’s short course on the subject, but there’s still more 👍

Here is something else to show your non-catholic friends.

HOW WE ARE SAVED
faith? grace ? baptism? hope? works? obedience? Love? sanctication?] Please note that it is possible to argue from scripture that we are saved by anyone of the things just listed. The problem is that the argument for just one of these things ignores the passages that support the others. Together they give us a more complete picture of how we are saved. Check out the following examples that illustrate the point.

BY FAITH
1 Cor 1:21
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

Rom 3:28
28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

Rom 10:10
For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

BY GRACE
Eph 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God–not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Rom 3:24
they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

Eph 2:4-6
the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ

WORKS–
Matt 16:24-27
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.

1 Tim 4:16
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

James 2:24
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 1:21-22
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

James 5:20
you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

BY BAPTISM
Acts: 2:40-41
And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

Rom 6:4
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

1 Peter 3:21
And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you-not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

BY HOPE
Rom 8:24
For we are saved by hope:

Eph :11-12
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

Eph 2:12-13
remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Col 1:5-6
You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.

Titus 3:6-7
This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Heb 3:6
Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.

Heb 6:11 And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end,

continued on next post
 
continued from prior post

BY OBEDIENCE
Deu 7:9-10
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.

Acts 5:32
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

Heb 5:9
and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

Matt 7:21
"Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

1 Peter 1: 2
to the exiles…who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

Rev 12:17
Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.

BY LOVE
1 Cor 8:3
…but anyone who loves God is known by him.

1 Cor 16:22
Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come!

Jam 1:12-15
Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 2:5
Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

Luke 10:25-37
“Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

John 14:15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

1Cor 2:9
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”

1Cor 13:1-2
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

1Cor 13:13
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
LOVE IS OBEDIENCE
1Jn 5:3
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments.

2 Jn 1:6
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning-you must walk in it.

BY ENDURANCE
Luke 21:19
By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Heb 10:36
For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Matt 24 :12-13
And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

BY SANCTIFICATION
Heb 13:12
Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.

Acts 20:32
And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.

1Cor 1:2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Rom 6:22
But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life.

Heb 2:11
For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

HEB 10:9
And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1Peter 1:2
who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

2 Thess 2:13
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
 
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dljl:
Hi,
How would I reconcile to my protestant friends what they would see as a contradiction in:

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:24

and

know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16
Click to expand...
There is no contradiction here. James clearly states that man is justified by faith and “works.” Paul states that man is justified by faith apart from “works of law.” The issue concerns not so much the meaning of faith but the meaning of works for James and Paul. Both actually teach that we are not justified by ‘faith alone.’ James simply states that faith and works justify. Paul states that faith justifies but only excludes ‘works of law’ (I will explain the meaning of this term below) from justification.

Let’s look at it another way. Paul no where says that ‘faith alone’ justifies. The reason he does this is because elsewhere he teaches that faith must be coupled with other virtues (such as hope and love) in order for justification to take place (Galatians 5:4-6; see also 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8). As a matter of fact, Paul places a primacy on the virtue of love even over faith (1 Corinthians 13:2, 13). Paul also instructs us that other virtues play a role in righteousness and are a sort of measuring stick to see where Christians in each church stand (2 Corinthians 8:7; Ephesians 1:15; 3:17; 6:23; Colossians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:5, 14; 2:15; 4:12; 6:11; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2:22; Titus 2:2; Philemon 1:5). Likewise, Peter informs us that to secure our salvation we need other virtues in addition to faith (2 Peter 1:3-11).

Paul sometimes intertwines some of these virtues because they are so closely bound and necessary for the Christian’s salvation (i.e. work of faith [1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11]; obedience of faith [Romans 1:5; 16:26; Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 Peter 1:2, 22]). Obedience also carries a special place (Romans 6:16; Hebrews 11:8-19). After all, disobedience and obedience is what was behind the Fall and Redemption (Romans 5:19; Hebrews 5:7-9). Obedience is also directly related to love (see below).

Now the question is what does James mean by “works” and what does Paul mean by “works of law”? Let’s start with Paul first. Paul uses the phrase “works of law” to refer to the entire Mosiac Covenant. Christ’s sacrifice instituted a new Covenant rendering the Old obsolete along with its commandments and ordinances (2 Corithians 3:6-14; Hebrews 7:18; 8:7, 13; 10:9; etc.). Therefore, the Old Covenant cannot save. Salvation is through the New Covenant now because of Christ’s sacrifice. By turning to the Old Covenant, one falls from grace (Galatians 5:4). By turning away from the New Covenant, one falls into judgment (Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-39).

“Works” as used by James refers to those things commanded by Christ under the New Covenant driven by grace, faith, and love. This refers to the new commandments (John 14:15, 21; 1 Corinthians 7:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:2; 1 John 5:2, 3) and the new Law (Romans 8:2; 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 7:12; James 1:25; 2:8-12). These are necessary for Christians and demonstrate love (John 13:34; 15:12; Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 14:37; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Peter 2:21; 3:2; 1 John 3:23; 4:21; 2 John 1:5, 6; Revelation 12:17; 14:12). For it is not the hearers of the New Law but the doers that will be justified (Romans 2:13; James 1:19-27; 2:14, 17, 20-26; 4:11, 12).

Therefore “works of law” in Paul refer to the realm of the OT. James uses “works” for the NT commands of Christ. As seen above, Paul also uses “works” in this positive sense as James does (see also Romans 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7-9).

In regards to the two verses you quoted:

James states what can be coupled with faith for justification. Paul on the other hand states one virtue that is necessary for justification and one thing (works of law) that cannot be coupled with faith for justification. However, Paul’s exclusion of “works of law” excludes only “works of law” in justification and not the virtues mentioned above. That’s why Paul does not use the word “alone” after faith while James does. If faith, hope, and love are needed in justification, you can see why James can say that “faith alone” cannot justify, since you need hope and love also, while Paul says that faith justifies (without using alone because you need hope and love also) but “works of law” don’t. Don’t let Protestants confuse you and attempt to make “works of law” = “alone” because they are far from synonymous.
 
Hello dljl,

Well, now are you totally confused? Jesus tells us if we wish to enter into life, obey the commandments. God tells us that obedience to His commandments is how one loves God and neighbor. God’s covenant is that if you obey His commandments you will live (through Jesus). Abraham obeys God’s command to offer up Isaac and for this Abraham is blessed and in heaven. St. Paul refers to Abraham’s obedience to God’s command as faith. Yet other posters confuse St. Paul as throwing out Christ’s call for obedience if we wish to enter into life.

Do not gamble with your soul. Stick with what Jesus clearly tells you you must do to go to heaven through Him, which is to obey God’s commands and feed the poor. Jesus clearly tells us He will judge us according to our conduct. Go with what Jesus clear warnings.

NAB MAT 19:16 “Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?” He answered, “Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied “You shall not kill”; ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ‘You shall not steal’; ‘You shall not bear false witness’; ‘Honor your father and mother’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
NAB JOH 5:27

"The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned." NIV 1JO 5:3

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.NIV JOH 14:15

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

**NAB JOH 15:22 **

“If I had not come to them and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; now, however, their sin cannot be excused. To hate me is to hate my Father. Had I not performed such works among them as no one has ever done before, they would not be guilty of sin; but as it is, they have seen, and they go on hating me and my Father.” **NAB 2JO 1:5 **

But now, my Lady, I would make this request of you (not as if I were writing you some new commandment; rather, it is a commandment we have had from the start): let us love one another. This love involves our walking according to the commandments, and as you have heard from the beginning, the commandment is the way in which you should walk.
 
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Mathetes007:
Now the question is what does James mean by “works” and what does Paul mean by “works of law”? Let’s start with Paul first. Paul uses the phrase “works of law” to refer to the entire Mosiac Covenant. Christ’s sacrifice instituted a new Covenant rendering the Old obsolete along with its commandments and ordinances (2 Corithians 3:6-14; Hebrews 7:18; 8:7, 13; 10:9; etc.). Therefore, the Old Covenant cannot save. Salvation is through the New Covenant now because of Christ’s sacrifice. By turning to the Old Covenant, one falls from grace (Galatians 5:4). By turning away from the New Covenant, one falls into judgment (Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-39).

“Works” as used by James refers to those things commanded by Christ under the New Covenant driven by grace, faith, and love. This refers to the new commandments (John 14:15, 21; 1 Corinthians 7:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:2; 1 John 5:2, 3) and the new Law (Romans 8:2; 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 7:12; James 1:25; 2:8-12). These are necessary for Christians and demonstrate love (John 13:34; 15:12; Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 14:37; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Peter 2:21; 3:2; 1 John 3:23; 4:21; 2 John 1:5, 6; Revelation 12:17; 14:12). For it is not the hearers of the New Law but the doers that will be justified (Romans 2:13; James 1:19-27; 2:14, 17, 20-26; 4:11, 12).

Therefore “works of law” in Paul refer to the realm of the OT. James uses “works” for the NT commands of Christ. As seen above, Paul also uses “works” in this positive sense as James does (see also Romans 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7-9).

In regards to the two verses you quoted:

James states what can be coupled with faith for justification. Paul on the other hand states one virtue that is necessary for justification and one thing (works of law) that cannot be coupled with faith for justification. However, Paul’s exclusion of “works of law” excludes only “works of law” in justification and not the virtues mentioned above. That’s why Paul does not use the word “alone” after faith while James does. If faith, hope, and love are needed in justification, you can see why James can say that “faith alone” cannot justify, since you need hope and love also, while Paul says that faith justifies (without using alone because you need hope and love also) but “works of law” don’t. Don’t let Protestants confuse you and attempt to make “works of law” = “alone” because they are far from synonymous.
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Thank you! Just what I was looking for. 👍
 
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