Justified by Faith Alone cf. James 2:24

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SUMMARY

Man’s cooperation with the grace of God is produced by God’s operation, no one can be saved any different way!!!

Aquinas said, “God changes the will without forcing it.
But he can change the will from the fact that He himself operates in the will as He does in nature,” De Veritatis 22:9.

Phil.2:13; “For it is God who works in you BOTH TO WILL and TO ACT for His good pleasure.”

CCC 2022; “The divine initiative in the work of grace PRECEDES, PREPARES, and ELICITS the free response of man. …”

In other words, when God commands, He capacitates the hearer to respond.

Our cooperation with the grace of God is produced by God’s operation.

Yet the ability to respond is also His gift.

You said Cathoholic:
I am talking about people choosing to EXCLUDE THEMSELVES through a rejection of God’s grace.

If that would happen, God would fail to produce our cooperation with His grace of Final Perseverance, throughout in our Progressive Justification then He would lose His omniscience.

I believe, God’s Omniscience is safe, and God will NEVER fail to produce our cooperation with His operation throughout our Progressive Justification.

God’s grace of Initial Justification saved us.

God’s grace, The Gift of Final Perseverance (our cooperation is produced by God’s operation, Ez.36:25-27; Phil.2:13; etc.) keeps us saved for all eternity.

If some Initially Justified would EXCLUDE THEMSELVES through a rejection of God’s grace, even one in all Christian history, God would lose His omniscience.

Initial Justification. – The Gift of Final Perseverance. = Everlasting life in hell, is not only heresy, a positive predestination to hell, but MOCKING THE LOVE AND THE JUSTICE OF GOD.

What do you think Cathoholic, do we have to be spiritual geniuses to know it?

God bless Cathoholic and every readers of the CAF.

LatinRight
 
Hello August Theresa, The James passage you sight, (you must know) is not talking about eternal life or how one can have it. The entire book of James was not written to answer that narrow question about eternal life. For this reason there is no conflict between the instructions Paul gave the Church at Rome and the instructions James gave.

The key to separating Paul’s justification apart from works (Ro. 3:20) from James’s justification by works (Jam 2:24) has to do with how the concept is being used. James said, “you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith ONLY.” The word only implies that James does not want to contradict Paul’s teaching of justification by faith, but only that there is another kind of justification and it is by works. If James and Paul are talking about the same thing, then we all have a huge problem. There is a contradiction in our New Testament bible. Both Roman Catholic and non Roman will agree there is no contradictions in either Old or New Testament.

Since that is so, we must approach these two verses of scripture with the understanding that they are not talking about the same thing. Paul never disagrees with James that a man can be justified by works. Paul said, “For if Abraham was justified by works, HE HAS SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT!.. but not before God.” (Rom. 4:2.) According to Paul, there is a justification by works but it is not the kind that will satisfy God’s wrath. Paul said in Ro.3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law NO FLESH will be justified IN HIS SIGHT, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

So what do we have left? According to James, Abraham was justified by works WHEN HE OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON ON THE ALTAR. Jam.2:21 fulfilling Gen. 22 But this was not the first time Abraham was justified. He was also justified in the sight of God in Genesis 15:6 in conjunction with James 2:23. In Genesis 15:6 it says, "Abraham believed in the LORD and he counted it to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS=HEBREW equivalent for the word JUSTIED. James was brilliant in putting these two passages together. One justification was before God alone for eternal life, while the other was justified before men when he offered his son. This was a temporal justification while the Gen. 15 act was eternal. Unfortunately while James may have been having a little fun with Paul, the Church in general has stumbled over this.

Abraham could not be called the friend of God until his Gen. 15 experience matured into his Gen.22 experience of faith working itself out in good works. Obedient Catholics become God’s friend on this basis.
 
tgGodsway said:
Hello August Theresa, The James passage you sight, (you must know) is not talking about eternal life or how one can have it. The entire book of James was not written to answer that narrow question about eternal life. For this reason there is no conflict between the instructions Paul gave the Church at Rome and the instructions James gave.

The key to separating Paul’s justification apart from works (Ro. 3:20) from James’s justification by works (Jam 2:24) has to do with how the concept is being used. James said, “you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith ONLY.” The word only implies that James does not want to contradict Paul’s teaching of justification by faith, but only that there is another kind of justification and it is by works. If James and Paul are talking about the same thing, then we all have a huge problem. There is a contradiction in our New Testament bible. Both Roman Catholic and non Roman will agree there is no contradictions in either Old or New Testament.

Since that is so, we must approach these two verses of scripture with the understanding that they are not talking about the same thing. Paul never disagrees with James that a man can be justified by works. Paul said, “For if Abraham was justified by works, HE HAS SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT!.. but not before God.” (Rom. 4:2.) According to Paul, there is a justification by works but it is not the kind that will satisfy God’s wrath. Paul said in Ro.3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law NO FLESH will be justified IN HIS SIGHT, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

So what do we have left? According to James, Abraham was justified by works WHEN HE OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON ON THE ALTAR. Jam.2:21 fulfilling Gen. 22 But this was not the first time Abraham was justified. He was also justified in the sight of God in Genesis 15:6 in conjunction with James 2:23. In Genesis 15:6 it says, "Abraham believed in the LORD and he counted it to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS=HEBREW equivalent for the word JUSTIED. James was brilliant in putting these two passages together. One justification was before God alone for eternal life, while the other was justified before men when he offered his son. This was a temporal justification while the Gen. 15 act was eternal. Unfortunately while James may have been having a little fun with Paul, the Church in general has stumbled over this.

Abraham could not be called the friend of God until his Gen. 15 experience matured into his Gen.22 experience of faith working itself out in good works. Obedient Catholics become God’s friend on this basis.
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Are you sure your Catholic?🙂
 
tgGodsway said:
Hello August Theresa, The James passage you sight, (you must know) is not talking about eternal life or how one can have it. The entire book of James was not written to answer that narrow question about eternal life. For this reason there is no conflict between the instructions Paul gave the Church at Rome and the instructions James gave.

The key to separating Paul’s justification apart from works (Ro. 3:20) from James’s justification by works (Jam 2:24) has to do with how the concept is being used. James said, “you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith ONLY.” The word only implies that James does not want to contradict Paul’s teaching of justification by faith, but only that there is another kind of justification and it is by works. If James and Paul are talking about the same thing, then we all have a huge problem. There is a contradiction in our New Testament bible. Both Roman Catholic and non Roman will agree there is no contradictions in either Old or New Testament.

Since that is so, we must approach these two verses of scripture with the understanding that they are not talking about the same thing. Paul never disagrees with James that a man can be justified by works. Paul said, “For if Abraham was justified by works, HE HAS SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT!.. but not before God.” (Rom. 4:2.) According to Paul, there is a justification by works but it is not the kind that will satisfy God’s wrath. Paul said in Ro.3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law NO FLESH will be justified IN HIS SIGHT, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

So what do we have left? According to James, Abraham was justified by works WHEN HE OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON ON THE ALTAR. Jam.2:21 fulfilling Gen. 22 But this was not the first time Abraham was justified. He was also justified in the sight of God in Genesis 15:6 in conjunction with James 2:23. In Genesis 15:6 it says, "Abraham believed in the LORD and he counted it to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS=HEBREW equivalent for the word JUSTIED. James was brilliant in putting these two passages together. One justification was before God alone for eternal life, while the other was justified before men when he offered his son. This was a temporal justification while the Gen. 15 act was eternal. Unfortunately while James may have been having a little fun with Paul, the Church in general has stumbled over this.

Abraham could not be called the friend of God until his Gen. 15 experience matured into his Gen.22 experience of faith working itself out in good works. Obedient Catholics become God’s friend on this basis.
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There were no men in the passage in Genesis 22. And it clearly reads “God put Abraham to the test.” So obviously, it’s God Abraham is being justified before.
 
It seems to me when I read Paul and James both are addressing different groups of people. In paul converted Pharisees were teaching and preaching to converted Gentiles that in order to be saved they had to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses. Paul is saying that circuncisism was not needed nor the ritual laws of Moses these are the works Paul is speaking against and that faith is needed as the laws of Moses is no longer valid under Christ Jesus.

James on the other hand was dealing with converted Pharisees in Jerusalem who were teaching and preaching that one no longer needed to do any thing good works etc and all one needed to be saved was faith and nothing more. James is saying that faith is an action word and good works shows the faith one has in Christ Jesus as faith with out doing nothing about it was useless and has no worth to save anyone. Paul in no way was saying that one did not need to do any good works only that followers of Christ jesus no longer needed to preform the Jewish rituals and laws of Moses to be saved. Paul does not say only faith saves and do any good works,

So James says faith without good works is no faith at all and Paul is saying in effect jewish rituals and laws of Moses is not going to save anyone. Anyway that is how i see it especially when one red between the lines as to how life was at that time.
 
James248 said:
There were no men in the passage in Genesis 22. And it clearly reads “God put Abraham to the test.” So obviously, it’s God Abraham is being justified before.
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It was not so obvious that Church Fathers concluded this.

John Chrysostom wrote:
And he shows another thing too, by saying that “God tempted Abraham.” What then? Did not God know that the man was noble and approved? Why then did God tempt him? Not that God might learn but that God might show to others and make his fortitude manifest to all. And here also he shows the cause of the trials, that they may not suppose they suffer these things as being forsaken of God.
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On the Epistle to the Hebrews, 25.
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Volume 10, Hebrews, Erik M. Heen and Philip D.W. Krey ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2005, pg. 192

Origen said:
In this statement it is usually thrown out against us that God says “now” He had learned that Abraham fears God, as though He had were such as not to have known previously. God knew, and it was not hidden from Him, since it is He “who has known all things before they come to pass”. But these things were written on account of you, because you too have indeed believed in God.
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Homilies on Genesis, 8.8
Ancient Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament, Volume 2, Genesis, Mark Sheridan, ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2002, pg. 107

And Ambrosiaster:
This is a rhetorical question. Abraham does indeed have glory before God, but this is only because of the faith by which he was justified, since nobody is justified by the works of the law in a way which would give him glory before God. And because those who keep the law are still being justified, Paul adds: If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about but not before God. Rather before the world, lest he appear to be bound by the current law. But before God it is those who have faith who are justified
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Ancient Christian Texts, Commentaries on Romans and 1-2 Corinthians, Gerald L. Bray, trans. & ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2009, pg. 31

And then Bede:
In the same way He said to Abraham, “Now I know that you fear God,” wherein He was saying, Now I have made people (who up to now did not know) recognize what I in my own mind, always held to be certain, [namely], that you fear God.
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Homilies on the Gospels
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament, Volume 2, Genesis 12-50, Mark Sheridan, ed. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2002, pg. 109
 
Thank you for the reply, but the Genesis 22 account does not need a human witness for James (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to say he was justified by works by offering his only son. The real question is: was he justified in the eyes of men who heard all about what Abraham had done? Yes he was. Three major religions of the world know who Abraham is and what he did. Rome on the other hand was taught that NO FLESH could be justified by works before God’s eyes. (Rom. 4:2) This point cannot be ignored by any serious bible student, if we want to release any potential tension between Paul’s writings and James.
 
tgGodsway said:
Thank you for the reply, but the Genesis 22 account does not need a human witness for James (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to say he was justified by works by offering his only son. The real question is: was he justified in the eyes of men who heard all about what Abraham had done? Yes he was. Three major religions of the world know who Abraham is and what he did. Rome on the other hand was taught that NO FLESH could be justified by works before God’s eyes. (Rom. 4:2) This point cannot be ignored by any serious bible student, if we want to release any potential tension between Paul’s writings and James.
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He was justified before God. Period.
 
SyCarl said:
It was not so obvious that Church Fathers concluded this.

John Chrysostom wrote:

On the Epistle to the Hebrews, 25.
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Volume 10, Hebrews, Erik M. Heen and Philip D.W. Krey ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2005, pg. 192

Origen said:

Homilies on Genesis, 8.8
Ancient Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament, Volume 2, Genesis, Mark Sheridan, ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2002, pg. 107

And Ambrosiaster:

Ancient Christian Texts, Commentaries on Romans and 1-2 Corinthians, Gerald L. Bray, trans. & ed., InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2009, pg. 31

And then Bede:
Homilies on the Gospels
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament, Volume 2, Genesis 12-50, Mark Sheridan, ed. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2002, pg. 109
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You forget the other quotes of the Fathers who are of the opinion Abraham was justified before God and that we are justified by works.

Clement of Rome

Let us therefore join with those to whom grace is given by God. Let us clothe ourselves in concord, being humble and self- controlled, keeping ourselves far from all backbiting and slander, being justified by works and not by words. . . . Why was our Father Abraham blessed? Was it not because of his deeds of justice and truth, wrought in faith? . . . So we, having been called through his will in Christ Jesus, were not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of heart, but through faith, whereby the almighty God justified all men. (Letter to the Corinthians 30:3, 31:2, 32:3-4 [A.D. 110]).

Theophilus of Antioch

Give studious attention to the prophetic writings, and they will lead you on a clearer path to escape the eternal punishments and to obtain the eternal good things of God. He who gave the mouth for speech and formed the ears for hearing and made eyes for seeing will examine everything and will judge justly, granting recompense to each according to merit. To those who seek immortality by the patient exercise of good works, he will give everlasting life, joy, peace, rest, and all good things, which neither has eye seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man. For the unbelievers and for the contemptuous, and for those who do not submit to the truth but assent to iniquity, when they have been involved in adulteries and fornications and homosexuality and avarice and in lawless idolatries, there will be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, and in the end such men as these will be detained in everlasting fire (To Autolycas 1:14 [ca. A.D. 181]).

Clement of Alexandria

When we hear, ‘Your faith has saved you,’ we do not understand the Lord to say simply that they will be saved who have believed in whatever manner, even if works have not followed. To begin with, it was to the Jews alone that he spoke this phrase, who had lived in accord with the law and blamelessly and who had lacked only faith in the Lord (Stromateis or Miscellanies 6:14:108:4 [post A.D. 202]).

Origen

Whoever dies in his sins, even if he profess to believe in Christ, does not truly believe in him; and even if that which exists without works be called faith, such faith is dead in itself, as we read in the epistle bearing the name of James (Commentaries on John 19:6 [A.D. 226-232]).

Cyprian

You, then, who are rich and wealthy, buy for yourself from Christ gold purified in fire, for with your filth, as if burned away in the fire; you can be like pure gold, if you are cleansed by almsgiving and by works of justice. Buy yourself a white garment so that, although you had been naked like Adam and were formerly frightful and deformed, you may be clothed in the white garment of Christ. You who are a matron rich and wealthy, anoint not your eyes with the antimony of the devil, but with the salve of Christ, so that you may at last come to see God, when you have merited before God both by your works and by your manner of living (Works and Almsgiving 14 [A.D. 252]).

Aphracrtes

Great is the gift which he that is good has given to us. While not forcing us, and in spite of our sins he wants us to be justified. While he is in no way aided by our good works, he heals us that we may be pleasing in his sight. When we do not wish to ask of him, he is angry with us. He calls out to all of us constantly; “Ask and receive, and when you seek, you shall find” (Treatises 23:48 [A.D. 336-345]).

Gregory of Nyssa

Paul, joining righteousness to faith and weaving them together, constructs of them the breastplates for the infantryman, armoring the soldier properly and safely on both sides. A soldier cannot be considered safely armored when either shield is disjoined from the other. Faith without works of justice is not sufficient for salvation; neither is righteous living secure in itself of salvation, if it is disjoined from faith (Homilies on Ecclesiastes 8 [ca. A.D. 335- 394]).

John Chrysostom

He that believes in the Son has everlasting life." Is it enough, then, to believe in the Son,’ someone will say, ‘in order to have everlasting life?’ By no means! Listen to Christ declare this himself when he says, ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord! Lord!” shall enter into the kingdom of heaven’; and the blasphemy against the Spirit is alone sufficient to cast him into hell. But why should I speak of a part of our teaching? For if a man believe rightly in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, but does not live rightly, his faith will avail him nothing toward salvation (Homilies on the Gospel of John 31:1[circa A.D. 391]).
 
Continued

Jerome

But since in the Law no one is justified before God, it is evident that the just man lives by faith.’ It should be noted that he does not say that a man, a person, lives by faith, lest it be thought that he is condemning good works. Rather, he says the ‘just’ man lives by faith. He implies thereby that
whoever would be faithful and would conduct his life according to the faith can in no other way arrive at the faith or live in it except first he be a just man of pure life, coming up to the faith by certain degrees (Commentaries on Galatians 2:3:11 [A.D. 386]).

Augustine

“He was handed over for our offenses, and he rose again for our justification.” What does this mean, “for our justification?” So that he might justify us, so that he might make us just. You will be a work of God, not only because you are a man, but also because you are just. For it is better that you be just than that you are a man. If God made you a man, and you made your-self just, something you were doing would be better than what God did. But God made you without any cooperation on your part. You did not lend your consent so that God could make you. How could you have consented, when you did not exist? But he who made you without your consent does not justify you without your consent. He made you without your knowledge, but he does not justify you without your willing it (Sermons 169:13 [inter A.D. 391-430]).

But we know that God does not hear sinners: but if any man is a worshiper of God and does his will, that man God will hear. He still speaks as one only anointed. For God does listen to sinners too. If God did not listen to sinners, it would have been all in vain for the publican to cast down his eyes to the ground and strike his breast saying: “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And that confession merited justification, just as the blind man merited enlightenment (Homilies on the Gospel of John 44:13 [A.D. 416]).
 
tgGodsway said:
Thank you for the reply, but the Genesis 22 account does not need a human witness for James (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to say he was justified by works by offering his only son. The real question is: was he justified in the eyes of men who heard all about what Abraham had done? Yes he was. Three major religions of the world know who Abraham is and what he did. Rome on the other hand was taught that NO FLESH could be justified by works before God’s eyes. (Rom. 4:2) This point cannot be ignored by any serious bible student, if we want to release any potential tension between Paul’s writings and James.
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There is no tension between Paul and James; neither of them teach salvation by faith alone.

This is how Augustine knew it:

This, in fact, is what some had thought even in the time of the apostles. for at that time there were some who did not understand certain rather obscure passages of St. Paul, and who thought therefore that he had said: Let us do evil that there may come good [Rom 3:8]. They thought that this was what St. Paul meant when he said: The law entered in that sin might abound. And where sin abounded, grace did more abound [Rom 5:20]. (no. 21)

When St. Paul says, therefore, that man is justified by faith and not by the observance of the law, he does not mean that good works are not necessary or that it is enough to receive and to profess the faith and no more. What he means rather and what he wants us to understand is that man can be justified by faith, even though he has not previously performed any works of the law. (no. 21)

. I do not see why the Lord said: If you will enter into life, keep the commandments [Matt 19:17], or why, after He had said this, He listed those which one must keep in order to live a good life [Matt 19:18-19], if one can obtain eternal life without keeping the commandments, by faith alone, which without works is dead [Jas 2:14]. And then, too, how will the Lord be able to say to those whom He will place on His left hand: Go you into the everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels [Matt 25:41]? For it is evident that He rebukes them, not because they did not believe in Him, but because they did not perform good works. [Matt 25:44] (no. 25)
 
More statements from the Fathers of the Church on James

On the one hand, the blessed James says that works justified Abraham when he bound Isaac his son on the altar, but on the other hand Paul says that he was justified by faith, which appears to be contradictory. However, this is to be understood as meaning that Abraham believed before he had Isaac and that Isaac was given to him as a reward for his faith. Likewise, when he bound Isaac to the altar, he did not merely do the work, which was required of him, but he did it with the faith that in Isaac his seed would be as numberless as the stars of heaven, believing that God could raise him from the dead2.
St. Cyril of Alexandria

Abraham, who was called the friend of God, proved himself faithful by becoming obedient to the words of God.
St. Clement of Rome

That Abraham believed God deep in his heart is a matter of faith alone, but that he took his son to sacrifice him … is not just a great act of faith but a great work as well.
St. Augustine
 
LatinRight:
CCC 2022; “The divine initiative in the work of grace PRECEDES, PREPARES, and ELICITS the free response of man. …”
Click to expand...
In other words, when God commands, He capacitates the hearer to respond.
Click to expand...
Our cooperation is produced by God’s operation.
Click to expand...
You can keep repeating this all you want. I’ve brought it up too.

But there is still a free will aspect that you are distorting.

And just because God graces that free will too, is not a given that we accept it.

We have the ability to reject Christ and the life of grace.

And if you do, you will condemn yourself to Hell for all eternity.
 
SyCarl.

I am surprised you brought up these quotes.

None of them teach justification by faith alone.

“The current law” Ambrosiaster is referring to is circumcision.
 
Wow! That had to have been a lot of work James 248. Thank you for quoting all these Church fathers.

What is your definition of a Church father?
 
To James248, Since you took such time and effort to quote Church fathers, it seems to now be relevant.
 
Answering Cathoholic,

Abraham was justified when God imputed him with the gift of righteousness found in Genesis 15:6, long before Abraham matured in works. This justification is brought up many times as instructions to the Church at Rome. Paul insisted that this justification was apart from works and could never be by works. St. James never argues the point but simply tells of another way Abraham was justified. By the way so was Rahab the harlot, she too was justified by her works when she let the spies out another way. Our disagreement has more to do with what has always been thought, from what actually is.
 
to Cathoholic,

I just read more of your opinion and would like to respond. Firstly, you may want to go back into yesterdays comments where you can find plenty of biblical proof to the justification by faith alone approach. The debate has more to do with how James 2:24 relates to what seem to be contradictory statements given to Rome by the Apostle Paul.

Secondly, the issue of free will has nothing to do with this concept. I believe in free will. I do not believe that man does not have a free will. But a natural man will only choose natural choices. This is why natural people (unconverted) cannot make a spiritual choice, such as to believe that Jesus is the Christ=Messiah= God in Flesh. This kind of choice is not natural, but Spiritual. See. 1st. Cor.2:14. And the natural man is under the control of Satan who “. . . blinds the minds of the unbelieving.” see 2nd. Cor. 4:3,4
 
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