DOES JAMES CONTRADICT PAUL?
Paul says we are saved by grace through faith, yet James says faith without works is faith dead and that a man is justified by works and NOT by “faith alone”.
Do Paul & James contradict each other?
No. Not at all. The problem is we have been brainwashed by what we hear other professing Christian robotically parrot the definition of Grace is vs how scripture actually defines it, which not only is overlooked, but ironically, is penned by Paul himself in the book of Titus…
THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD
One of the biggest mistakes professing Christians make, which leads them off into the dark woods of apostasy, is misunderstanding the true, biblical meaning of “Grace”.
The common teaching of man is that Grace is “unmerited favor”, and that any effort on our part to “work out our own salvation with fear & trembling” by walking in FAITH-ful obedience is “Works Salvation” that somehow voids & nullifies God’s Grace.
Yet nothing could be further from the Truth.
The biblical definition of Grace is found in Titus 2:11-12, clearly stating that Grace of God (that actually saves us) has appeared unto ALL men, TEACHING US to make correct GODLY CHOICES, to choose good over evil, to “Go, and sin no more”.
“For the Grace of God that BRINGETH SALVATION hath appeared to ALL men, TEACHING us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” ~Titus 2:11-12
Yet, those who adhere to the unbiblical doctrine of “Faith Alone” (destroyed in James 2:24) teach the deception that we are unable to obey God because of an “Original Sin Nature” we inherit from Adam. However, Adam’s first born Cain (who would have been the first human ever to inherit a “Sin Nature”), had this same Grace of God appear to him, exhorting him to make correct use of his freewill, that he himself should CHOOSE good over evil.
“If thou DOEST WELL, shalt thou not BE ACCEPTED? and if thou DOEST NOT WELL, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” ~Genesis 4:7
Do not choose the WRONG PATH, the LIE of the Devil that we shall “NOT SURELY DIE” if we sin, whose wages is death. Instead, CHOOSE CHRIST, who came to show us THE WAY of righteousness as the MAN Christ Jesus IN THE FLESH, who by his human example commands “FOLLOW ME”, who alone is the “LIGHT OF THE WORLD”, who is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE!!!
And yes, we ARE saved by Grace THROUGH Faith, but TRUE, BIBLICAL GRACE and TRUE, BIBLICAL FAITH that Jesus IS the Way, the Truth & the Life, who shed His sinless blood to atone for our repentant (forsaken) sins, and has shown us HOW to live righteous, FAITH-FUL, obedient lives. BUT He DOES NOT obey FOR US!
True “Grace” TEACHES us HOW to obey God.
“Little children, LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU: he that DOETH righteousness IS righteous, even as he (Christ) is righteous.” ~1 John 3:7