Greetings to all my brothers in Christ. Below I will attempt to use biblical reasoning to formulate an understanding of Paul and James regarding 'works'.
If every good gift is from the Lord (Jam 1:17) and there is “no good apart from [God]” (Psa 16:2), then it
follows that all that is experienced (Acts 14:17) and received by mankind that is good is from God.
But if a godly man were to do a good deed in which God is pleased, is that good that is done by that godly
man credited to the man or to God? If it is said that the man should be properly credited with the good,
for he is the agent of the deed, then not all good is from God, for the man is properly credited with the
good that is done. If God, then the good work cannot be properly credited and boasted upon by the godly
man (Luke 18:19, Luke 17:10, 1Cor 15:10). If the good work cannot be properly credited to the man,
then it follows that “it is God who works” (Phil 2:13) in the man (Heb 13:21, Phil 2:13) so that His will is
shown through the work of the man. If it is God who works within the man that leads to a good work
then it also follows that man’s part in the good deed was not the fruit that was the work, for the fruit that
was the work, is God’s. To say that all good things (James 1:17) and every good work (Phil 2:13) the man
could do comes from God is to say that every good work that is pleasing to God can be more accurately
stated as a fruitful-work (Phil 1:22, Col 1:10).
Now, it seems important to understand that what we speak of is a fruit that is a work and not a work that
produces fruit, although fruitful results naturally follow from this fruit that is a work. That is, there is a
distinction here between fruitful-work and work-fruitful. The former is describing a fruit that follows the
leading of the Spirit, a fruitful-work, the latter is describing that same work that produces fruitful results,
a work-fruit. To say that every fruitful-work that the man could do is from God is to say that every act
(i.e, work) that follows from the leading of the Spirit (1Cor 2:11) is a fruit (or a fruitful-work).
We also must be diligent to distinguish between a good work (not the Pauline use of the word) and a fruitful-work (the Pauline type). A good work is a work that appears good to the observer, maybe you, who has received a good from a man that appears to have done you a good deed. Yet, is this work following from an active faith and the leading of the Spirit within the man and therefore properly considered a fruitful-work? Or is that work that was a good for you following from fleshly desires that were laid before the man’s will by a worldly spirit, thus being a dead work (Heb 6:1)?
Regardless, each is a measure of the master in which one is serving at the time. God is pleased with the man’s relationship in the former and displeased with the man’s relationship in the latter, despite both being a good that you received. Further, in neither case can the man be properly credited with a good. In the former it is a fruitful-work and properly credited to God, in the ladder the good work follows from a sinful nature and the leading of a worldly spirit that lays before the man, selfish and self serving desires that he chooses. Thus, a good that is done to you cannot be properly credited and boasted by the man in either case.
Further, to say that fruitful works follow from the leading of the Spirit is to also say that fruitful-works
follow from a relationship of Spirit/man (Gal 6:8; John 14:17, 6:27). A fruitful work is therefore that
which follows from the relationship of Spirit/man in which the man has set the mind to the Spirit (Rom 8)
and chosen to be led by the Spirit. This then leads to the Spirit laying before the will of the man the
spiritual desires and inclinations that make up the motive toward a spiritual path of fruitful works pleasing
to the Lord-Father that the man freely chooses.
In this way, it can be seen how “faith apart from works is dead” (Jam 2:20 NKJ), work-fruits follow from a fruitful-work which follows from the leading of the Spirit, which comes from an active faith that works with the Spirit within. For a man that has an “active” faith (Jam 2:22 ESV) has chosen to be led by the Spirit in which fruitful-works naturally follow. The man that has an inactive faith turns his attention to worldly things and is not led by the Spirit, in this situation or that, and by not choosing to be led by the Spirit, fruitful works do not follow, it is only a good work (my sense of the word here, per above); as it is written, “for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead" (Jam 2:26). In other words, the man’s active faith is revealed through fruitful-works that are a gauge that measures the “character” (Rom 5:4) of his relationship with his master; “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jam 2:18).
Keep seeking God's truth as if it were hidden treasure
If every good gift is from the Lord (Jam 1:17) and there is “no good apart from [God]” (Psa 16:2), then it
follows that all that is experienced (Acts 14:17) and received by mankind that is good is from God.
But if a godly man were to do a good deed in which God is pleased, is that good that is done by that godly
man credited to the man or to God? If it is said that the man should be properly credited with the good,
for he is the agent of the deed, then not all good is from God, for the man is properly credited with the
good that is done. If God, then the good work cannot be properly credited and boasted upon by the godly
man (Luke 18:19, Luke 17:10, 1Cor 15:10). If the good work cannot be properly credited to the man,
then it follows that “it is God who works” (Phil 2:13) in the man (Heb 13:21, Phil 2:13) so that His will is
shown through the work of the man. If it is God who works within the man that leads to a good work
then it also follows that man’s part in the good deed was not the fruit that was the work, for the fruit that
was the work, is God’s. To say that all good things (James 1:17) and every good work (Phil 2:13) the man
could do comes from God is to say that every good work that is pleasing to God can be more accurately
stated as a fruitful-work (Phil 1:22, Col 1:10).
Now, it seems important to understand that what we speak of is a fruit that is a work and not a work that
produces fruit, although fruitful results naturally follow from this fruit that is a work. That is, there is a
distinction here between fruitful-work and work-fruitful. The former is describing a fruit that follows the
leading of the Spirit, a fruitful-work, the latter is describing that same work that produces fruitful results,
a work-fruit. To say that every fruitful-work that the man could do is from God is to say that every act
(i.e, work) that follows from the leading of the Spirit (1Cor 2:11) is a fruit (or a fruitful-work).
We also must be diligent to distinguish between a good work (not the Pauline use of the word) and a fruitful-work (the Pauline type). A good work is a work that appears good to the observer, maybe you, who has received a good from a man that appears to have done you a good deed. Yet, is this work following from an active faith and the leading of the Spirit within the man and therefore properly considered a fruitful-work? Or is that work that was a good for you following from fleshly desires that were laid before the man’s will by a worldly spirit, thus being a dead work (Heb 6:1)?
Regardless, each is a measure of the master in which one is serving at the time. God is pleased with the man’s relationship in the former and displeased with the man’s relationship in the latter, despite both being a good that you received. Further, in neither case can the man be properly credited with a good. In the former it is a fruitful-work and properly credited to God, in the ladder the good work follows from a sinful nature and the leading of a worldly spirit that lays before the man, selfish and self serving desires that he chooses. Thus, a good that is done to you cannot be properly credited and boasted by the man in either case.
Further, to say that fruitful works follow from the leading of the Spirit is to also say that fruitful-works
follow from a relationship of Spirit/man (Gal 6:8; John 14:17, 6:27). A fruitful work is therefore that
which follows from the relationship of Spirit/man in which the man has set the mind to the Spirit (Rom 8)
and chosen to be led by the Spirit. This then leads to the Spirit laying before the will of the man the
spiritual desires and inclinations that make up the motive toward a spiritual path of fruitful works pleasing
to the Lord-Father that the man freely chooses.
In this way, it can be seen how “faith apart from works is dead” (Jam 2:20 NKJ), work-fruits follow from a fruitful-work which follows from the leading of the Spirit, which comes from an active faith that works with the Spirit within. For a man that has an “active” faith (Jam 2:22 ESV) has chosen to be led by the Spirit in which fruitful-works naturally follow. The man that has an inactive faith turns his attention to worldly things and is not led by the Spirit, in this situation or that, and by not choosing to be led by the Spirit, fruitful works do not follow, it is only a good work (my sense of the word here, per above); as it is written, “for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead" (Jam 2:26). In other words, the man’s active faith is revealed through fruitful-works that are a gauge that measures the “character” (Rom 5:4) of his relationship with his master; “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jam 2:18).
Keep seeking God's truth as if it were hidden treasure
