Featured The righteousness of God

or, as Jesus says in Matthew 13:19, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside"

or, as Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:4, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them"

And Paul again, 2 Thess. 2:10-12, "and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness."

 

I'm glad we agree that the letter is addressed to believers begotten by the word of God, not the lost. It does seem you have shifted your ground from seeing "righteousness of God" as the lost appropriating the redemptive work of Christ at salvation ("Putting aside filthiness sounds like repentance, and receiving with humility the gospel of Christ sounds like believing.") to now claiming it refers to works evidencing salvation ("walking the talk"). I'm confused about your view here.

 

Interesting that both you and I disagree with him, as i am a Cal, and you are not!

 

Sorry, but I can't find your false professors referenced anywhere in the context, and they certainly cannot be included as "begotten by God with the word of truth." Nor can I stretch my imagination to believe that James refers to his audience of first generation Jewish Christians as "a kind of firstfruits" (1:18) when the presence of such "tares" would render it an impure and contaminated offering. There is only one issue for the lost, and it isn't what they are willing to forsake or any other aspect of behavior addressed in chapter 1; it is Christ.

With respect, saving faith in Christ is simply not the topic in James; if waking up false professors to their lost condition were the goal, a clear and vivid presentation of the gospel of Christ would be central. If you have found such a passage (like Acts 16:31, Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10, etc.) I would welcome the opportunity to see it and improve my understanding.

James is not presenting Christ as the object of saving faith (worthy as that topic is) but rather focuses on the begetting, implanted word of God as the object of living faith and obedience for us AFTER salvation, like Paul does in 2 Tim 3:16-17. See James 2:1 as one example. Your interpretation inevitably forces the conclusion that James 2:24 teaches salvation by works.

 

Which Luther wrongly saw James as teaching!

 

The Bible nowhere teaches justification by faith alone. Because repentance is necessary as well for the sinner to be justified with God

 

Repent of what?

 

Sins against the Lord.

 

Do not see Paul stating that, as his message was turn to and believe in Lord Jesus and get saved!

 

What do you think he means when he speaks of worldly sorrow and godly sorrow

 

Check the esv on luke 24.47

 

What about

New King James Version Luke 18:13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Is this not repentance from sins

 

If, as you believe, receiving the word is a synonym for salvation, and receiving first requires "putting aside all filthiness" etc. (you recall that the action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb) then works are made part of salvation in this verse. I see no way around that conclusion.

 

Which is the same as being sealed by the Holy Spirit which takes place on conversion as Ephesians 1.13,14 teaches