Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
That is Abraham's faith in God to provide for why James referred to him when he offered Isaac on that altar for because that is the name of the place and thus the lesson of history in the scripture.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
To apply it to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation when it is without works is to testify God is not able to save those who believe and that man must save himself, thus God cannot be the Saviour then, but He is because Jesus saves.
That s why discipleship is separate from salvation otherwise to apply discipleship to obtain salvation, one can never get saved, let alone the Holy Ghost at their born again of the Spirit moment of their salvation because they are still running that race as His disciple. yet we are in that race because we are saved and for why Jesus Christ is in us is how we look to Him to be able to run that race in laying aside every weight & sin daily.
I would think the opening verse as a loving commandment must be performed .It is the gospel key in understanding the whole chapter (James 2)
We will be students of the teacher our Lord till the day we die as disciples
.False disciples like those in John6 walked away from following Jesus they had no faith that alone comes from hearing Gods living word as that not of their own will or thoughts. They not yoked with Christ have no power or little living in earthly bodies of sin . The loving commandment (James 2) and not just good advice is to
not have the faith of
Christ's labor of love as
it is
written that
works in
us to both
reveal his will and
empower us to
perform it .to
his good pleasure .
Philippian 2:13-14 For it is
God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.Do all things without
murmurings and disputings:
The loving commandment (have not)
James 2:1 King James Version
My brethren, have not the
faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of
glory, with respect of
persons. . . . . (Humans)
The loving conclusion
James 2:7 Do not
they (non believers)
blaspheme that worthy
name by the which
ye are
called?
Those disciples that did walk away (faithless) in John 6 they did commit blasphemy against the Son of man, Jesus whose father worked with him, as the witness of God
.denying both the father and the Son.
The conclusion to the loving law. I would offer. . ..Do not attribute the mighty faith of God that can and does work with them yoked with His labor.
Neither Rehab or Abraham blasphemed that worthy name by the which ye are called they obeyed the power of the father that worked with them as it does with us.
He promises us as the better thing that acompanies salvation he will not forget the good works working with Him we offer according to the power of his name .( Hebrew 6)
Rahab the harlot was justified by works, Christ working in her both to will and do empowering her to believe. The same witness as Ephians2:8-10 We are saved by the power of Christ's faith not of ourselves .
Faith cannot be separated from works . In that way faith is a work according to the law of faith (believing the unseen )
We can se that in creation . "Let there be" and the work of that hope "it was good " .
The testimony of his faithfulness , not of our own self. He is the storeroom of faith .In that way he calls us O
little faith .the
golden measure .It can give us a desire to call out increase as we decrease a living hope .
Luke 17:4-5King James Version And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou
shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the
Lord, Increase
our faith.
