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James:
2-19 you believe that there is one God. Good! Even the
demons believe that--and shudder.
John
Gill's Exposition
of the Entire Bible
The devils also believe; the Arabic version
reads, "the devils likewise so believe"; they
believe the same truth; they know and believe there is but
one God, and not many; and they know that the God of Israel
is he; and that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are the one
God; they know and believe him to be the most high God,
whose servants the ministers of the Gospel are; and they
know and believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the
Son of God, and the Messiah, And tremble.
B.
W. Johnson's
People's New Testament
19.
Thou believest that there is one God. That is very well,
but can that alone save you? Even the demons believe that
also. See Matt.
8:29. Evil spirits confessed Christ,
but this confession of faith did not save them.
NOTE. --Some have thought, among these
Luther, that Paul and James were not in agreement on the
subject of faith. Those who thus conclude mistake both these
inspired men of God. Paul shows that works without faith will not
justify, and hence lays the emphasis on faith; James shows that faith
without works will not
justify. And lays the emphasis on works.
Neither teaches that faith alone, or works alone will justify.
Paul, indeed, shows that faith alone is worthless (1
Cor. 13:2), and in Hebrews,
chapter 11, he emphasizes works as the demonstration
of faith. The two writers are in agreement, and all seeming
disagreement is due to the fact that they are seeking to
correct different errors, and hence look at the matter from
different points of view.
See the Parable of the Rich man
and Lazarus Luke 16: 19
Luke
16:19-31 we see the parable of the rich man and Lazarus,
in verse 23 we see that the rich man is in hell.
Was
he in hell because he did not believe? No, he did believe, in verses 23 & 24 we
see that he recognized Abraham, in verse 27 he addresses
Abraham as father, and does so again in verse 30. In order
to recognize him he had to know who he was.
We see in verse 27 & 28 he begs Abraham to send Lazarus
to his father’s house to warn his five brothers, warn them
of what? To Believe? NO,
in verse 30 we see what he wants to warn them to do. (Repent)
“
Verse 30 “But if someone from the dead goes to them,
they will repent”.
Note: he did not ask
that Lazarus warn them to Believe
and Repent. Why?
Because they, like him believed, that was the problem, that’s
all they did was believe
See The Parable
of the sheep and the goats Matthew 25: 31
Matthew 25: 31 "When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his
left.
34 "Then the King
will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed
by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger
and you invited me in,
41 "Then he will
say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty
and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed
clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison
and you did not look after me.'
45 "He will reply,
I tell you the truth, whatever you did Not do for one of the least of these, you did Not do for me. Verse 46 "Then
they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous
to eternal life."
46 "Then they will go away to eternal
punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Was
it because they did not believe? No!
James 2: 24 “You see that a person is justified by what he does and
not by faith alone”
The Concise Matthew Henry Commentary on the Bible
We see how that by works a man is justified,
not by a bare opinion or profession or believing without
obeying; but by having such faith as produces good works.
See The parable of the good Samaritan Luke: 10-25
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
"Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit
eternal life?"
26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How
do you read it?"
27 He answered: "`Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength and with all your mind'; and, `Love your
neighbor as yourself
28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.
"Do this and you will live."
Note: The reply Jesus
gives to teacher of the law "Do
this." and you will live”
Jesus did not say “ Believe
this and you will live”
. B. W.
Johnson's People's New Testament
25-29.
The parable of the Good Samaritan, as well as that of the
Prodigal Son and Lazarus and Dives, are given only by Luke.
A certain lawyer.
One versed in the Jewish law, a theologian, a scribe, and
possibly a rabbi. Tempted
him. Put him to trial. What
shall I do to inherit eternal life? He probably had
noted that Jesus was calling sinners to repentance, but
he fancied that he belonged to another class, and hence
asks, What shall I
do?
What
is written? The Lord calls on the lawyer to state his
own understanding of the law. Thou shalt love the Lord. The lawyer answered
well and gave the sum of the whole law. See Deut.
6:4, 5 and Lev. 19:18. This
do and thou shalt live. He who fulfills the great law
of love is born again. There is no inconsistency. We repent
and live believe
and live, obey and live, and love and live. For these are all co-related. One cannot exist without
the others. We cannot love God unless we believe and repent.
"He that loves me will keep my words"
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