Sha’ul emphasizes, “Only the believing can obey”. Yakob emphasizes, “Only the obedient can believe”. Beyond these two men, centuries of strife, division, and heresy lie. Who is right?
If the Bible is absolute truth, it must have no contradiction (it cannot contradict itself). I believe the Bible is
absolute truth. What then? Only that it brings out every aspect of truth, because truth is an aspect of God.
God is truth. The Bible is His Word, and it emphasizes every aspect truth.
Baking soda and vinegar reacts.
Baking soda without vinegar cannot react.
Vinegar without baking soda cannot react.
In Statement 2 and 3 there is a similarity of form, and agreement in fact, but a variation in emphasis. Meaning, statement 2 emphasizes vinegar, that, yes, even if you have baking soda, if will not react without vinegar. Statement 3 emphasizes baking soda, that vinegar without baking soda cannot react.
Faith and works produces righteousness (the state of being right)
Faith without works is dead. (Yakob)
Works without faith is dead. (Sha’ul)
Faith is the state of belief. To have faith is to believe. Works, means obedience to God through action. Works are actions of obedience towards God. Belief in God and ensuing obedience is what Abraham displayed. It
was accounted to him for righteousness.
See? No contradiction. None at all. Only the obedient believe, and only the believing obey. You cannot believe without obeying, for true belief produces obedience. You cannot obey without believing – true obedience that is pleasing to God and righteous must come from a point of belief. Belief cannot exist without obedience (that would simply be empty words, proffesions merely). Obedience cannot exist without belief
(that would simply be dead “works”).
To say that faith produces works would be to stretch the reaction time. The truth is, the reaction is almost immediate. What is faith that is not acted on? It is not faith at all but rather empty confession. True confession demonstrates faith through works. Works are what are tangible, that can be seen. Faith is what cannot be seen, or rather must be seen through action. True works, obedient action, demonstrates faith. When faith and
works are present in a disciple, in the works faith is seen, in faith work is produced.
Why have faith? The reason God gives us faith in His is to produce obedience. The reason why you put baking soda into vinegar is to produce a reaction. Faith causes, catalyses action. With faith comes action. There is not enough time, when true faith is imputed into a life, to say, “I have faith, but I’m waiting for the reaction.” No, if you have faith it will show up in your works. If you do not have faith, it will not show up.
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