Did a search on "faith alone" and found this.
James 2:24Sola Scriptura, when you get down to it, is really just Sola Luthera, or Sola Joe Protestant. Interestingly enough, Luther's novel doctrine of "the Bible alone" isn't in the Bible.You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
Only interesting to those who think "the Bible alone" was Luther's. It wasn't.
The single verse in James has been used to challenge the hundreds of verses in Scripture that say faith is a gift from God by grace, and not something men do on their own or even with a little help from their friends.
Scripture tells us over and over that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ's atonement. Thus it is His righteousness that saves us; His work that heals us; His glory that is reflected in us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." -- Ephesians 2:4-9
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth" -- Romans 9:11
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. -- Romans 4:4-5
"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." -- Romans 9:16
"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" -- 1 Corinthians 4:7
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." -- John 1:12-14
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." -- Philippians 2:13 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
James is speaking to fellow believers, imploring them to remember Christ's instruction that a good tree planted by God always produces good fruit, and so we press on through the struggles of our lives, secure in the knowledge that Christ died and was resurrected and thus, has paid for our sins in full. As Christ tells us, all good trees will bring forth good fruit, and all those corrupt trees not planted by God will be cut down.
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." -- Hebrews 10:12-18"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
There reallly is a Christian liberty the RC misses because the RCC tells its members that the Holy Spirit works through the magisterium and not directly into your heart and mine, changing them from stone to flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." -- Ezekiel 36:26-27
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." -- 2 Corinthians 6:16"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Christ has paid the price for our transgressions in full. He has set us free by grace alone. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." -- 1 Peter 2:24
And this freedom by and for and through Jesus Christ is not because men will it, but because God, who declared the end from the beginning, willed it from before the foundation of the world for His glory alone.
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." -- Ephesians 1:4-6"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: