It is with a heavy heart that I am led to write this post. A
heavy but hopeful heart. There is sadly much backbiting and confusion regarding
our blessed salvation through Jesus Christ.
God’s Word cannot contradict itself so how does one
reconcile the Book of James with the Pauline epistles? James writes that faith
without works is dead while Paul writes that salvation is by faith alone:
What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? - James 2:14 KJV
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
- James 2:17 KJV
OR
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: - Ephesians 2:8 KJV
Not of works, lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:9
KJV
The entire Bible is for our learning; HOWEVER—and that’s a
big HOWEVER—it is not all written specifically to the ekklēsia
or called out of God.
For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. - Romans 15:4 KJV
This is the case with the Book of James.
Just as the Pauline epistles are letters that were written
to a specific audience, so is the Book of James. Who was James writing
to?
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. - James 1:1 KJV
It is important to realize that this letter written by James
was:
1—Written to Israel’s twelve tribes
2—Written before the Great Mystery of Grace was
revealed
Scott Clarke recently posted a video that clearly explains
this: The Great Paul & James Debate
| Rightly Divided.
You see, James wrote to the twelve tribes who were scattered.
Why were they scattered?
It was due to the persecution that arose at the time
of Stephen’s stoning in the Book of Acts:
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time
there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and
they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria,
except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made
great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into
every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison. Therefore
they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. - Acts 8:1-4
KJV
This proves the Book of James was written before the
Mystery of the Age of Grace (the Church Age) was revealed through Paul, because
at this time he was Saul “consenting unto his [Stephen’s] death”!
Saul Becomes Paul
Saul came to believe on Jesus as Yahshuah Ha Moshiach in
Acts 9 on the road to Damascus.
As I read this account for the umpteenth time, the Holy
Spirit hit me with this realization—Saul’s blindness represented the blindness
that had come upon Israel!
Saul became Paul on the road to Damascus. So too will Israel’s
eyes be opened during the time of Jacob’s Trouble soon after the annihilation
of that city (Isaiah 17:1):
(According as it is written, God hath given them the
spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not
hear;) unto this day. - Romans 11:8 KJV
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of
this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in
part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And
so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion
the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: - Romans 11:25-26
KJV
The prophetic analogy goes further:
And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat
nor drink. - Acts 9:9 KJV
Saul was blind for three days. The Wedding of the Church
Bride occurs upon completion of the third day and Israel’s blindness will end. Sandy
Armstrong brought this to my attention in his video 2017 The 3rd Day Wedding.
There is probably even more significance to this account,
but let’s move on.
How to Get Saved
Sometime after Paul’s conversion and years in the desert, the
Great Mystery was revealed to him:
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;
(as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his
promise in Christ by the gospel:-Ephesians 3:1-6 KJV
It was also revealed to Paul what were the riches of this
mystery:
To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory: - Colossians 1:27 KJV
CHRIST IN YOU! OUR BLESSED HOPE! Because the Spirit of Christ
is sealed within us until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30), HE is our
Blessed Hope!
The mystery and its riches defines the Age of Grace. Therefore, the
correct books of the Bible to go to regarding how to get saved are Paul’s books:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. - Romans 10:9 KJV
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - Romans 10:10 KJV
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: - Ephesians 2:8 KJV
Not of works, lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:9
KJV
Borrowing from Tim
Henderson, “We are not saved by works, but because we are saved, we do good
works!”
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. -
Ephesians 2:10 KJV
Pained Over Division
It was significant that Scottie dedicated this particular
video to Paul Skotarski, better known for his Youtube Channel Zeuss
Mossbender, who recently died. As Brad of Rev12daily
Blogspot wrote in a tribute to this Brother in Christ, Paul was “pained over
division in the watchmen community”.
My prayer is that understanding regarding salvation can come
to not only the watchmen community, but to any who are unsaved. If you wish to
live eternally with the God Who is Love, call on His Son Jesus Christ by making
Him the Lord of your life and believe God raised Him from the dead. As a bonus,
you will also escape
the coming time of Jacob's
Trouble!
7/23/19 Update: After finally getting around to reading Gary's article at Unsealed.org, I wanted to attach the link here for it is an excellent source related to this subject:
The Hebrew Roots Movement