Well, I don’t think I have offended people for a while, but here we have one of those passages that caused people to be burned at the stake during the reformation: particularly under the reigns of Henry and her bloody daughter Mary. (My Catholic friends can add Elizabeth if they want: the Tudors used religion as an ideology).

For the Romans say that the second passage means that what you do matters, while the Reformed say that one must live by faith. James corrects us both, and since I am not a Papist I’m going to argue from that position.

For I do not believe that words or rituals save. We do them out of obedience. Being Baptised is a work of covenant faith by parents, or a work of faith among those who now believe. It is not the communion that saves us, (it can instead condemn us if we partake in an unworthy manner — see Corinthians)

And it is not the good we do that saves us. There is no liberal theology of works, nor is there liberation theology. Instead we are saved by faith alone, and our works are the consequence of that.

I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

(Habakkuk 2:1-4 ESV)

We are not to let our souls be puffed up. We are not to listen to the flattery of the eilte, that we are justified by following their advice. It’s generally wrong.

Our forebears were burned for their faith. (Which is the Faggots in the title) — the war between Protestants and Catholics started when Luther nailed 95 theses to a Cathedral door and did not end until peace in Northern Ireland. What has happened since is that we have allied: for we find that if they come for the Protestants with shunning, fire and sword, then the Catholics are next: if they come for the Catholics, the Prots follow.

And we have found that the mainstream churchians have got on their knees in worship of the elite, forgetting the faith in a hope they are popular. And this elite is generally in error.

What we do, what campaign for, should be consequence of what we believe and it will be seen as a result of what we believe. By this we will be shown that we are the followers of Christ, that we obey his command, which is to love one another. And we need to show that in practical ways.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

(James 2:14-26 ESV)

Building too much of a theology on this is unwise. Doing what is right, and is good would be. And that is counter-cultural in this time and age. Do not follow this culture. Do not let them ease you into the pit of hell. Do not do their works.

Do not be them, and do not be like them.

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Update… the picture took over the facebook crosspost. Which is going to really offend some people.

Diddums.