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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The Biggest Contradiction in the Bible? | August 14, 2025
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- ♪♪♪
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- Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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- Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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- With dr. robert jeffress.
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- Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress and
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- Welcome again to "pathway to victory."
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- Throughout church history, believers have wrestled with
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- Interpreting difficult passages of scripture.
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- One passage in particular has puzzled christians for
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- Centuries, and it involves the most important question we can
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- Ask, how can a person be made right with god?
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- Paul says it's by faith and god's grace alone.
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- James seems to say faith needs works added to it.
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- So, which is it?
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- Today, i want to unravel this apparent contradiction and show
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- You how faith and works exist in perfect harmony.
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- My message is titled "the biggest contradiction in the
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- Bible" on today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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- ♪♪♪
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- Male announcer: where there's genuine faith, there will always
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- Be visible fruit.
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- In his brand new book "how to know if you're really saved,"
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- Dr. robert jeffress helps you take stock of the evidence of
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- Your faith, the spiritual fruit in your daily life.
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- This outstanding verse by verse walk through the book of james
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- Will help you cultivate the spiritual fruit that reflects
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- Genuine faith.
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- Request "how to know if you're really saved" when you give a
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- Generous gift to support the ministry of "pathway
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- To victory."
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- Jeffress: recently i preached a message, "how can i know the
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- Bible is really true?"
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- And you may remember that i pointed out one of the
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- Objections people have to the inspiration of the scripture is
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- The so-called contradictions in the bible.
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- Now most people have never read the bible enough to know what
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- The contradictions are, but they heard it out there somewhere and
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- So they use that as an excuse.
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- But if we're honest, we would have to say that there are some
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- Passages that seem, at least at face value, to contradict
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- One another.
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- And that is true of the passage we're going to look at today.
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- I call it the biggest contradiction in the bible, and
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- It's one that has to do with the most important issue in life,
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- How can a person be made right with god?
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- That's not theological nitpicking, that is the
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- Essential question.
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- What must i do to be right with god?
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- Paul says in romans, it's by faith alone and god's grace.
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- Faith apart from any works.
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- James, whose letter we're studying on sunday mornings,
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- Seems to say just the opposite.
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- He said faith without works is a dead nonexistent faith.
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- It's faith working together with our works.
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- Which is it?
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- It's an important issue because getting the answer right can
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- Spell the difference between heaven and hell for each one
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- Of us.
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- Well, that's what we're going to talk about today.
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- If you have your bibles, turn to james chapter 2. remember the
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- Theme of james is that faith will always produce fruit.
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- Authentic faith produces spiritual fruit.
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- And if there is no visible spiritual fruit, then you can
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- Assume there is no saving faith.
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- He has been building that case and now we come to the apex, the
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- Zenith of his argument.
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- Look at james 2:14 and 24, and we're immediately confronted
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- With a problem.
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- "what use is it, my brethren, if somebody says he has faith but
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- He has no works?
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- Can that faith save him?"
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- And then verse 24, "you see that a man is justified by works and
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- Not by faith alone."
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- Now notice how that is opposite of what paul says or seems
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- To be.
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- In romans 3:28, paul said, "for we maintain that a man is
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- Justified by faith apart from the works of the law."
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- And he goes on to say in chapter 4, verse 2, using abraham as an
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- Example, "for if abraham was justified by works, he has
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- Something to boast about, but not before god."
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- Abraham was dependent upon his faith alone.
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- And then back to james.
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- In james 2:21-24, "was not abraham our father justified by
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- Works when he offered up isaac his son on the altar?
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- You see that a man is justified by works and not by
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- Faith alone."
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- Interesting, paul and james seemed to be saying two
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- Different things, and they both use abraham as an example.
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- First of all, let's look at the goal of interpreting scripture.
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- You know, the goal of interpreting scripture ought to
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- Always be to understand what the writer of scripture had in mind
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- When they wrote those words.
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- Peter said in 2 peter 1:20, "but know this first of all, that no
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- Prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's
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- Own interpretation."
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- You don't get to decide what it means.
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- You can try to discover what the writer meant when he wrote
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- Those words.
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- Say for example, i was out of town and i called and left a
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- Voicemail for amy saying, "i'll be home tomorrow.
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- Can you pick me up at the airport at 10 o'clock?"
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- But i didn't specify am or pm.
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- She would be tasked with trying to discover what i meant.
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- Now she could call carolyn and ask carolyn, "what do you think
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- Robert meant?"
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- And carolyn could give her opinion.
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- She could call ben and ask ben what he thinks.
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- He could give his opinion.
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- But it really doesn't matter what they think.
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- What matters is what did i mean when i said those words?
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- It's the same way when we interpret scripture like the
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- Book of james.
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- We've got to find a way to crawl back 2000 years into the mind of
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- James and find out what he meant when he said, "faith without
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- Works is dead."
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- The goal of scripture is the author's concept.
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- We need to find out what the author had in mind.
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- Now, there are four steps to interpret scripture.
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- I call them the four c's of interpretation, and i put it on
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- Your outline.
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- First of all, look at the context of a passage.
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- The context.
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- Don't just pull out a verse without a context.
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- Context is the key to understanding the meaning.
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- There is a general context and a specific context.
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- First of all, he says in verse 14 that dead faith is fruitless.
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- Look at verse 14, "what use is it, my brethren, if somebody
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- Says he has faith but he has no works?
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- Can that faith save him."
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- Look at verse 18, "but somebody may well say, "you have faith
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- And i have my works; show me your faith without works, and i
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- Will show you my faith by my works."
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- He's imagining somebody who boasts that they have faith, but
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- They have no works to go along with it.
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- I was trying to think of a way to illustrate that to you and
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- Sure enough this week in the news, i got a
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- Great illustration.
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- Did you see where china has said to the american people, "if you
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- Want to have a trade war with us, go right ahead.
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- We're happy to have a war with you.
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- In fact, we're happy to have any kind of war you want to have,
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- And we will beat you because we have strength."
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- Now just imagine that one of our leaders in america said, "those
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- Chinese think they're strong.
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- We in america, we are strong, not because of our weapons, but
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- Because of our inner resolve.
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- In fact, we are so strong as a nation we're going to disarm.
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- We're gonna lay down all of our nuclear weapons.
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- We're gonna destroy them because america is strong by herself."
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- What do you think china would do in response to that?
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- They would laugh.
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- They've said, "oh great, you show us your strength without
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- Nuclear weapons, we'll show you our strength with nuclear
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- Weapons and we'll see who's really strong."
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- That's what james is saying.
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- You can say you can have faith without any works, but let's see
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- Who's really strong.
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- It's the person who has faith and works.
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- Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't hear another word i say,
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- Remember a word i've ever said over these many years with you.
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- Remember this, you can believe all the right things
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- About jesus.
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- You can believe that jesus is the son of god.
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- You can believe he died for the sins of the world.
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- You can believe he rose again on the third day.
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- You can believe all those things and go straight to hell when
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- You die.
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- It's not enough to believe the right things about jesus.
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- It's only when you believe that jesus died for your sins, it's
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- Only when a moment of desperation you said, "god, i
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- Know i'm a sinner.
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- I know i deserve eternal punishment.
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- I know i have no hope apart from jesus christ, but i am trusting
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- And leaning on depending upon what jesus did for me on the
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- Cross for my salvation."
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- It is only then that you are born again and have the
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- Assurance of heaven for ever and ever.
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- That's why i say a dead faith can be very, very orthodox.
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- Look at the context.
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- James is not talking about saving faith, he's talking about
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- A dead faith, a dead faith that is fruitless, powerless,
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- But orthodox.
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- When you're trying to interpret scripture, look at the context.
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- Secondly, look at the composition.
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- By that i mean the meaning of key words.
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- What do the words mean?
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- Genesis 15 says that god took abraham out one night and said,
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- "abraham, look up at the stars in the heaven.
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- Count them if you can."
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- "one, two, three, four," quickly he realized it was impossible.
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- And god said, "abraham, abraham, as many are the stars in the
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- Sky, so shall your descendants be."
- 00:11:05.888 --> 00:11:09.692
- And genesis 15:6 says, "and abraham believed god, and his
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- Faith was reckoned, it was counted as righteousness."
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- The moment abraham believed in the promise of god, god took his
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- Little bitty faith, and in the great courtroom of heaven, he
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- Exchanged it for righteousness.
- 00:11:29.111 --> 00:11:31.781
- God said, "abraham, you are declared righteous because of
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- Your faith."
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- It had nothing to do with abraham did or didn't do.
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- He simply believed god and it was counted to him
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- As righteousness.
- 00:11:42.958 --> 00:11:44.727
- Now james, when he talks about abraham was justified, he talks
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- About an experience abraham had 30+ years after that genesis 15
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- Experience when abraham was told by god to deliver his son isaac
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- As a sacrifice.
- 00:12:01.010 --> 00:12:03.112
- And the bible says abraham obeyed what god said to do up
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- Until the last moment, and god provided the sacrifice.
- 00:12:06.982 --> 00:12:11.921
- James said, "and abraham was justified."
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- So, which is it?
- 00:12:16.358 --> 00:12:18.060
- Was he justified in the genesis 15:6 when he believed the
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- Promises of god, or was he justified 30 years later when he
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- Offered isaac as a sacrifice?
- 00:12:28.771 --> 00:12:31.106
- The answer to that question is yes.
- 00:12:31.106 --> 00:12:34.877
- He was justified both times in a different sense.
- 00:12:34.877 --> 00:12:39.648
- When i go to look up the word translated justified, i go to a
- 00:12:39.648 --> 00:12:44.753
- Resource like vines expository dictionary of new
- 00:12:44.753 --> 00:12:49.592
- Testament words.
- 00:12:49.592 --> 00:12:50.993
- I find the word justified can mean one of two things.
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- It can mean, first of all, to make righteous, to
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- Declare righteous.
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- A person is justified when god declares him righteous and a
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- Right standing with them.
- 00:13:05.341 --> 00:13:06.876
- It can mean to declare to be righteous, or it can mean be
- 00:13:06.876 --> 00:13:11.614
- Shown to be righteous, to be proven to be righteous.
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- And i'd submit to you that when paul uses the word justified,
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- He's talking about that initial experience that made him
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- Righteous when he believed the promises of god and god said,
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- "abraham, you are righteous."
- 00:13:28.130 --> 00:13:30.633
- But his genesis 15:6 righteousness was proven to the
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- World and to others to be true when he offered isaac as a
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- Sacrifice, he was shown to be righteous.
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- That's what it understands we are made righteous by faith in
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- God's promises alone.
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- We are shown to be righteous by our obedience to god.
- 00:13:49.752 --> 00:13:55.624
- Now, how do i know that's the right interpretation?
- 00:13:55.624 --> 00:13:58.294
- The third c of interpretation.
- 00:13:58.294 --> 00:14:00.863
- You look at the context, you look at the composition, the
- 00:14:00.863 --> 00:14:04.934
- Third c is comparison.
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- You compare scripture with scripture.
- 00:14:07.202 --> 00:14:10.706
- Do i have any other clue in the bible to what james thought
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- About the relationship between salvation and works, where as a
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- Matter of fact, there is.
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- It's found in acts chapter 15.
- 00:14:20.783 --> 00:14:24.086
- Remember, james was pastor of the church in jerusalem and
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- Pretty soon after the formation of the church, an argument arose
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- In the church.
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- Can you believe a church had an argument?
- 00:14:35.831 --> 00:14:38.434
- They had an argument, but this wasn't some peripheral issue.
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- It was about these gentiles, non-jews that were getting saved
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- And coming into the church.
- 00:14:46.342 --> 00:14:48.344
- Peter was against it, at least at first until he participated
- 00:14:48.344 --> 00:14:52.181
- In the salvation of cornelius, but a lot of jewish christians
- 00:14:52.181 --> 00:14:56.752
- In that jerusalem church thought it wasn't right for gentiles
- 00:14:56.752 --> 00:15:01.457
- Just to come into our church without going through the portal
- 00:15:01.457 --> 00:15:05.427
- Of judaism.
- 00:15:05.427 --> 00:15:06.895
- They ought to have to be baptized into judaism.
- 00:15:06.895 --> 00:15:09.565
- They ought to become jews first.
- 00:15:09.565 --> 00:15:11.433
- They ought to get circumcised.
- 00:15:11.433 --> 00:15:12.801
- They ought to keep the dietary laws.
- 00:15:12.801 --> 00:15:15.037
- They need to do these things before they can come into
- 00:15:15.037 --> 00:15:18.707
- The church.
- 00:15:18.707 --> 00:15:20.075
- And so, there arose an argument in the church and finally peter
- 00:15:20.075 --> 00:15:24.079
- Said, "i used to think that until i saw all these gentiles
- 00:15:24.079 --> 00:15:28.517
- Being saved."
- 00:15:28.517 --> 00:15:29.852
- And in acts 15:10, he said, "but we believe we are saved through
- 00:15:29.852 --> 00:15:34.556
- The grace of the lord jesus, in the same way as they are also."
- 00:15:34.556 --> 00:15:41.196
- In other words, we shouldn't put an extra burden on
- 00:15:41.196 --> 00:15:44.566
- These gentiles.
- 00:15:44.566 --> 00:15:45.934
- We're all saved the same way by grace.
- 00:15:45.934 --> 00:15:49.405
- And then acts 15 tells us, james stood up and he agreed
- 00:15:49.405 --> 00:15:54.209
- With peter.
- 00:15:54.209 --> 00:15:55.577
- He agreed that salvation is by god's grace alone.
- 00:15:55.577 --> 00:16:01.283
- James believed in justification through faith in god's grace, no
- 00:16:01.283 --> 00:16:06.755
- Doubt about it.
- 00:16:06.755 --> 00:16:08.123
- In the same way, we can know what paul thought about the
- 00:16:08.123 --> 00:16:11.026
- Importance of works in the christian life.
- 00:16:11.026 --> 00:16:13.695
- He wasn't saying that all works aren't important, but he made
- 00:16:13.695 --> 00:16:17.132
- The point that works are important, not for securing our
- 00:16:17.132 --> 00:16:20.436
- Salvation, but for living out our salvation.
- 00:16:20.436 --> 00:16:26.275
- Notice ephesians 2, verses 8 through 10, paul made it clear,
- 00:16:26.275 --> 00:16:30.946
- "for by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of
- 00:16:30.946 --> 00:16:35.451
- Yourselves, it is a gift of god; not as a result of works, lest
- 00:16:35.451 --> 00:16:39.988
- Any man should boast."
- 00:16:39.988 --> 00:16:41.890
- Listen, if salvation is something you earn, then
- 00:16:41.890 --> 00:16:45.027
- Salvation is a debt that god owes us and god refuses to owe
- 00:16:45.027 --> 00:16:50.566
- Any man or woman salvation.
- 00:16:50.566 --> 00:16:52.468
- It is a gift.
- 00:16:52.468 --> 00:16:53.836
- We are not saved by good works, but paul goes on to say in
- 00:16:53.836 --> 00:16:57.706
- Ephesians 2:10, we are saved for good works, "for we are his
- 00:16:57.706 --> 00:17:03.946
- Workmanship, created in christ jesus for good works, which god
- 00:17:03.946 --> 00:17:09.151
- Prepared beforehand so that we should walk before them."
- 00:17:09.151 --> 00:17:14.022
- The bible says there's no contradiction.
- 00:17:14.022 --> 00:17:17.126
- James and paul are both saying the same thing.
- 00:17:17.126 --> 00:17:20.863
- We are made right with god by grace and grace alone.
- 00:17:20.863 --> 00:17:25.834
- It's received as a gift, but we are shown to be righteous by the
- 00:17:25.834 --> 00:17:30.639
- Fruit in our life, by the results of our christian walk.
- 00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:35.344
- There's one final stage in interpretation, and that
- 00:17:35.344 --> 00:17:38.847
- Is consultation.
- 00:17:38.847 --> 00:17:41.183
- When you think you've arrived at the right interpretation,
- 00:17:41.183 --> 00:17:45.120
- Consult a trusted source, a trusted bible teacher, a
- 00:17:45.120 --> 00:17:49.992
- Trusted commentator.
- 00:17:49.992 --> 00:17:52.461
- You know, if you come up with some unique interpretation that
- 00:17:52.461 --> 00:17:57.633
- Nobody has ever heard of or voiced before, it probably
- 00:17:57.633 --> 00:18:01.203
- Didn't come from god.
- 00:18:01.203 --> 00:18:02.971
- God is not revealing new truths to people that are in opposition
- 00:18:02.971 --> 00:18:07.843
- To his word.
- 00:18:07.843 --> 00:18:09.178
- Check a trusted source.
- 00:18:09.178 --> 00:18:11.213
- I pulled down a commentary i have last week that explained it
- 00:18:11.213 --> 00:18:15.851
- This way.
- 00:18:15.851 --> 00:18:17.186
- I thought this was so good.
- 00:18:17.186 --> 00:18:18.620
- "james and paul are not antagonists facing each other
- 00:18:18.620 --> 00:18:23.759
- With cross swords, but they stand back to back confronting
- 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:29.064
- Different enemies of the gospel.
- 00:18:29.064 --> 00:18:31.967
- Paul is combating those enemies who would try to add to the
- 00:18:31.967 --> 00:18:36.171
- Finished work of christ on the cross, saying that salvation is
- 00:18:36.171 --> 00:18:40.642
- Something we earned.
- 00:18:40.642 --> 00:18:42.444
- James is fighting against those who have been lulled into a
- 00:18:42.444 --> 00:18:46.148
- False security with a faith that has no results."
- 00:18:46.148 --> 00:18:51.887
- I use the ryrie study bible written by dr. charles ryrie,
- 00:18:51.887 --> 00:18:57.125
- Our former member here.
- 00:18:57.125 --> 00:18:58.961
- He has this note and this passage from james.
- 00:18:58.961 --> 00:19:02.698
- At the bottom of the page, he writes, "abraham's justification
- 00:19:02.698 --> 00:19:07.803
- In paul's sense is recorded in genesis 15:6.
- 00:19:07.803 --> 00:19:12.574
- Abraham's justification in james's sense took place 30 or
- 00:19:12.574 --> 00:19:17.613
- More years later in the patriarch's crowning act of
- 00:19:17.613 --> 00:19:21.617
- Obedience in offering isaac."
- 00:19:21.617 --> 00:19:25.187
- And that leads us to the author's concept.
- 00:19:25.187 --> 00:19:27.923
- What does james mean when he says, "faith without works
- 00:19:27.923 --> 00:19:32.427
- Is dead."
- 00:19:32.427 --> 00:19:34.263
- Write these two comments down.
- 00:19:34.263 --> 00:19:36.665
- I think martin luther had it right when he said, "here's the
- 00:19:36.665 --> 00:19:40.469
- Relationship between faith and works.
- 00:19:40.469 --> 00:19:43.272
- Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone."
- 00:19:43.272 --> 00:19:51.980
- Let's take that one phrase at a time.
- 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:54.983
- Faith alone saves.
- 00:19:54.983 --> 00:19:58.120
- James believed that.
- 00:19:58.120 --> 00:20:00.088
- You know, the great preacher of yesteryear, h.a.
- 00:20:00.088 --> 00:20:03.692
- Ironside was one time asked, "how do you explain the hundreds
- 00:20:03.692 --> 00:20:08.463
- And hundreds of different religions in the world?
- 00:20:08.463 --> 00:20:11.266
- How do you explain that?"
- 00:20:11.266 --> 00:20:12.968
- And ironside said, "there aren't hundreds of religions, there's
- 00:20:12.968 --> 00:20:16.972
- Only two religions in the world.
- 00:20:16.972 --> 00:20:19.875
- One of them covers all the other religions outside christianity.
- 00:20:19.875 --> 00:20:24.613
- It's all those who expect salvation by doing.
- 00:20:24.613 --> 00:20:28.984
- The other religion, that is christianity, covers all who
- 00:20:28.984 --> 00:20:34.222
- Have been saved by something being done for them."
- 00:20:34.222 --> 00:20:38.860
- So, he says, "the question is very simple, can you be saved by
- 00:20:38.860 --> 00:20:44.199
- Yourself or must somebody else save you?
- 00:20:44.199 --> 00:20:48.804
- Every other religion is spelled d-o.
- 00:20:48.804 --> 00:20:52.040
- Do this, do this, do this.
- 00:20:52.040 --> 00:20:55.477
- Only christianity is spelled d-o-n-e, done.
- 00:20:55.477 --> 00:21:01.550
- It's all been done by jesus christ."
- 00:21:01.550 --> 00:21:05.320
- James believed that.
- 00:21:05.320 --> 00:21:06.655
- He believed faith alone saves, but he also believed saving
- 00:21:06.655 --> 00:21:10.659
- Faith is never alone.
- 00:21:10.659 --> 00:21:13.295
- Where there is genuine faith, there'll be visible fruit in a
- 00:21:13.295 --> 00:21:17.432
- Christian's life.
- 00:21:17.432 --> 00:21:19.434
- Young girl became a christian and she presented herself to the
- 00:21:19.434 --> 00:21:23.705
- Local church for membership and a deacon was questioning her.
- 00:21:23.705 --> 00:21:28.343
- And he asked her, "has your faith in christ made a
- 00:21:28.343 --> 00:21:31.513
- Difference in your life?"
- 00:21:31.513 --> 00:21:33.415
- She said, "oh, it most certainly has."
- 00:21:33.415 --> 00:21:36.351
- He said, "well, do you sin now that you're a christian?"
- 00:21:36.351 --> 00:21:40.389
- She looked down and confessed, "sometimes i do."
- 00:21:40.389 --> 00:21:44.259
- The deacon said, "well, i don't understand.
- 00:21:44.259 --> 00:21:46.428
- You said your faith has made a difference in your life and yet,
- 00:21:46.428 --> 00:21:49.831
- Before you were a christian, you sinned, and now that you're a
- 00:21:49.831 --> 00:21:52.801
- Christian you sinned.
- 00:21:52.801 --> 00:21:54.436
- What difference is there in your life?"
- 00:21:54.436 --> 00:21:58.006
- She thought for a moment and she said, "i guess i would explain
- 00:21:58.006 --> 00:22:00.409
- It this way.
- 00:22:00.409 --> 00:22:02.277
- Before i was saved, i ran after sin.
- 00:22:02.277 --> 00:22:07.182
- But now that i'm a christian, i run from it, though sometimes it
- 00:22:07.182 --> 00:22:12.287
- Still overtakes me."
- 00:22:12.287 --> 00:22:15.791
- I disdain a hatred for sin in our life.
- 00:22:15.791 --> 00:22:19.694
- I hunger for god's word, i love to be with god's people.
- 00:22:19.694 --> 00:22:24.666
- These are the results of a saving faith that guarantees us
- 00:22:24.666 --> 00:22:30.505
- Entrance into heaven one day.
- 00:22:30.505 --> 00:22:33.375
- Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone.
- 00:22:33.375 --> 00:22:38.580
- ♪♪♪
- 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:44.186
- Jeffress: james and paul aren't on opposite sides.
- 00:22:44.186 --> 00:22:47.055
- Rather, they're united in defending the gospel against
- 00:22:47.055 --> 00:22:50.659
- Different errors.
- 00:22:50.659 --> 00:22:52.260
- When we properly interpret scripture, these apparent
- 00:22:52.260 --> 00:22:55.530
- Conflicts dissolve into perfect harmony.
- 00:22:55.530 --> 00:22:59.234
- Now in closing today, i want to share an encouraging note from
- 00:22:59.234 --> 00:23:02.304
- Juan in california who wrote, "dr. jeffress
- 00:23:02.304 --> 00:23:05.907
- Teaches very clearly the word of god!
- 00:23:05.907 --> 00:23:08.543
- I had been sitting in the front row of a church hearing, but
- 00:23:08.543 --> 00:23:11.613
- Not listening.
- 00:23:11.613 --> 00:23:12.948
- I was in a dead sleep up until a couple of months ago when god
- 00:23:12.948 --> 00:23:17.052
- Lit up a fire under me and brought me to my knees to
- 00:23:17.052 --> 00:23:20.655
- Seek him.
- 00:23:20.655 --> 00:23:22.023
- Listening to my local radio station, i came across pathway
- 00:23:22.023 --> 00:23:25.527
- To victory and was captivated by dr. jeffress's teachings.
- 00:23:25.527 --> 00:23:30.031
- I could hear god speaking to me through dr. jeffress as my
- 00:23:30.031 --> 00:23:33.935
- Questions were answered.
- 00:23:33.935 --> 00:23:35.737
- I thank god for this ministry.
- 00:23:35.737 --> 00:23:38.740
- Well juan, your testimony fills my heart with joy
- 00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:42.177
- And encouragement.
- 00:23:42.177 --> 00:23:43.678
- And friends, you're the reason juan and so many others like him
- 00:23:43.678 --> 00:23:47.849
- Can turn on the radio and discover "pathway to victory" at
- 00:23:47.849 --> 00:23:51.453
- Just the right moment.
- 00:23:51.453 --> 00:23:53.355
- Your faithful support keeps us on radio, television, and
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- Digital platforms reaching people who are searching for
- 00:23:56.892 --> 00:24:00.595
- Biblical truth.
- 00:24:00.595 --> 00:24:02.130
- Thank you so much for your support.
- 00:24:02.130 --> 00:24:05.166
- Now stay right there.
- 00:24:05.166 --> 00:24:06.501
- I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
- 00:24:06.501 --> 00:24:09.671
- Male announcer: every believer wants to see clear evidence of
- 00:24:12.340 --> 00:24:14.943
- Their spiritual growth and discover the fruit that god is
- 00:24:14.943 --> 00:24:18.213
- Producing in their lives.
- 00:24:18.213 --> 00:24:20.148
- Dr. robert jeffress shows you exactly how to recognize that
- 00:24:20.148 --> 00:24:23.685
- Fruit in his brand new book "how to know if you're really saved."
- 00:24:23.685 --> 00:24:27.722
- Jeffress: the book of james teaches us that the christian
- 00:24:27.789 --> 00:24:30.225
- Life is about more than just knowing god's word, it's about
- 00:24:30.225 --> 00:24:34.362
- Living it out.
- 00:24:34.362 --> 00:24:35.730
- In my new book, "how to know if you're really saved," i'll walk
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- You through what it truly means to be a doer of the word,
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- Showing you how to respond to trials, control your speech,
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- Endure hardships, resist temptation, and so much more.
- 00:24:46.274 --> 00:24:51.313
- Male announcer: this outstanding 232 page book will help you
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- Examine the evidence of your faith and see the spiritual
- 00:24:54.282 --> 00:24:57.652
- Fruit that should be growing in your daily life.
- 00:24:57.652 --> 00:25:00.655
- Request your copy of "how to know if you're really saved"
- 00:25:00.655 --> 00:25:03.792
- When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of "pathway
- 00:25:03.792 --> 00:25:06.962
- To victory" or when you become a pathway partner.
- 00:25:06.962 --> 00:25:10.198
- With your ministry gift of $75 or more, we'll send you not just
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- The book, but also the personal and group study guide and the
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- Complete message series on both cd and dvd.
- 00:25:17.973 --> 00:25:21.309
- Jeffress: if you are truly saved, there's gonna be evidence
- 00:25:21.376 --> 00:25:24.779
- Of it.
- 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:26.114
- There's some tests that you need to apply to your life.
- 00:25:26.114 --> 00:25:29.384
- Thank you for your generous support of "pathway to victory."
- 00:25:29.384 --> 00:25:32.587
- Your partnership helps us bring bold, biblical, and practical
- 00:25:32.587 --> 00:25:36.257
- Teaching into homes across the nation and around the world.
- 00:25:36.257 --> 00:25:39.661
- Jeffress: faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone.
- 00:25:43.064 --> 00:25:47.669
- That powerful truth resolves what appears to be scripture's
- 00:25:47.669 --> 00:25:52.107
- Greatest contradiction.
- 00:25:52.107 --> 00:25:54.175
- James and paul teach us that genuine faith always produces
- 00:25:54.175 --> 00:25:58.580
- Visible fruit in our lives.
- 00:25:58.580 --> 00:26:01.349
- Well, speaking of genuine faith, next time we're going to examine
- 00:26:01.349 --> 00:26:05.186
- One of the most extreme tests of faith ever recorded in the
- 00:26:05.186 --> 00:26:09.057
- Bible, when god asked abraham to sacrifice his son isaac,
- 00:26:09.057 --> 00:26:13.995
- Abraham's response revealed what extreme faith really looks like.
- 00:26:13.995 --> 00:26:19.534
- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
- 00:26:19.534 --> 00:26:22.003
- Series "how to know if you're really saved."
- 00:26:22.003 --> 00:26:25.306
- Jeffress: when paul talks about the moment abraham was made
- 00:26:26.541 --> 00:26:29.144
- Righteous, it was in that moment he believed the promises of god.
- 00:26:29.144 --> 00:26:33.548
- But when james says abraham was made righteous, he means he was
- 00:26:33.548 --> 00:26:39.220
- Shown to be righteous by his willingness to offer his son
- 00:26:39.220 --> 00:26:43.058
- Isaac as a sacrifice.
- 00:26:43.058 --> 00:26:45.860
- And it's that story that we're going to look at today.
- 00:26:45.860 --> 00:26:49.731
- Male announcer: set your dvr
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- And join us next time
- 00:26:51.066 --> 00:26:52.400
- For the message "extreme faith"
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- Here on "pathway to victory."
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