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Faith and Works

Sin is breaking Yahuwah’s law. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4.  

It is only by facing the mirror - Yahuwah's law - that we discover our sin and the deformity of our characters.  The law makes us realize our need for the Saviour to wash our robes of character in His blood. Paul says, "I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."  Romans 7:7-9.  

Keeping Yahuwah’s law cannot save us. We can only be saved by believing in the Lamb of Yahuwah; only His precious blood can cleanse us from every spot and stain of sin. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Romans 3:20; John 14:6.  

Yet, receiving Yahuwah’s free gift of grace (justification) does not mean that we do not need to overcome sin.  “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:23-25.  

We are all sinful, and of ourselves are unable to do the words of Yahushua. But Yahuwah has made provision whereby the condemned sinner may be freed from spot and stain. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushua the Anointed, the righteous." "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 2:1; 1 John 1:9. But while Yahushua saves the sinner, He does not do away with the law which condemns the sinner. The law shows us our sins, as a mirror shows us that our face is not clean. The mirror has no power to cleanse the face; that is not its office.

Man, who has corrupted the image of Yahuwah in his soul by a sinful life, and cannot of himself, change himself. He must accept all that the gospel has offered him freely; this will empower him to obey Yahuwah’s law through faith in Yahushua the Anointed.  

Justification does not depend on our works. “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Yahushua.” 

Romans 3:26. But works are the fruit of our faith. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” James 2:21. Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith.  

As Yahuwah works in the heart through the Holy Spirit, and man surrenders his will to Yahuwah, and cooperates with Yahuwah, there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life. Every sin is renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Master of life and glory, and the believer has a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Yahushua. It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained. "I die daily." 1 Corinthians 15:31.

"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" James 2:22. Thus, faith works together with works. “Perfect” means complete. Abraham’s faith was made manifest by his works and his works proved he was justified.