From: Rick_Granberry@pts.mot.com (Rick Granberry)
Subject: Re: Help
Reply-To: Rick_Granberry@pts.mot.com (Rick Granberry)
Organization: Motorola Paging and Telepoint Systems Group
Lines: 46

In article <Apr.21.03.26.51.1993.1379@geneva.rutgers.edu>, 
lmvec@westminster.ac.uk (William Hargreaves) writes:
> Hi everyone, 
> 	   I'm a commited Christian that is battling with a problem.  I 
> know that romans talks about how we are saved by our faith not our 
> deeds, yet hebrews and james say that faith without deeds is useless, 
> saying' You fools, do you still think that just believing is enough?' 
> 
> Now if someone is fully believing but there life is totally lead by 
> themselves and not by God, according to Romans that person is still 
> saved by there faith.

my $.02 - Yes and No.  I do not believe the above scenario is not possible.  
Either they are believing and living (in at least some part) led by God, else 
they are not.  Believing (intellectually, but waiting(?)) is not enough.
   Especially important to remember is that no one can judge whether you are 
so committed, nor can you judge someone else.  I guess the closest we can 
come to know someone's situation is listening to their own statements.  This 
can be fallible, as is our sense of communion one with another.

> But then there is the bit which says that God 
> preferes someone who is cold to him (i.e. doesn't know him - condemned) 
> so a lukewarm Christian someone who knows and believes in God but doesn'
> t make any attempt to live by the bible. 

Regarding this passage, we need to remember that this is a letter to a church 
(at Laodicea), people who are Of the Body of Christ. (Rev.3:14-16)  He talks 
about their works.  A translation could say that he says their lack of 
concern makes him sick (to the point of throwing up).

> Now I am of the opinion that you a saved through faith alone (not what 
> you do) as taught in Romans, but how can I square up in my mind the 
> teachings of James in conjunction with the lukewarm Christian being '
> spat-out'
   Right, saving is by faith alone, except that faith does not come alone, if 
you catch the two meanings.
   I can offer the explanation that Jesus would that we were either "on fire 
for Him" or so cold we knew we were not in His will and thus could be made 
aware of our separation.  This is admonishment for His children, not eternal 
damnation.



| "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him." |
| "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit."  |
| (proverbs 26:4&5)
