Inmate Asks About 'Faith Without Works'

How many times have you read the Bible? Respectfully. Probably about as much as times you had. God says this, no faith in God works is dead. Let me exegete it for you correctly here. So when you read it, it's like working out your own salvation. That's what it seems, right? I understand what you're saying, but do you believe that Judas had the same mindset that you're having? You can't say, I'm gonna just do the things I used to do and it's okay and I'm gonna enter heaven. Can I ask you something? I understand that you got to keep your faith in Jesus Christ. I know that. Amen. But what I'm saying is this, be honest with you, you know, a lot of times since I've been walking with God, I asked God to come to my life a long time ago. Sure. But I always done the things wrong way. You know, the spirit is weak, but the flesh is weak. Sure.

You know, God also says this, he says, if you love me, you keep my commandments. He says, run your race with fear and trepidation. You know, God says this, no faith in God works is dead. You know, you got to repent. You got to turn away from it. You can't continue to do the things you used to do. Because when you do those things and you think that you're saved, say saved by grace, I can continue to do what I want to do. That's not saved. That's a lie to the enemy. You know, my biggest fear is this, and I asked you this question, God talks about, there's a person that says this, hey, Lord, did not cast out demons in your name? He says, sons of iniquity, get away from me.

Sure. For I never even knew you. Sure. You know, so these are things I like, people to ponder on. Because God does says, man, when he says this, sons of iniquity, get away from me. For I never knew you. Man, be careful, man. You don't want to play with your salvation. Because I believe in my heart. You can't lose your salvation. Because it says the road to heaven is a narrow road, man. Not many people will be able to come into the kingdom of heaven. Amen. Run your race, man, with fear and trembling, bro. I love you. For sure. Thank you. So can I ask you a question?

How many times have you read the Bible? Respectfully. Yeah, I'm just like you. You know, when I was a kid, I don't know what it is. Even when I was gang banging. When I first came into the system, even when I was at TYC at the club, I would just attach to the Bible. I would read nothing else. I don't know what it was, man. Sure. But I've read that Bible, man, already. I've read the Bible probably about as much as times you had. Okay. 15, 16, maybe more. Sure. You know what I mean? And I don't got all these scriptures memorized. No. But you know, I have it in my heart. It's written on the tab in my heart.

Sure. Verses you quoted. I could put them up. You're saying second. I'm sorry. Philippians chapter two, verse 12. He has to pull it up. Let me exegete it for you correctly here, right? Says, wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence, but now how much more in my absence? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. These are one of those verses where I was saying, you've got to keep reading. So when you read it, it's like work out your own salvation. That's what it seems, right? But verse 13, can we pull that up, please? Who does the work for it is God, which work it in you. You understand what I'm saying? That's the difference.

Secondly, you quoted a second. You quoted James chapter two, verse 17. Please pull that up. Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead being alone, right? Faith without works is dead. Can I ask you who he's speaking to in this context? It will be honest with you. I don't even know who he was speaking to right then and there, man. I know. I know a lot of times he spoke to the Pharisees. I know that. Amen. So that's right. James chapter one, verse one. Let's exegete the scripture. James, a servant of God and the Lord of Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes, which are scattered abroad. Greetings. Do you know who the 12 tribes are? They're the Israelites. Do you know what the Israelites did? They're the Pharisees.

They crucified Jesus. So when he said, let me get this straight. You have faith, which includes crucified my Messiah, my Messiah, the author and the finisher of my faith. And you're trying to say, you have works. John 17, verse three, the works that I come to do. You have given me Jesus. He's chastising the Pharisees. Do you get what I'm saying? So when you read scripture, you have to be able to understand the context. That's why I asked you respectfully. How many times have you read the Bible? You know, and be honest with you. I'll be honest with you. I know when he was speaking to the Pharisees, see the Pharisees won't even keep the law themselves. They were just doing it for self ambition. But I do know this, that a lot of times people think, just because I got saved, I can continue to do what I do. And it's okay.

Cause I'm saved by grace. And that's a lot of the enemy. Sure. That's why he said, you got to run your race with trembling fear. You know what I mean? I do believe that. Oh, God says, you know what? Yeah. It's through Christ. Jesus will straighten us. And it's going to be a constant battle for the rest of our lives. We got to please God. You know what I mean? We got to, we got to walk this walk for the Lord, man. You quoted the scripture that says, if you love me, keep my commandments, right? Yes, sir. But let me ask you something. Does it say in first John chapter four, that you are love, or does it say God is love? Amen, and what did Jesus say when he said he came to this earth? Don't think I come to abolish the law. I come to what? Fulfilled who fulfilled the laws Yeah, that's why it says nobody loves me when I look down Psalm 14 verse 2 to 3 Romans 3 verse 10 tells us Nobody loves me right when I look down. There's none that do with good. There's none that's righteous So he's just making a point that if you think you can keep the law

You're actually doing what Jesus's work is you understand what I'm not understand what you're saying, but do you believe that? So what I'm saying is this What is it 160? I'm sorry. I mean to do a complete turnaround to repent is to do turn around right 180 So repentance I explained it earlier is a changing of your mind renewal of the spirit So you were dead actually if you look at Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, we're already dead, right? It says Christ liveth in me. Nevertheless. I live not I yet Christ liveth in me So you have to believe that you're dead. The issue is we're still trusting in ourselves Well, I'm alive so I sin and I do this and I do that. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you know why Judas was condemned because Judas had the same mindset that you're having which is I sinned So let's look at John 13 verse 2 really quickly, and then we'll finish up here Okay, but I'll explain it with this if you look here. Let's see if it was Judas who betrayed Jesus Let's look and supper being ended the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simonson to betray him who put it inside of his heart and then if you look at verse 26 Let's go down to verse 26 John 13 verse 26 verse 27. I'm sorry Verse 27 it says and after the soft the bread Satan entered into him. You see that? Then said Jesus unto him that thou doest do quickly. Who is he speaking to? speak to the devil so Satan jumped inside of him planted the thought Not a problem because Peter also denied Jesus, but why did Judas hang himself? It's very simple Matthew chapter 27 verse 4 and you'll see his heart We just saw that it was Satan who influenced him, right? So he should say nah, it was Satan who made me do it, right? But what does he say? Saying I have sinned. Wait a minute. The Bible says Judas was Possessed by Satan. Why is he taking accountability? What you're asking people to do brother is take accountability for Satan and we don't do that You This is what I'm saying, I understand that you got to keep your faith in Jesus Christ I know that amen, but this is what I'm saying that you we gotta we gotta obey the law of Christ, man You got to you got to walk that walk. You got to walk that righteous walk for sure You can't say I'm just do the things I used to do and it's okay and I'm gonna enter heaven

Can I ask you something? Do you not obey the walk of friends? I'm sure you're obedient, right? Yeah, I'm obedient to God I trust in God all of us are if you think about it as hypotheticals I don't know any of true Christian that goes, you know what I could do whatever I want part a I don't know real Christians Like that, you know what I'm saying? It's all hypotheticals. I believe you know, you're correct You said you said real quick. You said the real Christian You