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It's episode 100 of Liberty at 
Home here on ECAT. 

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Hello, friends, both here in 
Easton and around the globe. 

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It's time for episode 100. 
Yes, that's right. 

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It's our 100th episode of 
Liberty at Home right here on 

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ECAT. 
I'm your host, Pastor Adam 

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Rivero of the Liberty Baptist 
Church here in town. 

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For those of you who may not 
know, we started Liberty at Home

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on Facebook during the initial 
days of the COVID pandemic. 

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After 86 episodes, we wrapped 
for a bit before moving over 

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here to Easton Community Access 
Television. 

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We've been airing for three 
seasons now. 

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I want to thank all the kind 
staff at ECAT for their help in 

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making this weekly broadcast 
happen, particularly Adam 

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Guerrero, the Director of 
Community Media here at the 

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station. 
Now with all that being said, we

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still have a devotion to share, 
so let's get right to it by 

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turning in our Bibles to James 
chapter #2 where we'll begin 

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reading in verse #18 Yeah, a man
may say, thou hast faith and I 

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have works. 
Show me thy faith without thy 

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works, and I will show thee my 
faith by my works. 

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They'll believe us that there is
one God. 

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Thou doest well, the the devils 
also believe and tremble. 

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But wilt thou know, O vain man, 
that faith without works is 

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dead? 
Was not Abraham, our father, 

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justified by works when he had 
offered Isaac, his son upon the 

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altar? 
See us now how faith wrought 

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with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect? 

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As a pastor, people often bring 
certain Bible passages to my 

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attention that they find 
troublesome. 

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I firmly believe that the Bible 
is God's inspired word, and as 

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such it is without error. 
Yet I also recognize that there 

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are certain passages of 
Scripture that can cause 

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confusion if they're not 
thoroughly studied out. 

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Often I'm asked about James 
chapter 2, specifically about 

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how the chapter seems to suggest
that Abraham achieved salvation 

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by good works. 
Of course, as Baptists, and more

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importantly as Biblicists, we 
hold dear the fact that we are 

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not saved by works, but rather 
by trusting in Christ's finished

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work on the cross. 
The confusion specifically comes

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from some of the verses we just 
read, James chapter 2, verses 20

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through 21, which says, But wilt
thou know, O vain man, that 

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faith without works is dead? 
Was not Abraham our father, 

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justified by works when he 
offered Isaac his son upon the 

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altar? 
Now this passage may seem 

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problematic at first glance, 
seemingly teaching that 

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salvation can be obtained 
through good deeds. 

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In fact, did you know that the 
reformer Martin Luther, who 

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rejected the Catholic teaching 
of salvation by works, didn't 

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even believe the book of James 
was part of the Biblical Canon 

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because of these verses and 
other verses in the book as 

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well? 
Yet a closer inspection shows 

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that James explanation of 
Abraham's works is in perfect 

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harmony with the doctrine of 
salvation by grace taught 

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throughout the rest of 
Scripture. 

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The passage through the example 
of Abraham as well as Rahab 

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later on shows us that good 
works do not save us. 

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Rather, good works naturally 
flow from someone who already 

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has faith. 
That's why James says in verse 

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23 of chapter 2 And the 
scripture was fulfilled, which 

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saith Abraham believed God, and 
it was imputed unto him for 

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righteousness, and he was called
the friend of God. 

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Now what's James saying? 
It's clear that he is 

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encouraging believers to be 
active in performing charitable 

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acts because saying you have 
faith yet not expressing it 

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outwardly is of little help to 
someone who's in need. 

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And that's why in some verses 
before James chapter 2, verses 

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14 through 16, it says, What 
does it profit, my brethren? 

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Though a man say he have faith 
and have not works, can faith 

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save him if a brother or sister 
be naked or destitute of daily 

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food? 
And what if you say unto them, 

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Depart in peace, be warmed and 
filled, notwithstanding you give

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him not those things which are 
needful to the body, what does 

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it profit? 
The clear call of scripture is 

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that salvation cannot be 
achieved on our own merits. 

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Our good works are like filthy 
rags. 

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As it says in Isaiah chapter 64 
verse six. 

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You can never give enough money,
join enough philanthropic 

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organizations, or do enough 
charitable acts to achieve a 

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heavenly home. 
Those that teach that works can 

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save someone have earned from 
Bible doctrine and have changed 

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the pure message of the Gospel. 
James chapter 2 teaches us 

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something much different. 
For those who are believers, 

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good works are an outgrowth of 
our new life in Christ. 

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Just as an apple tree produces 
apples and a Grapevine brings 

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forth grapes, the natural 
byproduct of a Christian must be

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good works. 
Can someone be saved by their 

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works? 
Never should a person who calls 

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themselves a believer be active 
in good works. 

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Yes, it's a necessity. 
Well, thanks for joining us for 

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episode 100 of Liberty Home. 
We've got one more episode for 

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this season, so don't forget to 
tune in next week as we give you

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another dose of biblical truth. 
In the meantime, though, I hope 

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you'll join us this week at 
Liberty Baptist Church for 

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services. 
You can find us at 800 

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Washington St. and we meet every
Sunday and Wednesday. 

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Learn more about our church and 
find our live stream services at

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our website, 
mylibertybaptist.org. 

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Well, this is Pastor Adam Rivero
signing off for the week and 

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reminding you that where the 
Spirit of the Lord is, there's 

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liberty. 
Catch you next week here on 

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Liberty at Home.