The Bible doesn't care what "idea" we think a particular word is giving when it it is used. God used every word he has decided to use in His Word (the original texts). Therefore, it doesn't matter if you chose a Bible version that makes you feel better about how something is being said. The bottom line is, what word did God choose to use in James 2:24? It's the Greek word "???????" (dikaio?). And how does God use this word in the Bible? Well, it's easy to see that this word is mostly translated as "justified", no matter what translation you use. So, when we go to James 2:24, here's the first problem I see with the translation you chose. Your translation says, "declared righteous", yet the Bible has it's very own Greek word for the word "declared" which is not in the Greek text of this verse. So, your translation added it without in order to satisfy their own bias. The word "righteous" is a noun but the word "justify" is a verb, which is the correct tense of this Greek word in James 2:24, which is precisely why the translators correctly translated it as "justified".2timothy316 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 8:43 am One is not justified by their works. They are declared righteous by their works. There is a difference. To use the word justified gives the wrong idea. As if they are legally off the hook and above sentencing and thus they are justified to do whatever they want to do. This is not the case.
"You see that a man is to be declared righteous by works and not by faith alone."- James 2:24
A righteous person is not free of judgement but still held accountable by what they do. A righteous person's sins will not be held against them as long as they work at being righteous.
James 2:24 (KJV 1900)
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Now, you also said that "one is not justified by their works". And that statement would be correct, but that is not what the text says, neither did I ever say that. The text says, "by works a man is justified" but it's not specifying by whose works they are justified. And that's the key to this chapter in James. Man naturally thinks that this is speaking of their own work which justifies them, but that's not possible because other scriptures would contradict that idea. Neither is anyone made righteous by their works (they're essentially the same word). The works this chapter is speaking of are the works of the man Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 4:3 (KJV 1900)
For we which have believed do enter into rest (this is salvation), as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
The works of Christ in making payment for sins from the foundation of the world, made it possible for all of his elect to enter into his rest since the beginning of the world. It is his work that justifies us, not our own. Or, if you prefer, it is his work which makes us righteous and not our own.
And there is no amount of righteous work that a saved person can do that adds one iota to his salvation, or keeps him saved, or anything else of the sort. The true children of God are not saved, nor kept saved, nor kept free from the guilt of sin by any work of their own. The same God who begun this good work in us will see it to completion.
