I think he is saying we must adopt the vision of victory and to have believing in victory. Victory is ours so we have the spiritual right to claim the promise of it. God being the source of a our deliverance.
"I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father except by me."
Definition of believing: verb
Believing is confidence and trust in information received to the end it is acted upon. It also implies a trust in the source.
You're right in that just because you believe something, that doesn't make it true or that it will come true. However, here's the context for the verse you were referencing.
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19
The greater context in James 2 is that you must express your faith in good works. Just acknowledging God's existence won't do you any good, you need to actually walk with Him and obey His Word. Fallen angels believe in God, they know that He exists, but they've chosen to rebel against Him.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:20-26
In other words, follow His teachings as laid out in the Scriptures.
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:" Matthew 7:24
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:17
Addressing your next statement:
so according to you it is MY PERFORMANCE that gives me salvation.
No, that is not correct. You are saved through faith in Christ and His sacrifice for you, but your faith is of no effect if you do not live it. I once heard a pastor put it this way, "We don't do good works to be saved; we do good works because we are saved."
Read Hebrews chapter 11. It's very long, so for brevity's sake I won't quote it here, but it gives examples of numerous people recorded in the Old Testament who were considered righteous because they had faith; they did not merely claim to have faith, they showed it through their actions. Also reread James 2:21-23, as it teaches the same thing.
nothing changed from old testament to new testament. same as it ever was. i better do what you say or i am damned to hell.
In regards to salvation, you are correct, nothing has changed. Those who lived prior to Christ's first coming were saved by looking forward to Him, just as we are by looking back. His sacrifice was prefigured by the ceremonial sacrificing of animals (Hebrews 9:13-10:18).
might i suggest you go back and reread the, who is thy neighbor parable again. if anything else is required HE will pay when he comes back. HE pulled me up out of the ditch, HE brought me to the inn, HE PREPAID the innkeeper for my well being and HE said if any thing else is owed HE will pay on his way back through. WHAT part of that is my performance? i have to get beat up and robbed? thats happened already, i assure you.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan? Jesus told that parable to the man who He was speaking with to illustrate how people should do good to one another. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other; the thought of one doing good to the other was astounding at the time. After telling the parable, Jesus told the man to be like the Samaritan.
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." Luke 10:36-37
In regards to your statement about the law:
also make sure who is speaking to who. i have never been under the law as a non Hebrew.
Which law? The ceremonial law of animal sacrifices, feast days, and circumcision, which was done away with at the cross (Deuteronomy 31:26; Colossians 2:14)? Certainly not the eternal law of God, His Ten Commandments (Psalm 111:7-8).
What does it mean to not be under the law?
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:14-16
What is sin?
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4
Will sinners be in God's kingdom?
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21
Regarding your next point:
i believe it was the Jerusalem counsel that gave direction concerning non isreal converts.
The Jerusalem Council, which you can read in Acts chapter 15, was convened because some Jewish converts were asserting that Gentiles converts needed to be circumcised (Acts 15:1-12). However, this was determined to no longer be a requirement (Acts 15:22-26).
It was also decided that the previously pagan Gentile converts should be instructed to not commit idolatry or fornication and to not ingest blood (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29). These were issues that were common among the pagans in those days. Idolatry and fornication are violations of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6, 14), and God forbade the eating of blood to Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:4).
none the less, add words to HIS words at your own peril.
Definitely.
do you know what you were set free from?
Sin and the penalty for sin/breaking the law, which is death. Jesus paid that price for us.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:14-23
I think he is saying we must adopt the vision of victory and to have believing in victory. Victory is ours so we have the spiritual right to claim the promise of it. God being the source of a our deliverance.
"I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father except by me."
Definition of believing: verb
Believing is confidence and trust in information received to the end it is acted upon. It also implies a trust in the source.
I was taught this definition many years ago.
It's truth and it can be operated by free will.
You're right in that just because you believe something, that doesn't make it true or that it will come true. However, here's the context for the verse you were referencing.
The greater context in James 2 is that you must express your faith in good works. Just acknowledging God's existence won't do you any good, you need to actually walk with Him and obey His Word. Fallen angels believe in God, they know that He exists, but they've chosen to rebel against Him.
In other words, follow His teachings as laid out in the Scriptures.
Addressing your next statement:
No, that is not correct. You are saved through faith in Christ and His sacrifice for you, but your faith is of no effect if you do not live it. I once heard a pastor put it this way, "We don't do good works to be saved; we do good works because we are saved."
Read Hebrews chapter 11. It's very long, so for brevity's sake I won't quote it here, but it gives examples of numerous people recorded in the Old Testament who were considered righteous because they had faith; they did not merely claim to have faith, they showed it through their actions. Also reread James 2:21-23, as it teaches the same thing.
In regards to salvation, you are correct, nothing has changed. Those who lived prior to Christ's first coming were saved by looking forward to Him, just as we are by looking back. His sacrifice was prefigured by the ceremonial sacrificing of animals (Hebrews 9:13-10:18).
The Parable of the Good Samaritan? Jesus told that parable to the man who He was speaking with to illustrate how people should do good to one another. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other; the thought of one doing good to the other was astounding at the time. After telling the parable, Jesus told the man to be like the Samaritan.
In regards to your statement about the law:
Which law? The ceremonial law of animal sacrifices, feast days, and circumcision, which was done away with at the cross (Deuteronomy 31:26; Colossians 2:14)? Certainly not the eternal law of God, His Ten Commandments (Psalm 111:7-8).
What does it mean to not be under the law?
What is sin?
Will sinners be in God's kingdom?
Regarding your next point:
The Jerusalem Council, which you can read in Acts chapter 15, was convened because some Jewish converts were asserting that Gentiles converts needed to be circumcised (Acts 15:1-12). However, this was determined to no longer be a requirement (Acts 15:22-26).
It was also decided that the previously pagan Gentile converts should be instructed to not commit idolatry or fornication and to not ingest blood (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29). These were issues that were common among the pagans in those days. Idolatry and fornication are violations of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6, 14), and God forbade the eating of blood to Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:4).
Definitely.
Sin and the penalty for sin/breaking the law, which is death. Jesus paid that price for us.