Not by works, not by "only believe", and not by faith alone either

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mailmandan

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Apr 7, 2014
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The title of this thread is defensless.

It is of works, or it is of grace (through faith) apart from works.

there is no other option found in scripture

If it is not of faith alone, it is of works, If it is of works, it is of faith in self (works) not faith in God.

There is no other option. You trust Christ, Or you trust self.
Yes and either we are trusting 100% in Christ's finished work of redemption as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation or else we are 100% lost. Unfortunately, many turn to supplements (works) for salvation and refuse to trust in CHRIST ALONE for salvation.
 
Mar 28, 2016
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On the contrary, confessing Jesus as your lord is indeed a work of faith.
Not of our own selves

Yes a work of Christ’s faith the faithful Creator. Not Lazarus who had no faith used in that parable in respect to the second and final resurrection the last day .

He had no qualifier by which he could believe God. no hearing, no seeing, no feeling. Christ gave him ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.


And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Joh 11:43

We can see the faith of Christ working to give him ears hear God as to do His will, to rise, and another work of Christ’s faith working to loose Lazarus of his grave clothes

He who is of one mind and always does whatsoever His soul pleases works according to His own faith, all things after the pleasure of His will . It is Christ who can make our hearts soft .
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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Not of our own selves

Yes a work of Christ’s faith the faithful Creator. Not Lazarus who had no faith used in that parable in respect to the second and final resurrection the last day .

He had no qualifier by which he could believe God. no hearing, no seeing, no feeling. Christ gave him ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Joh 11:43

We can see the faith of Christ working to give him ears hear God as to do His will, to rise, and another work of Christ’s faith working to loose Lazarus of his grave clothes

He who is of one mind and always does whatsoever His soul pleases works according to His own faith, all things after the pleasure of His will . It is Christ who can make our hearts soft .
Confessing Jesus as Lord is an expression of faith, not a work that merits salvation. Romans 10:8 - But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart" (together) that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (notice the reverse order from verse 9 to verse 10) - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confess/believe; believe/confess.

There are certain people who see "believes unto righteousness" and "confession is made unto salvation" not as together but as two separate steps to salvation. Such people have a 4 step plan of salvation that goes like this: 1. Believe (but still lost) 2. Repent (but still lost) 3. Confess (but still lost) 4. Get water baptized (finally saved after all 4 steps are completed in that order). For such a person, confession is not made unto salvation, but unto baptism, which is then made unto salvation, in contradiction to what Paul said in Romans 10:9,10.

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except BY the Holy Spirit. There is divine influence or direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person when confessing Jesus as Lord. This confession is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Lord (even the demons believe that), but is a deep personal conviction, without reservation, that Jesus is that person's Lord and Savior.

So simply believing in our head (and not in our heart) that God raised Him from the dead does not result in righteousness and simply reciting the words "Jesus is Lord" as a work for salvation, not by the Holy Spirit is not unto salvation.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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It's not that we must act but we will act. Simply believing without any action to follow is not truly believing. That would be an empty profession of faith and not authentic faith. The action (works) which follows believing is the fruit, by product and demonstrative evidence of genuine belief/faith, but not the essence of belief/faith and not the means of our salvation. Also, once again faith and confession are not two separate steps to salvation, but are chronologically together (Romans 10:8-10).
The message of salvation is the seed, the end result, which is the salvation of the soul, is the fruit.
One sows seed by spreading the gospel verbally. The fruit has to be of and from what the seed was, because every plant produces after its own kind. So the fruit has to be in this case, the salvation of the soul.
The seed of healing planted in the heart of the believer has to produce healing, which is the fruit.
As seed of healing planted in the heart of a person cannot produce salvation, as an orange tree cannot produce apples.
It doesn't matter if both the believing and work are done immediately together or the work or act is done at a later time, nothing will happen, God will not move, UNTIL the work is done.
When the person acts in faith, without any doubt in their heart, God WILL move, and cause the seed of your faith to bear fruit, which for the message of salvation would be the saving of the soul. Something we can't do.
For God to fail to perform His word would render it a lie.
Again, faith is like driving a car. The car representing God. We initiate by starting the car to turn the power on, stepping on the gas peddle to make it go forward, turning the steering wheel to make it go in a certain direction, and applying the brakes to make it slow down. In order for the car to move we have to do a small effortless act, and the car/God converts our small act of faith into a powerful force or movement [by His Spirit] of the car. That is something we cannot do. We are too weak to move the automobile at highway speeds, but it's no problem for God.
Using a GPS for guidance to get to your destination would be like, seeking God on what to do or what needs to be done, to get your prayer answered, or for the seed to bear fruit.
We pray, seek, and wait on God for the guidance of His Spirit, and to show us the way, because EVERY promise in Christ Jesus is, yes and it is so or so be it.
And as the Spirit leads and we obediently follow, God will direct us to obtain the answer we desire. That is, anything that is considered a "good thing", and healing, like salvation is a good thing.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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So you are sticking to your erroneous argument that those who believe unto righteousness today (remain lost) until later, after they confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord a week later? :rolleyes:

You seem determined to believe that you are saved by works. As I said before, confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead are not two separate steps to salvation but are chronologically together (Romans 10:8-10). Also, this confession is an expression of faith, not a work for salvation. The word of faith is in our mouth and in our heart TOGETHER. That's the point. Not that believing in Christ is insufficient to save until we accomplish confession as a work of merit for salvation afterwards in order to become saved. If that was the case, then these passages of scripture would be a lie - John 3:15,16,18; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31 etc..

So you are using the example of Jesus' words as a work to justify your belief that confession is a work of merit for salvation? What other works are you trusting in for salvation?
No, I never said nor was I insinuating that "confession is a work of MERIT for salvation", but a work for salvation. It has nothing to do with merits, it has to do with HOW faith works.
And no, I'm not saying now, nor have I ever said, we are saved by works, but by A WORK OF FAITH. As in, one work of faith to the message of salvation that the person agreed with, believed, and received personally.
Again, there is only one kind of faith and it works the same way in every situation, whatever it may be for. The way faith works for healing is the same way faith works for salvation. There is only ONE KIND of God like faith and it doesn't matter what it's used for, it works the same way on and for everything. There's just no getting around that. It has NOTHING to do with merit.
And I'm not the one who said "salvation is made" AFTER one confesses Jesus as their lord and savior, Paul is. This is the message he preached, I'm simply stating what Paul wrote, the way he wrote it. And I believe what is written, THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN, and the way it's written is salvation is made when or after one confesses Jesus as their lord and savior, NOT when or after they believe.
Confessing after or when one believes harmonizes with all the other scriptures that define what faith and how it works.
As you have already stated, believing is the verb form of the word faith, and it would stand to reason alone that if one needs to do a work for faith of God to work, the same would need to apply to the believing.
And as you have also stated, when one truly believes, the work will follow, even as it is written-

2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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The title of this thread is defensless.

It is of works, or it is of grace (through faith) apart from works.

there is no other option found in scripture

If it is not of faith alone, it is of works, If it is of works, it is of faith in self (works) not faith in God.

There is no other option. You trust Christ, Or you trust self.
Since you are talking about works of the law and not works of faith, your argument is baseless.
Yes, we are saved by grace through faith apart from the works of the law. That is true, but works of faith are not works of the law. Paul, in this part of scripture, is talking about works of the law, where James and other parts of Paul's letters, talks about a work pr works of faith.
This thread is for the purpose of making a distinction between works of the law, good works, and that of faith.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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Yes and either we are trusting 100% in Christ's finished work of redemption as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation or else we are 100% lost. Unfortunately, many turn to supplements (works) for salvation and refuse to trust in CHRIST ALONE for salvation.
Once the the person is born again, there is no more work one can do to keep their salvation.
No amount of good works or works of the law will cause the person to be good enough for them to keep their salvation, and neither do they need to do any more works of faith to keep their salvation.
Once a child of God, always a child of God, but not once saved always saved.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
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Not of our own selves

Yes a work of Christ’s faith the faithful Creator. Not Lazarus who had no faith used in that parable in respect to the second and final resurrection the last day .

He had no qualifier by which he could believe God. no hearing, no seeing, no feeling. Christ gave him ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.


And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Joh 11:43

We can see the faith of Christ working to give him ears hear God as to do His will, to rise, and another work of Christ’s faith working to loose Lazarus of his grave clothes

He who is of one mind and always does whatsoever His soul pleases works according to His own faith, all things after the pleasure of His will . It is Christ who can make our hearts soft .
Faith is a spirit of God within our heart that causes us to believe.
A spirit/seed of salvation is received in our hearts, when we agree with and receive the truth of the gospel.
That spiritual seed/offspring of salvation from God causes one to believe, even as a spirit of prophecy causes or enables a prophet to prophesy. It is of and from God even as the spirit of salvation is of and from God. But we still have our part to obey and act on the prompting(s) of those spirits.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
Since you are talking about works of the law and not works of faith, your argument is baseless.
Yes, we are saved by grace through faith apart from the works of the law. That is true, but works of faith are not works of the law. Paul, in this part of scripture, is talking about works of the law, where James and other parts of Paul's letters, talks about a work pr works of faith.
This thread is for the purpose of making a distinction between works of the law, good works, and that of faith.
A work is a work is a work. Works of the law vs works of faith are still works. A work is done to earn a wage, too earn a reward. To earn something something.

So. No, I was not talking about works of the law. I was talking about any work.

It is either works (salvation is a wage or reward that must be earned

Or it is a gift of God which can not be earned by any work whatsoever. But can only be recieved in faith.

Well as paul said, Not by works of righteousness (this would be any work, not just works of the law) but by Gods mercy (Gods mercy is not works of faith or any other work, it is freely given because someone DID NOT EARN IT. You give mercy to people who can not help themselves) HE SAVED US by the WASHING and RENEWAL of the HS. (Not by works of faith or other works)



 
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Faith without obedience is nothing but talk.
Not believing God is disobedience. Believing God is obedience, for it's God's will that we believe in Jesus Christ.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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Faith without obedience is nothing but talk.
Not believing God is disobedience. Believing God is obedience, for it's God's will that we believe in Jesus Christ.
Faith that produces no obedience at all is not genuine faith, but is an empty profession of faith/dead faith. Disobedience is a manifestation of unbelief and obedience is a manifestation of belief. To believe in Jesus Christ in order to receive eternal life means we are trusting in Him alone for salvation. Not to be confused with multiple acts of obedience/works which follow and are produced “out of” faith.
 

mailmandan

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Apr 7, 2014
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A work is a work is a work. Works of the law vs works of faith are still works. A work is done to earn a wage, too earn a reward. To earn something something.

So. No, I was not talking about works of the law. I was talking about any work.

It is either works (salvation is a wage or reward that must be earned

Or it is a gift of God which can not be earned by any work whatsoever. But can only be recieved in faith.

Well as paul said, Not by works of righteousness (this would be any work, not just works of the law) but by Gods mercy (Gods mercy is not works of faith or any other work, it is freely given because someone DID NOT EARN IT. You give mercy to people who can not help themselves) HE SAVED US by the WASHING and RENEWAL of the HS. (Not by works of faith or other works)
Works of faith cannot be dissected from the moral aspect of the law, so the argument that we are saved by “these” works (works of faith) and just not “those” works (works of the law) is baseless.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
Faith without obedience is nothing but talk.
Not believing God is disobedience. Believing God is obedience, for it's God's will that we believe in Jesus Christ.
There is no such thing as faith apart from obedience. As james said, it would be dead. A dead faith is no faith at all. Only a "claimed" faith.

Other than that I agree with you.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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A work is a work is a work. Works of the law vs works of faith are still works. A work is done to earn a wage, too earn a reward. To earn something something.

So. No, I was not talking about works of the law. I was talking about any work.

It is either works (salvation is a wage or reward that must be earned

Or it is a gift of God which can not be earned by any work whatsoever. But can only be recieved in faith.

Well as paul said, Not by works of righteousness (this would be any work, not just works of the law) but by Gods mercy (Gods mercy is not works of faith or any other work, it is freely given because someone DID NOT EARN IT. You give mercy to people who can not help themselves) HE SAVED US by the WASHING and RENEWAL of the HS. (Not by works of faith or other works)
(AUV) For a person believes [in Christ] with his heart in order to be made right with God, and he makes a profession with his lips in order to be saved.

(ALT) For with the heart it is believed to righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed to salvation.

(BBE) For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation.

(Complete Apostles' Bible) For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

(CLV) For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, yet with the mouth it is avowed for salvation."

(CTBible) For with the heart man believeth for righteousness, and with the mouth acknowledgment is made for salvation.

(EWB-CB) For with the heart it is believed unto righteousness; and with the mouth it is confessed to obtain salvation.

(EMTV) For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

(ERV) Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.

(ESV) For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

(ECB) For with the heart, trust is to justness; and with the mouth, profession is to salvation.

(ERRB) For with the heart man believeth trust is unto righteousness justness ; and with the mouth confession profession is made unto salvation.



(GNB) For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.

(GW) By believing you receive God's approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved.

(HRB) For the heart which believes in Him shall be declared righteous, and the mouth that confesses Him shall live.

(ISV) For a person believes with his heart and is justified, and a person declares with his mouth and is saved.

(Julia) For with the heart is believed for justice: and with the mouth is confessed for salvation.


(KJV) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(Lamsa NT) For the heart which believes in him, shall be declared righteous, and the mouth that confesses him shall live.

(LEB+) For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

(Murdock) For the heart that believeth in him, is justified; and the mouth that confesseth him, is restored to life.

(NET) For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness11 and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.12
(WNT) For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation.




They all say basically the same thing. Salvation doesn't take place UNTIL one confesses with their mouth, the lord Jesus.
That work is a must.
All works are not created equal.
You could say a dog is a dog is a dog, but the fact is there are various kinds of dogs. Yes, all are indeed dogs, but one breed of dog differs from another. That is a fact. And yes, a work of faith is a work, but it certainly is not the same kind of works Paul speaks of in Galatians. If what you say is true, then it would negate the words of James and other scripture Paul wrote about.
Your interpretation of the word, works, is out of context of what Paul was talking about, which was the law, by adding what is not there.
 

Hizikyah

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 8:31, "...If you continue in My doctrine, then you are truly My disciples."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John 12:26, “26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Yah remains on him.”[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 5:24, "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Luke 6:46, "And why call Me; Ruler! Ruler! and do not the things which I say?"[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Luke 11:28, But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Yah and watching over it!”[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Luke 8:21, “And He answering, said to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who are hearing the Word of Yah and doing it.”[/FONT]



[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the desire of My Father who is in the heavens is My brother and sister and mother.”
[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."[/FONT]
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
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John/Yahanan 8:31, "...If you continue in My doctrine, then you are truly My disciples."


John 12:26, “26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”


John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Yah remains on him.”


John/Yahanan 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."


John/Yahanan 5:24, "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."


Luke 6:46, "And why call Me; Ruler! Ruler! and do not the things which I say?"


Luke 11:28, But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Yah and watching over it!”


Luke 8:21, “And He answering, said to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who are hearing the Word of Yah and doing it.”



Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the desire of My Father who is in the heavens is My brother and sister and mother.”


John/Yahanan 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."
Point being?
I'm not able to follow your line of thought on this.