I think that your rejection of "penal substitution" should be more of a warning
for people to not assume they are so saved without works that they can continue in sin.
But, to go to the opposite is to say that we save ourselves by cooperating with God. That's not the Gospel. That is the same as the Old Covenant.
Salvation is the result of "working together with God." It is what the Bible teaches.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2Co 6:1 We then, as
workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
Workers Together -
sunergeō - G4903
From G4904; to be a fellow worker, that is, co-operate: - help (work) with, work (-er) together.
If there is no "working together" there is no resulting salvation. If there is no "working together" then grace is received in vain. Believe what Bible says. The Bible speaks of "Synergy" in 2Cor 6:1.
Eph 2:8-10 speak of synergy too.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are saved by grace through faith. Grace is the leading of God upon our hearts, grace is what teaches us, grace is what quickens us. Faith is putting that grace to use by yielding to it. "Grace through faith" is a working dynamic that produces an outcome, that outcome being salvation, the transformed heart.
If one refuses to "work together" with God then all there is is "grace alone" + "unfaithfulness" and in that situation nothing happens. There is no transformation, there is no salvation.
If Noah refused to build the ark the grace of God would have been received by him in vain. Noah had to DO something and so do we.
Jesus taught that we must be doers. What is so hard to understand about that? What is the problem with "obedience" being a mandatory aspect of salvation? Why is it people reject obedience? The Bible clearly command obedience all over the place.
Jesus preached the Gospel and Jesus commanded "keep my commandments." So what do you mean that obedience is not part of the Gospel? I suspect it is because you want to believe in Penal Substitution which does not require obedience, it is a doctrine which treats salvation as purely positional, a position based on mere trust irrespective if one obeys or not. The Penal folk teach that "obedience will come later" yet the question I ask is WHEN? Next week? Next month? Next year? They always have this "fuzzy in between stage" of being "saved and disobedient" at the same time.
We are saved by the Grace of God, effected upon us through Faith in His Son, unto good works through the Spirit.
We are saved by grace THROUGH faith. Faith is not some mere "trust in Jesus and do nothing." Faith is trust in Jesus and abide in the Spirit of His life.
Look at this...
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of the Spirit of life IN Christ Jesus makes us free from the law of sin and death. Right before that Paul wrote...
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Do you think WALKING after the Spirit is optional? You really think there is nothing we have to do?
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Do you really think that the righteousness of the law does not have to be fulfilled in us?
Jesus came to save us from sin (Mat 1:21) not save us in it. If one is not WALKING according to the Spirit of life IN Jesus Christ then they cannot possibly be saved from the law of sin and death.
Again, James wrote...
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Do you think that is optional? We don't have to forsake all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness to receive with meekness the implanted word? We don't have to be a doer of the word?
How can you say such a thing? You are preaching against the Gospel by doing so.
It isn't cooperation, but giving the wheel over to His operating.
It isn't cooperation? The Bible specifically says that it is cooperation. We WORK TOGETHER with God. If that is not cooperation I don't know what it.
cooperate
: to work together : to work with another person or group to do something
: to be helpful by doing what someone asks or tells you to do
: to act in a way that makes something possible or likely : to produce the right conditions for something to happen
Cooperate - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
James wrote this...
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith
wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 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.
Wrought With -
sunergeō - G4903
From G4904; to be a fellow worker, that is, co-operate: - help (work) with, work (-er) together.
The EXACT SAME WORD is used by James as is used by Paul in 2Cor 6:1.
How much more evidence do you need that we have to WORK TOGETHER with God?
Faith without any working principle behind it is dead faith. It is useless.
God reckons a WORKING FAITH s righteousness because a WORKING FAITH is real. Faith is SUBSTANCE AND EVIDENCE of things hoped for, it is not passive assent to the truth of something.
Te wolves in the pulpits will NEVER show you those Scriptures I just showed you because if they did they would expose themselves as liars.
It is heartbreaking to see unbelieving people led to think that they are secure in salvation enough to go on in unrepentant sin,
but such distortions do not change the security that true Believers have in the completed work of Christ.
The "completed work of Christ" as taught in the Penal Substitution model is a 400 year old satanic lie. Look at what that lie has done to your thinking. You proclaim that we don't have to work together with God which is about as unbiblical as you get. I blame your belief in the satanic deception of Penal Substitution as the root of what you proclaim such untruths.
You really need to examine Penal Substitution truthfully and if it is a lie then reject it. Lies kill souls. The Penal Substitution model is going to damn a great many people because is inoculates the mind to the true means of being reconciled. Many people come to believe they are saved when they are not saved.
Satan is a roaring lion, not a kitty cat. Do not underestimate the deception in this world for one moment.
Consider the words of Paul when he was leaving Ephesus...
Act 20:29 For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also
of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that
by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Paul warned them for THREE YEARS, EVERY SINGLE DAY with TEARS about the deception that would come. Paul was not playing around, he understand how dangerous false doctrine is. Sophia, by reading your words I can tell you have been drawn away by false teachers and their false teachings. I urge you to examine with all diligence these things. Don't believe me, believe the Bible. Is what I am telling you actually in the Bible? If it is then you had better heed to it.
Salvation is God reaching out mankind, not mankind reaching out to God.
No it isn't.
GRACE is God reaching out to mankind. Salvation is the result of when those reached RESPOND in faith. God reached out to Noah with a warning of the flood and instructions on building an ark. Noah had to respond to that call faithfully in order to be saved. You are putting the cart before the horse by claiming that salvation is God reaching out to mankind.
It says in the Word that "no one seeks God".
Have you ever read the context of that verse? Or have you just blindly fallen for how certain wolves will twist it?
Rom 3:10 As it is written,
There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Paul is comparing the Jews to the Gentiles and making the case that BOTH peoples are under sin and thus need a saviour. Paul quotes this from the Old Testament...
Psa 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psa 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psa 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
and
Psa 53:1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
Psa 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
Psa 53:3
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psa 53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
Notice that the context is WICKED PEOPLE and not the righteous. People like Job, Abel, Daniel etc. are not included in that sentiment. David is speaking of the FOOLS who deny God. Paul is quoting that sentiment in Romans 3 to demonstrate that unrighteousness is found in both the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews thought they had the law and thus that they were better, they thought it was the Gentiles who were corrupt. Paul corrected them.
See how you have alluded to a single verse in the Bible in order to promote an untruth. I doubt you did it willingly, you are just repeating what you have probably been told a thousand times. It is an automatic response from you. I see it all the time, people just parrot the same few out of context proof texts which the wolves yield to their own destruction and the destruction of others. That is how deception works.
It is not us bending to His Will for salvation, but Him snatching us from the fire.
Yes it is. We have to bend to His will in order to be saved, we have to be DOERS of the will of God.
I am trying to snatch you out of the fire Sophia, the fire of the deception you are under, by providing you with a testimony of the truth.
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Now that we have been snatched from the fire, we have been given a new purpose and a new calling (vocation/job).
Are we to shame His work by continuing in our old purpose? Far from it. We are to desire to bring Him glory for what He has done for us.
The issue is the order of operations. Don't place man before God. He did the work, and continues the work through us.
I am not placing man before God. I am simply contending for the truth that we have to yield wholeheartedly to God like Abraham and Noah. God works in us to will and to do but we have to cooperate. If there is no cooperation there is no salvation. That is why Jesus preached REPENTANCE because out of repentance comes obedience and cooperation. repent AND believe not believe only.
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
No obedience = no salvation.
Right there in your Bible. Salvation does not produce obedience, obediently cooperating with God produces salvation. There is a principle working dynamic without which grace produces nothing. Don't be deceived otherwise.