Are you trusting exclusively in Christ's finished work of redemption as the ALL-sufficient means of your salvation OR are you also trusting in your best efforts to obey Christ/produce works to help save you?
Hi Mailmandan,
I agree with you that we are saved by FAITH.
BUT, you cannot deny works either.
Works has become an unwelcomed word in Christianity, but it shouldn't be. All Jesus did was speak about works!
Try Mathew 5, for instance. He wanted us to transform our lives in the beatitudes. We cannot transform ourselves without works.
You mentioned Abraham in a post of yours above. You said that Abraham was saved by faith, and indeed he was, as evidenced by his name in the Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11.
But as you read Hebrews 11:8-19
Abraham had the faith to listen to God and to OBEY God and to sacrifice his only son when he was asked to. We know God stopped him, but he would have been willing to do what God asked.
Is this not a work?
We must have faith, but the faith must be an obedient faith.
Ephesians 6:6 tells us that we must obey from the heart.
John 14:21 tells us that it is he who keeps the commandments that loves Jesus.
Romans 1:5 speaks about the obedience to the faith.
Romans 2:13 Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the DOERS of the law shall be justified.
But Jesus fulfilled the Law, you will say. Yes. He FULFILLED the Law BUT He did not abolish the MORAL law.
Mathew 5:17-19
He did leave us with two commandments, Mathew 22:37 and Mathew 22:39
but if we follow these two, we follow them all.
In John 14:15 Jesus Himself says: if you love Me, you will keep my commandments."
I wish works wasn't a dirty word.
Fran