Is justification by faith alone?

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crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
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this is just another way to say faith in self.

people lie to themselves say they have faith in God thats why they work, and their work saves them. but this is not true, they are depending on self to do those works, and taking a part in saving self. and NOT allowing God to save them.


My Bible says:

God save me
God justified me
God adopted me
God gave me his inheritance
God rescued me
God sanctified me
God raised me from death to life
God washed me
God renews me
God came into me
God restored me
God loved me
God will raise me

nothing about self in there, any work you add, you are saving self and not allowing God to save you.
And in our weakness He is made strong. As long as we are relying on our own resources...EEHHHHHH.
 
Mar 12, 2014
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And your point would be in error.

If you had the gift offered to you, and you trusted the giver. You already have the gift. it is yours. nothing else has to be done. The work is completed BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE GIFT.

This is salvation. God gave you the ticket to heaven based on his work. The work we do is a byproduct of this gift having been received, but the work did not save us.

Remember, We do not have to "get on the train" to get to heaven, God raises us up where we are, whether alive or dead, on the last day.

God offers us the gift, if we recieve it in faith. we have it. On that day, God will come get us where we are..


it is ALL a work of God. Not of our works "lest anyone should boast!"

So in order to defend the false man-made teaching of faith only, you have only been able to;
1) rewriting James 2:24
2) present false arguments about your opponents.


Above we can add #3. You are purposely not wanting to understand that free gifts do come with conditions and working to meet those conditions do not earn the free gift already offered. The reason you refuse to understand this simple concept for it kills your theology.

Again, someone can give me out of their good grace, I did not hing to earn it, a plane ticket to Hawaii. Yet if I do nothing (faith only) I will never get to Hawaii. I must do the work of going and boarding the plane. That work did not earn me the ticket but is a necessary conditions for me to get to Hawaii. The only issue is for you to explain why do you refuse to understand such a simple idea?

Here is the issue in a nut shell:

God never gave man a free ticket to heaven with that free ticket being completely unconditional. This is where you analogy does not fit bible teaching. The free ticket came with the conditions of believing, repenting confessing and being baptized. Just like the work of going and boarding the plane did not earn the free ticket to Hawaii, the works of believing, repenting, confessing and submitting to baptism do not earn the free ticket to salvation.

So you are down to arguing that if the free ticket God gave comes WITHOUT THE CONDITIONS of belief, repentance, confession and baptism, that means your are implying that the unbeliever, the impenitent, the denier of Christ, the one lost in his unremitted sins is saved. Which is completely unbiblical.


But to get around having this problem you must dig further down into the unbiblical hole you are already in by suggesting;

1) belief, repentance, confession and submitting to baptism are not works, when they are

or

2) claim God does these works for man when He does not for God has told man to do these works. Saying God must do these works for man puts God in a position of fault and blame. If God does not do the work of believing, repenting, confessing submitting to baptism for me therefore I am lost and it is all God's fault for His failure to do these works for me. Also the fact, such as believing, is commanded to man, the imperative implies MAN has both the ability and responsibility to obey God by doing the work of believing God has given man to do.


or

3) you must keep scratching around to find some other way to get around your problem in making God's ticket to salvation unconditional.


 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
James NEVER said our salvation is "not of works".

James said "by works a man is justified not by faith only" James settles the issue.

In Rom 4:5 when Paul said "worketh not" the type works Paul it talking about are works of merit. James is talking about obedience. So Paul and James are talking about two different types of works.

In Rom 4:5 Paul is contrasting works of merit to obedience just as he does in Rom 10:3. Until faith only advocates understand that all owrks are not the same and Paul was NOT excluding all types of works, they will never understand those passages. In most cases it is simple as they just refuse to understand the differences in works.


You posted
You either believe in faith alone in the work of Christ. Or you believe in faith in self and your many works. there is no in between.

A false dichotomy. I have not seen anyone here say their own works can save them. But the bible does teach doing God's works/doing Gods righteous does save, Acts 10:35; Rom 10:3; 1 Jn 2:29; 1 Jn 3:7,10; Rom 6:16

So in order to defend the false man-made teaching of faith only, you have only been able to;
1) rewriting James 2:24
2) present false arguments about your opponents.
Paul said we are justified by faith APART from works. Many many times Paul said we are justified by faith and not one time did Paul add works for our justification as a matter of fact in Galatians he condemn those that did. Paul was speaking of faith that brings us into right relation with God and receives the Holy Spirit as a result of believing the Gospel. (Gal 3:2).
On the other hand James mentions nothing about faith that receives the free gift of salvation including conversion/regeneration. His issue is the difference between dead faith and living faith; between one who simply 'professes' and one who genuinely 'possesses'. Put in other terms can a good tree bring forth bad fruit?
I won't deny that God continually declares us righteous (justifies)on works the believer does (in faith) as he trusts God as recorded in Heb 11 but to put our acts of faith in the category of salvation/initial justification is a bit over the top.
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
James NEVER said our salvation is "not of works".

James said "by works a man is justified not by faith only" James settles the issue.

In Rom 4:5 when Paul said "worketh not" the type works Paul it talking about are works of merit. James is talking about obedience. So Paul and James are talking about two different types of works.

In Rom 4:5 Paul is contrasting works of merit to obedience just as he does in Rom 10:3. Until faith only advocates understand that all owrks are not the same and Paul was NOT excluding all types of works, they will never understand those passages. In most cases it is simple as they just refuse to understand the differences in works.


You posted
You either believe in faith alone in the work of Christ. Or you believe in faith in self and your many works. there is no in between.

A false dichotomy. I have not seen anyone here say their own works can save them. But the bible does teach doing God's works/doing Gods righteous does save, Acts 10:35; Rom 10:3; 1 Jn 2:29; 1 Jn 3:7,10; Rom 6:16

So in order to defend the false man-made teaching of faith only, you have only been able to;
1) rewriting James 2:24
2) present false arguments about your opponents.
Dude. James is NOT the only book in the bible.

Get over yourself. You will never earn your right to heaven no matter how many works you do.

God offers you his GIFT. Either take it, or continue to blaspheme his name by trying to work for it, The choice is up to you.

 
Mar 12, 2014
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john 6. it is the work of GOD you believe in the one he sent.

nice try though, yes it is a work. But not my work, Gods. I am trusting God and his work, his promise, his glory. not my own, thus it CAN NOT be my work.

Belief is a work of God that God has given man to do.

In Jn 6:27 Jesus plainly said to LABOUR for the meat that endures to everlasting life. No faith only here at all.

Jn 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?hat

The people asked what work THEY are to do and not what work God would do for them.

When they asked Jesus what shall WE DO, that WE WORK the works of God:

Jesus gave them the work of believing to do. You would have answered completely opposite to what Jesus said by telling them "do nothing".



If God has to do the work of believing for man, then all those lost in unbelief are so due to GOD'S FAILURE to do this work for them.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
And in our weakness He is made strong. As long as we are relying on our own resources...EEHHHHHH.
thats what Got is in trouble in the first place. relying on our own resources (self)

why would we go back to our own vomit, when we have the living God doing it for us?
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
So in order to defend the false man-made teaching of faith only, you have only been able to;
1) rewriting James 2:24
2) present false arguments about your opponents.


Above we can add #3. You are purposely not wanting to understand that free gifts do come with conditions and working to meet those conditions do not earn the free gift already offered. The reason you refuse to understand this simple concept for it kills your theology.

Again, someone can give me out of their good grace, I did not hing to earn it, a plane ticket to Hawaii. Yet if I do nothing (faith only) I will never get to Hawaii. I must do the work of going and boarding the plane. That work did not earn me the ticket but is a necessary conditions for me to get to Hawaii. The only issue is for you to explain why do you refuse to understand such a simple idea?

Here is the issue in a nut shell:

God never gave man a free ticket to heaven with that free ticket being completely unconditional. This is where you analogy does not fit bible teaching. The free ticket came with the conditions of believing, repenting confessing and being baptized. Just like the work of going and boarding the plane did not earn the free ticket to Hawaii, the works of believing, repenting, confessing and submitting to baptism do not earn the free ticket to salvation.

So you are down to arguing that if the free ticket God gave comes WITHOUT THE CONDITIONS of belief, repentance, confession and baptism, that means your are implying that the unbeliever, the impenitent, the denier of Christ, the one lost in his unremitted sins is saved. Which is completely unbiblical.


But to get around having this problem you must dig further down into the unbiblical hole you are already in by suggesting;

1) belief, repentance, confession and submitting to baptism are not works, when they are

or

2) claim God does these works for man when He does not for God has told man to do these works. Saying God must do these works for man puts God in a position of fault and blame. If God does not do the work of believing, repenting, confessing submitting to baptism for me therefore I am lost and it is all God's fault for His failure to do these works for me. Also the fact, such as believing, is commanded to man, the imperative implies MAN has both the ability and responsibility to obey God by doing the work of believing God has given man to do.


or

3) you must keep scratching around to find some other way to get around your problem in making God's ticket to salvation unconditional.


1. A gift is unconditional, it is paid in full by the giver, a reward is conditional, it must be earned (paid for) by you.

2. justification is a gift. thus it is unconditional (God paid for it with his own blood). If it is conditional. it is not a gift, but a reward. Rom 4 says if Abraham was justified by works, he would earn a reward, not a gift.

end of story. james does not support your theory, you are taking him out of context, and twisting his words.
 
O

oldthennew

Guest
this is no mystery.

we are saved by Grace = and rewarded
according to our works.


11SAMUEL 2:16.
And they caught every one his fellow by the head,
and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Belief is a work of God that God has given man to do.

In Jn 6:27 Jesus plainly said to LABOUR for the meat that endures to everlasting life. No faith only here at all.

Jn 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?hat

The people asked what work THEY are to do and not what work God would do for them.

When they asked Jesus what shall WE DO, that WE WORK the works of God:

Jesus gave them the work of believing to do. You would have answered completely opposite to what Jesus said by telling them "do nothing".



If God has to do the work of believing for man, then all those lost in unbelief are so due to GOD'S FAILURE to do this work for them.
yet more of a twist to support your own pride. and continue to believe you can earn a gift of God.

They asked. what "work must we do"

jesus replied, "it is the WORK OF GOD"

like them, you do not understand what he meant. he told them, there is NO WORK YOU CAN DO. God will do the work for you"
 
Mar 12, 2014
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false gospel is of works. because they THINK they are obedient, and thus ok with God. like the pharisees, they are blind to their own sin and can not even see it.

Faith alone not only want to be obedient, but understand ONLY BY the POWER OF GO in our lives, do we have the ability to be obedient.


if you do not believe this, you not only have no faith in God. your not faith alone..your faith is STILL in yourself, even though you may claim faith in Christ.

The gospel plainly teaches one must do obedient works to be saved, Mt 7:21; 1 Jn 3:7,10; 1 Jn 2:17; Jn 3:21 among a whole host of other verse that speak of DOING to be saved.

By falsely proclaiming man as no works > no work of believing, repenting, confessing and submitting to baptism, then you are again implying the unbeliever, the impenitent, the denier of Christ,the one lost in his sins is saved.
 
Mar 12, 2014
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Yes, salvation is a Person not a paper airline ticket.

Salvation is a free gift that comes with conditions. If you accept the free gift then you must accept the conditions the Gift Giver put upon it. Rejecting the attached conditions is rejecting the gift.
 
Mar 12, 2014
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Paul said we are justified by faith APART from works.
Many many times Paul said we are justified by faith and not one time did Paul add works for our justification as a matter of fact in Galatians he condemn those that did. Paul was speaking of faith that brings us into right relation with God and receives the Holy Spirit as a result of believing the Gospel. (Gal 3:2).
On the other hand James mentions nothing about faith that receives the free gift of salvation including conversion/regeneration. His issue is the difference between dead faith and living faith; between one who simply 'professes' and one who genuinely 'possesses'. Put in other terms can a good tree bring forth bad fruit?
I won't deny that God continually declares us righteous (justifies)on works the believer does (in faith) as he trusts God as recorded in Heb 11 but to put our acts of faith in the category of salvation/initial justification is a bit over the top.


When Paul said justified by faith apart from works, the type of works Paul is talking about are works of merit, NOT obedient works.

All works are not the same, the bible speaks of different types of works and Paul was not excluding ALL TYPES of works, but works of merit. IF Paul was excluding ALL TYPES of works then he is contradicting himself in Rom 4:5 and Romans chapter 6 for in these context Paul says obedient works are necessary to being saved.
 
Mar 12, 2014
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Dude. James is NOT the only book in the bible.

Get over yourself. You will never earn your right to heaven no matter how many works you do.

God offers you his GIFT. Either take it, or continue to blaspheme his name by trying to work for it, The choice is up to you.


James 2:24 is just as much truth and inspired of God as anything Paul wrote. Since it completely refutes the man-made teaching of faith only, it often gets viciously attacked, as by Martin Luther and other men that cling to man-made teachings.


You have yet to show us where God offered His free gift of salvation UNCONDITIONALLY.
 
Mar 12, 2014
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1. A gift is unconditional, it is paid in full by the giver, a reward is conditional, it must be earned (paid for) by you.

2. justification is a gift. thus it is unconditional (God paid for it with his own blood). If it is conditional. it is not a gift, but a reward. Rom 4 says if Abraham was justified by works, he would earn a reward, not a gift.

end of story. james does not support your theory, you are taking him out of context, and twisting his words.

1) is a complete ASSUMPTION made by you. Nowhere is it written that all free gifts must be unconditional.

2) is a continuation of the assumption you made in #1. You still refuse to see that the type of work Paul has under consideration in Rom 4:4,5 are works of merit not obedient works.



James 2:24 - end of story.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

It is faith only proponents that twist this verse to read: by works a man is NOT justified but is justified by faith only.
 
Mar 12, 2014
6,433
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this is no mystery.

we are saved by Grace = and rewarded
according to our works.


11SAMUEL 2:16.
And they caught every one his fellow by the head,
and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together.

Is every single person that ever lived going to be saved by grace?
 
Mar 12, 2014
6,433
29
0
yet more of a twist to support your own pride. and continue to believe you can earn a gift of God.

They asked. what "work must we do"

jesus replied, "it is the WORK OF GOD"

like them, you do not understand what he meant. he told them, there is NO WORK YOU CAN DO. God will do the work for you"

Yes, they asked what shall WE DO that WE WORK the work of God. They did NOT ask what work God would do for them as you have twisted the passage to say.

Again, if your twisting of the verse were correct, then God is to be blamed for all the lost unbelievers for His failure to do the work of believing for them.

And why would believing be something commanded to man to do if God is the one to do that work for man?


Jesus settled the issue in v27 when He said to LABOUR for the meat that endures unto everlasting life.

So the idea that the gospel does not require works is the false position.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
The gospel plainly teaches one must do obedient works to be saved, Mt 7:21; 1 Jn 3:7,10; 1 Jn 2:17; Jn 3:21 among a whole host of other verse that speak of DOING to be saved.

By falsely proclaiming man as no works > no work of believing, repenting, confessing and submitting to baptism,
then you are again implying the unbeliever, the impenitent, the denier of Christ,the one lost in his sins is saved.
lol.

Here is the difference between you and me.

1 You - Earn your salvation by your many deeds, yet still can be lost (not a child of God, whose fathers loves him anyway)

2. Me, Truly repented. Agree with God that I can not save myself. I am not worthy of salvation, I will NEVER be worthy of salvation no matter how hard I try. Adopted by God. Now his son. Work hard to please him out of gratitude for what he has given me. My works glorify God. Because they are done by his power which he GAVE ME.

have fun with all your works.. Don't get to upset if people call you a pharisee. they thought the same way you did.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
James 2:24 is just as much truth and inspired of God as anything Paul wrote. Since it completely refutes the man-made teaching of faith only, it often gets viciously attacked, as by Martin Luther and other men that cling to man-made teachings.


You have yet to show us where God offered His free gift of salvation UNCONDITIONALLY.
romans 4 is as much word. as is eph 2: 8-9, romans 3: 24, 28, romans 5: 1, 9, rom 8: 30. 1 cor 6: 11, titus 3: 5-7, all of which say justification/salvation is a gift, apart from works.

sorry a few verses in james taken out of context do not overturn these many (I only posted a few) passages which say the opposite.


finally.

you do not even know what a gift is. If a gift is conditional, it is NOT A GIFT. so i do not have to prove to you where it says that (even though the term grace means unearned) the word itself proves it.


i will say one thing, I pray you do not give your loved ones gifts. or they at least know your trying to pay them off for a work to earn it, and if they do not do those works, you will take that gift back.
Your a deciever!
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
1) is a complete ASSUMPTION made by you. Nowhere is it written that all free gifts must be unconditional.

2) is a continuation of the assumption you made in #1. You still refuse to see that the type of work Paul has under consideration in Rom 4:4,5 are works of merit not obedient works.



James 2:24 - end of story.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

It is faith only proponents that twist this verse to read: by works a man is NOT justified but is justified by faith only.
it is not an assumption, it is a fact.

A gift is unconditional.

A reward is conditional

Eternal life, Salvation, And Justification (all words which are interconnected) are gifts. NOT REWARDS.

End of story.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Yes, they asked what shall WE DO that WE WORK the work of God. They did NOT ask what work God would do for them as you have twisted the passage to say.

Again, if your twisting of the verse were correct, then God is to be blamed for all the lost unbelievers for His failure to do the work of believing for them.

And why would believing be something commanded to man to do if God is the one to do that work for man?


Jesus settled the issue in v27 when He said to LABOUR for the meat that endures unto everlasting life.

So the idea that the gospel does not require works is the false position.
lol

You do not even get the context.

Your continued attempt to do as the jews and work to earn salvation PROVES how much labor one must do to find that narrow gate that leads to eternal life.

Jesus said.

Eat this food, you will never hunger, never thirst, Live forever, Never die, have eternal life, be risen by him on the last day.

Unlike the manna in the dessert, which they had to eat avery day. This food ENDURES FOREVER. (meaning you eat it once and its saving power NEVER FADES AWAY)

this passage proves

1. One can not work to enter
2. Once someone is saved by eating the food GOD GAVE US, we are saved forever, nothing can take that salvation away.

This whole passage DESTROYS your works based Gospel, and lake of faith in God..

Next!!!!