God automatically gives faith to everyone? No. God gives a differing measure of faith to His children, not to unbelievers, (Romans 12:3). Paul goes on to say 4 - For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Notice in 1 Corinthians 12:9 - to another faith by the same Spirit.. This is concerning spiritual gifts (vs. 1). This is not the faith that all believers have in Christ for salvation, since Paul implies that some believers have it and some do not. This is a special endowment of faith for accomplishing certain tasks.
Notice in 1 Corinthians 12:9 - to another faith by the same Spirit.. This is concerning spiritual gifts (vs. 1). This is not the faith that all believers have in Christ for salvation, since Paul implies that some believers have it and some do not. This is a special endowment of faith for accomplishing certain tasks.
God's enabling power, which is unmerited, not merited favor, is a part of it all. We have access by faith into grace by which we stand (Romans 5:2).
From beginning "have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) to end "the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:9) salvation is through faith and is not by works. If someone claims to have faith, but they have no works, they demonstrate that their faith is dead (James 2:14). Good works demonstrate that our faith is alive.
Good works glorify God, but we are saved FOR good works, NOT BY good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. The other way around would be created in good works unto Christ Jesus.
We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. The other way around would be created in good works unto Christ Jesus.
Show me? I already understand this. Where do works fit into the equation here in Romans 5:1-2? They don't. They are the fruit of being justified by faith...having access by faith into grace. Works bear out the justification that comes by faith. That is the sense in which we are justified by works (James 2:24). Not saved by works, but good works SHOW or manifest the genuineness of our faith (James 2:14-24).
God draws us and enables us, yet we choose to place our faith in Christ for salvation. God forces nobody to believe.
He automatically gave it to us against our will or we chose to place our faith in Christ for salvation?
These works are produced out of faith. Notice in the parable of the sower, Matthew 13:23 - And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit/produces a crop and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. What does good soil/hear the word and understands it and indeed bears fruit/produces a crop represent? You have to do good works in order to become saved or you will do good works if you are truly saved? See what your faith is in for salvation? "Works" and not Christ alone.
What did I change? You are the one placing the cart before the horse.
If you do not understand that salvation is by grace through faith and is not by works, then you will not understand this passage and will continue to try and "shoe horn" works into saved through faith, not works.
If you do not understand that salvation is by grace through faith and is not by works, then you will not understand this passage and will continue to try and "shoe horn" works into saved through faith, not works.
You need to read James 2:24 in context. In James 2:14, we read of one who says/claims he has faith but has no works. This is not genuine faith, but a bare profession of faith. So when James asks, "Can that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an empty profession of faith. James gives us the test for genuine faith: like the faith of Abraham, it results in works. Works are the demonstrative evidence of genuine saving faith, not the actual means of our salvation. James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to SHOW the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. I will SHOW you my faith by my works. We are saved by the kind of faith that is accompanied (confirmed, authenticated) by works. We are justified by faith but only by a true faith, a faith proved to be true if it is followed by good works. Believers are not doing good works in order to become saved, we are doing good works because we have already been saved by authentic faith in Jesus, which trusts exclusively in Him for salvation. Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not on the merits of our works. It is through faith "in Christ alone" (and not by the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 3:24; 5:1); yet the faith that justifies is never alone (solitary, unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine (James 2:14-24). *Perfect Harmony.*
Does true faith have works?
What kind of faith has no works? How did you get saved by authentic faith that have no works when authentic faith must have works else it is a bare profession of faith?
In Matthew 12:37, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This is because our words reveal the state of our hearts. Words will appear to be evidences for, or against a man's being in a state of grace and righteousness.
God is said to have been justified by those who were baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 7:29). This act pronounced or declared God to be righteous. It did not make him righteous. The basis or ground for the pronouncement was the fact that God IS righteous. Notice that the NIV reads, "acknowledged that God's way was right.." The ESV read, "declared God just." This is the sense in which God was justified, "shown to be righteous," not accounted as righteous. So James is not using the word "justified" to mean "is made righteous" but is "shown to be righteous." James is discussing the proof of faith (I will SHOW you my faith by my works), not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God (Romans 4:2,3). You need to rightly divide the word of truth.
Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified/vindicated/shown to be right by her deeds."
Are you beginning to get the picture yet?
Are you beginning to get the picture yet?