"Not by works" - false!

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Nov 16, 2019
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I have to agree with this from the bottom of my heart.
In fact, that's the top reason people from other religious backgrounds come to Christ. Ex Muslims usually.
When they recount how they came to believe in Jesus, they describe, in islam, per example, this idea of a god who never guarantees you anything and all life you just try to appease this god all your life, to tip the scales with works, and there's no guarantee they will ever make it, which leaves their souls empty, scared, and desperate. When they find Jesus, these people truly come to life in every way and their testimonies are very powerful.
Everyone who believes has the guarantee of eternal life.
The promise is conditioned on believing, not works.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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I do not have anymore to state really .... a losable salvation is your position correct?.....

At the end of the day no matter how you come to that conclusion it is still wrong.
You must continue to believe to continue to be saved:

"2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:2

Even Calvinism agrees with this.
Watch. What you're going to do is keep digging and pestering until you make the passage not really mean what it says, and have twisted the argument into something I haven't said. The narcissist in you won't allow you to deal with me honestly, nor let it go. That's how narcissism works. It's an absolutely evil and destruction personality trait. It's a complete waste of time to try to entertain the demons of a narcissist, so don't expect much participation from me in your quest to protect your ego.
 
May 22, 2020
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@jackrosie , @Fastfredy0 , this illustrates the difference between 'faith' and 'believing' that I've been talking about.

God gives us the faith......so we may believe.
No believing can occur until God gives us the faith to believe.
@jackrosie
Judge can correct me if I am wrong but ...
Judge's defines Faith differently that the vast majority of people. (First time I have hear it this way. His definition I believe to be:

FAITH - What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe (some call this 'prevenient grace')
Believing - to know the salvific facts and trust in them to be true

The vast majority of people would say the FAITH and BELIEF are the same thing.

I tried putting Judges definition of FAITH into verses with FAITH. (Obviously, our definition fits all the time) If his definition is true it could fit into the context of many verses. His definition does not fit into some verses. For example:

Acts 26:18 I know how we are sanctified by our definition of belief. I don't know how we are sanctified by "What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe". Maybe his definition of sanctification varies from the norm also.

Romans 1:16 ... I know how the just and upright live by faith. I question his meaning that would be: I know how the just and upright live by What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe.

Romans 3:26 ... I know how the "One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" ... I don't see how, if we substitute Judge's meaning, how "One who justifies those who God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe." People who don't believe won't be justified and thus a contradiction of Judges definition.

Enough verses.

Anyways ...
 
E

EleventhHour

Guest
You must continue to believe to continue to be saved:

"2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:2

Even Calvinism agrees with this.
Watch. What you're going to do is keep digging and pestering until you make the passage not really mean what it says, and have twisted the argument into something I haven't said. The narcissist in you won't allow you to deal with me honestly, nor let it go. That's how narcissism works. It's an absolutely evil and destruction personality trait. It's a complete waste of time to try to entertain the demons of a narcissist, so don't expect much participation from me in your quest to protect your ego.

One line a doctrine does not make.... not that you understanding this line in context anyway.

So anyone who is tenacious to defend the Gospel which is OSAS btw...... is a narcissist. :)

I am in excellent company then.

Really who has been the personal one since I came to this thread.. not me... I have stood up to your dogma as a I always have even when you were Phart and Ralph.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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.
One line a doctrine does not make.... not that you understanding this line in context anyway.

So anyone who is tenacious to defend the Gospel which is OSAS btw...... is a narcissist. :)

I am in excellent company then.

Really who has been the personal one since I came to this thread.. not me... I have stood up to your dogma as a I always have even when you were Phart and Ralph.
Pure toxicity.
God help you.
 
May 22, 2020
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When you first received God into your heart....did you trust him straight away?
Well, one starts with the definition of belief which is what you have "When you first received God into your heart". Belief/Faith consists of three things:
1) Knowledge of the gospel. You need something to believe
2) Assent to the truth of the gospel.
3) Trust in the gospel.

I don't know when I was saved. Maybe 5 or 6. Belief was simple for me. I believed my father and my father told me about God/salvation. So I had knowledge and assent definitely. Now the tricky to quantify third element, TRUST.

I measure TRUST by the degree to which I am obedient. Hmmm ... I guess I trusted him, though imperfectly and still do TRUST imperfectly. I guess I TRUST Him much more now. Hmmmm... I guess I would state it like the guy in the Bible. Lord, I believe ... help me in my unbelief, give me more faith. Hmmm ... tricky question.

Augustine: “But I commend not the works of my hands, for I fear that when thou examinest them thou wilt find more faults than merits. This only I say and desire, despise not the works of thy hands. See in me thy work, not mine. If thou sees mine, thou condemnest; if thou sees thine own, thou crownest. Whatever good works I have are of thee".
Christ righteousness has been imputed to us. Praise Him.
 
May 19, 2020
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You must continue to believe to continue to be saved:

"2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word
Well, one starts with the definition of belief which is what you have "When you first received God into your heart". Belief/Faith consists of three things:
1) Knowledge of the gospel. You need something to believe
2) Assent to the truth of the gospel.
3) Trust in the gospel.

I don't know when I was saved. Maybe 5 or 6. Belief was simple for me. I believed my father and my father told me about God/salvation. So I had knowledge and assent definitely. Now the tricky to quantify third element, TRUST.

I measure TRUST by the degree to which I am obedient. Hmmm ... I guess I trusted him, though imperfectly and still do TRUST imperfectly. I guess I TRUST Him much more now. Hmmmm... I guess I would state it like the guy in the Bible. Lord, I believe ... help me in my unbelief, give me more faith. Hmmm ... tricky question.

Augustine: “But I commend not the works of my hands, for I fear that when thou examinest them thou wilt find more faults than merits. This only I say and desire, despise not the works of thy hands. See in me thy work, not mine. If thou sees mine, thou condemnest; if thou sees thine own, thou crownest. Whatever good works I have are of thee".
Christ righteousness has been imputed to us. Praise Him.


When I was saved I had never read a bible in my life.....it was a testifying to my spirit that it was God...I knew instantly that it was the Holy Spirit......an evening I will never forget..no bible nothing..........but the Lord drew me to him...
 

Chris1975

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2017
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Been away for a while. I see the usual players and perhaps a few new players.

God will judge between these two major doctrinal themes. All will be revealed soon.
 
May 19, 2020
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@jackrosie
Judge can correct me if I am wrong but ...
Judge's defines Faith differently that the vast majority of people. (First time I have hear it this way. His definition I believe to be:

FAITH - What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe (some call this 'prevenient grace')
Believing - to know the salvific facts and trust in them to be true

The vast majority of people would say the FAITH and BELIEF are the same thing.

I tried putting Judges definition of FAITH into verses with FAITH. (Obviously, our definition fits all the time) If his definition is true it could fit into the context of many verses. His definition does not fit into some verses. For example:

Acts 26:18 I know how we are sanctified by our definition of belief. I don't know how we are sanctified by "What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe". Maybe his definition of sanctification varies from the norm also.

Romans 1:16 ... I know how the just and upright live by faith. I question his meaning that would be: I know how the just and upright live by What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe.

Romans 3:26 ... I know how the "One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" ... I don't see how, if we substitute Judge's meaning, how "One who justifies those who God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe." People who don't believe won't be justified and thus a contradiction of Judges definition.

Enough verses.

Anyways ...
@jackrosie
Judge can correct me if I am wrong but ...
Judge's defines Faith differently that the vast majority of people. (First time I have hear it this way. His definition I believe to be:

FAITH - What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe (some call this 'prevenient grace')
Believing - to know the salvific facts and trust in them to be true

The vast majority of people would say the FAITH and BELIEF are the same thing.

I tried putting Judges definition of FAITH into verses with FAITH. (Obviously, our definition fits all the time) If his definition is true it could fit into the context of many verses. His definition does not fit into some verses. For example:

Acts 26:18 I know how we are sanctified by our definition of belief. I don't know how we are sanctified by "What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe". Maybe his definition of sanctification varies from the norm also.

Romans 1:16 ... I know how the just and upright live by faith. I question his meaning that would be: I know how the just and upright live by What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe.

Romans 3:26 ... I know how the "One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" ... I don't see how, if we substitute Judge's meaning, how "One who justifies those who God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe." People who don't believe won't be justified and thus a contradiction of Judges definition.

Enough verses
Anyways ...

God gives us His Holy Spirit.....which manifests in our spirit it’s like an entwining, of the Holy Spirit with our spirit....I don’t have to work at believing.....the Lord is in my heart.
 
May 22, 2020
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You must continue to believe to continue to be saved:

"2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:2

Even Calvinism agrees with this.
The Calvinism believes that God gives them faith/belief and never takes it away. Thus, the verse is not a contraction.


Note: There are verses about continuing in the faith. Those with “true” faith will not fall away. The purpose of these verses is always to warn those who are thinking of falling away or have fallen away that it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19).

Colossians 1:23 [And this He will do] provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ], well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered without restrictions] to every person under heaven

Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakes of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end

1 Peter 1:5 Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

Aside: Judges1318 and @EleventhHour ... be nice. When you two get to heaven I will tell the Father to make sure you two don't sit beside each other.
 
May 22, 2020
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When I was saved I had never read a bible in my life.....it was a testifying to my spirit that it was God...I knew instantly that it was the Holy Spirit......an evening I will never forget..no bible nothing..........but the Lord drew me to him...
Wow ... makes my conversion sound quite boring ... lol .. I don't even know the year.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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The Calvinism believes that God gives them faith/belief and never takes it away. Thus, the verse is not a contraction.
If God gives the believer his 'believing' why does he do such a lousy job of it in some believers?
That's a serious question.

There would be no such thing as less than perfect believing if God was responsible for it.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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I usually just refer to this as 'Holy Spirit Conviction', but I think we are both on the same page concerning this 'gracious gift of knowing'.
We are.
The word 'conviction' is used in the NASB and YLT translations, for example.

"1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1 NASB

.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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Note: There are verses about continuing in the faith. Those with “true” faith will not fall away. The purpose of these verses is always to warn those who are thinking of falling away or have fallen away that it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19).
No, actually, in Calvinism it would mean you definitely had never really believed if you have fallen away.
If what Calvinism says is true there is no room for faulty or weak believing among true believers. But Calvinists keep giving wiggle room to 1 John 2:19 and making allowances for believers leaving without really leaving. They nibble the ground out from under their own theology when they do that.

Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakes of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end
Obviously, the author did not mean the interpretation that Calvinism applies to this verse. Calvinism says you can know for sure that you are a true believer because you hold fast the faith you started out in. But if you stop holding fast tomorrow you not only show that you never really believed to begin with but that the believing you were assured was real believing yesterday turned out to not be real at all. You were deceived. And somehow that's supposed to be the doctrine of security and assurance.

Actually, what the Bible teaches is you are saved as long as you are believing.
You are secure in Christ as long as you are believing in him.
Done. Simple.
No need to create an over-thought, complicated doctrine about salvation and believing.
 
E

EleventhHour

Guest
Been away for a while. I see the usual players and perhaps a few new players.

God will judge between these two major doctrinal themes. All will be revealed soon.

Thank goodness ... "this losable salvation" which is against the Gospel of Christ Jesus needs to end.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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Note: There are verses about continuing in the faith. Those with “true” faith will not fall away. The purpose of these verses is always to warn those who are thinking of falling away or have fallen away that it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19).
But anyway, @Fastfredy0 , we both agree that you have to keep believing to be saved when Jesus comes back. And we both agree that holy living is the sign of the true believer. It is those who believe in Freegrace doctrine that say you do not have to keep believing in order to remain saved, or else that would be works. They say you can go back to unbelief and you are still saved. Yeah, I know. It's crazy.
 
Nov 16, 2019
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@jackrosie
Judge can correct me if I am wrong but ...
Judge's defines Faith differently that the vast majority of people. (First time I have hear it this way. His definition I believe to be:

FAITH - What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe (some call this 'prevenient grace')
Believing - to know the salvific facts and trust in them to be true

The vast majority of people would say the FAITH and BELIEF are the same thing.

I tried putting Judges definition of FAITH into verses with FAITH. (Obviously, our definition fits all the time) If his definition is true it could fit into the context of many verses. His definition does not fit into some verses. For example:

Acts 26:18 I know how we are sanctified by our definition of belief. I don't know how we are sanctified by "What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe". Maybe his definition of sanctification varies from the norm also.

Romans 1:16 ... I know how the just and upright live by faith. I question his meaning that would be: I know how the just and upright live by What God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe.

Romans 3:26 ... I know how the "One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" ... I don't see how, if we substitute Judge's meaning, how "One who justifies those who God gives an individual that enables him to be able to believe or not believe." People who don't believe won't be justified and thus a contradiction of Judges definition.

Enough verses.

Anyways ...
They fit nicely. I'm not sure why you think they don't.
Try it using the way the Bible defines 'faith':

"the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" - Hebrews 11:1 KJV

Remember: Saving faith is RETAINED faith. Those who have retained the evidence of things not seen (believing it) are saved.