By Works

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Apr 2, 2020
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And you are saying, we are saved before we believe.
Not so.
The bible is very clear.
Believe, confess said belief, and then you are saved, according to Romans 10:10.
We were chosen before the foundation of the world. Understanding things through a lens of time is to anthropomorphize God. He lies outside of time and does not experience it in the same manner we do so while we become aware of salvation in a moment in time our salvation is an eternal reality.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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Most of what you said goes fine with what I said about salvation being external. We become a new creation but it is not through our own actions but through the working of God.
God will not work, until we put action to our faith in His promises.

The question is one of merit because it seems as if you're preaching a form of self-salvation in other posts, less so in this one. Whether faith is a possession or an action word the saving value of it does not come from within us but is entirely dependent on God.
If the word of God is not in our hearts first, then how can we speak it in faith?

So are you trying to say your works of faith are earning you your salvation?
No, not earning, MAKING our salvation.
It is not us, but the word of God that does the work in us, but we MUST speak forth the word of God.
Again, we are saved by the word of God, but the word of God and our faith is subject/servant to us.
We permit God to perform His work in us through and by His word, when we speak/send it out our mouths.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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It's not God I place limits on. Verses have to be understood within their context to derive meaning from them, and the context of 4:13 is a discussion of how Paul has learned to live according to God's provision. The strength he receives from Christ is the strength of perseverence, not some sort of mystical borrowed omnipotence.
What you don't believe, restricts God's actions in your life.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
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We were chosen before the foundation of the world. Understanding things through a lens of time is to anthropomorphize God. He lies outside of time and does not experience it in the same manner we do so while we become aware of salvation in a moment in time our salvation is an eternal reality.
Until you act on the gospel of Jesus Christ, that reality has not manifested.
We might have been predestined, but we still are not pre-born again.
 
Apr 2, 2020
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God will not work, until we put action to our faith in His promises.


If the word of God is not in our hearts first, then how can we speak it in faith?


No, not earning, MAKING our salvation.
It is not us, but the word of God that does the work in us, but we MUST speak forth the word of God.
Again, we are saved by the word of God, but the word of God and our faith is subject/servant to us.
We permit God to perform His work in us through and by His word, when we speak/send it out our mouths.
You're walking on a razor's edge here.

We don't permit God to do anything, what He does He does to His good pleasure.
 
Apr 2, 2020
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Until you act on the gospel of Jesus Christ, that reality has not manifested.
We might have been predestined, but we still are not pre-born again.
As I said, placing our relationship to time on the question of salvation is anthropomorphic. Salvation is an eternal reality not a temporal one, though it does appear to be something that changes within our lifetimes. If we are saved we were saved before we were born, are saved now, and will be saved after we die. The reality of it is eternal.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
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Mat 10

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Any body know what is not worthy of me mean? Save or not

Any body know take his cross mean, work or not?
 
Jan 12, 2019
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Mat 10

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Any body know what is not worthy of me mean? Save or not

Any body know take his cross mean, work or not?
Clues are given in 1 Peter and 1 John, regarding how Jews viewed "salvation"

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

1 John 2

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
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Clues are given in 1 Peter and 1 John, regarding how Jews viewed "salvation"

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

1 John 2

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
So, what do you think brother
If you not take your cross and follow me you not worthy of Me

1. Is not worthy of Jesus mean save?
2. Is take your cross work?
 
Jan 12, 2019
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So, what do you think brother
If you not take your cross and follow me you not worthy of Me

1. Is not worthy of Jesus mean save?
2. Is take your cross work?
We are saved by believing 1 Cor 15:1-4 now.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
I believe I said something similar to that.
Only, the righteous don't need to be vindicated or acquitted, do they?
Paul clearly says, one is righteous WHEN they believe.
No from what I see You say nothing like this

Justified by faith

Now if only you believed this
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
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We are saved by believing 1 Cor 15:1-4 now.
Is believing noun or verb?

What about my question

1. Is not worthy of Jesus mean save?
2. Is take the cross and follow Jesus work?
 
Jan 12, 2019
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Is believing noun or verb?

What about my question

1. Is not worthy of Jesus mean save?
2. Is take the cross and follow Jesus work?
Before the cross, it was faith and works for salvation
 
Jan 12, 2019
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What about after the cross?
Romans 3:21
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Only after the cross, you could be righteous without the law. We are living in the "but now" time period.
 

Prycejosh1987

Active member
Jul 19, 2020
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Paul says in Ephesians 2:8,9 that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works. He was writing to correct the view that one is saved by doing good works.

What James writes does not contradict what Paul wrote. James says that a true faith will also have works. If the faith is alone without any works then it is a dead faith.
Exactly, a lot of people wonder why they are not blessed, and say i believed and prayed, but they dont realise that we must also act upon what we pray for. The verses you noted have more then one meaning in context. I love reading the bible. God bless you.
 

Chester

Senior Member
May 23, 2016
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The tragic truth peddled on this thread by the WE MUST, I MUST group......

We PRODUCE NOTHING....THE VINE does not labor to bear fruit....it is the ROOT that labors and produces the fruit....and it is a natural process.....

Christ is the ROOT, the SOURCE of life, the NUTRIENTS....

The SUNLIGHT NEEDED IS THE word of GOD BATHING THE VINE

From root to light it is ALL GOD through us.

He is the one working in us and through us as a living sacrifice. He is the one producing all works that are righteous and all fruit that is conaidered GOOD.
Amen to the truth that it is all God who does the work and not we ourselves: what we might produce on our own is only filthy rags.

But I wonder what you mean by "the VINE does not labor to bear fruit"?
If you mean that it is able to produce fruit only because it is connected to the root who produces fruit through it? then I agree
But what you write could be taken to mean that the vine has no choice or part in the matter of salvation: The Christian simply becomes a robot who needs put no effort or will or thought into his life. With that I would disagree.
 

Chester

Senior Member
May 23, 2016
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Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
There is much irony in all of this. In this verse Paul says "I" can do - so that means Paul is involved in the doing. But then he clearly says that this is because of Christ in him who gives the strength.

And when Paul says "I" that is the new creation he was made in Christ at the new birth: and that was not of Paul but of God. So who Paul is as a person in Christ is all because of God.

And yet Paul's will and choice is involved in the process of this "doing" because he says "I" can. God does not have puppets who serve him only as robots who are manipulated by God pulling on the strings. We follow Him and give him all of our will, our strength, and our mind, because of what He has done for us and in us.

And as someone pointed out remember the context of this verse: Philippians 4:13: Paul is saying that whether he has a lot or a little he is able to serve Christ.
 
L

lenna

Guest
I believe we must wait on God to show us the works he wants us to carry out....when we do that,the works happen automatically/naturally.....because we do these works in His strength and not our own.

what works are those jackrosie? how do you do the works in His strength?
 
May 19, 2020
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You
Again, Paul and James are not speaking of the same kind of works.
Both Jesus and the author of Hebrews explains WHAT faith IS.
Where both Paul and James is explaining HOW faith
what works are those jackrosie? how do you do the works in His strength?



What are you talking about?....