Justified/Saved by Faith & Faith Alone

I possess no goodness. I am blessed that God is pleased to have Christ dwell richly in me.

You are richer than me


Colossians 3-12-14 prayer

Maybe one day I'll be as funny.

We are changed in His presence. Start a date night with God.

Any at all.
As Spurgeon said: "A "Faith" that doesn't CHANGE a person, won't save them either" (since it's not "FAITH" at all). Different folks change at different rates.

Your not explaining how a person is saved in the first place?

Of course, faith without fruit, works, is a dead or dormant faith.

How is someone saved?

So only a changed person is a saved person?

Seems like some of the people to whom James and Paul wrote had not changed much, in fact some went back to the law, and some were down right immoral, I guess their faith was not real according to Spurgeon, but Paul and James believed them to be saved and even wrote letters to them to exhort them to live in the law of liberty.

I might add, we cannot base our assurance of salvation on our attitude toward sin, nor on the fruit/CHANGE in our lives.
The Biblical passages on assurance all point back to believing in Jesus as Savior

If you think it's possible for a person to be INDWELLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (which is what "salvation" is), and manifest/experience NO PERSONAL CHANGE, then I'd question what you think "salvation" is all about.

People aren't PERFECT whether they're saved or not, and some folks have really BAD theology. But bottom line: No personal Change = No Salvation. How can a NEW CREATION IN CHRIST have no effect of that in their lives???

Correction: HAVING FAITH in the sin offering of Jesus to cleanse you from your SIN. "Belief" doesn't get it. FAITH (Heb 11:1) gets the job done.

Tell me why the Galatians went back to the law?

"Oh you foolish Galatians"

Seems like something went wrong, they had he Holy Spirit indwelling.

If change were so automatic, I dare say there would be no need for all those letters traveling across the ancient world trying to help Christians get it right.

Could be that they were effected by some BAD teaching (even Peter was effected by it). Christians ain't PERFECT. Are YOU??

OF course, Following the LAW isn't a BAD THING - I haven't murdered anybody, nor Stolen, not had an affair with anybody's wife. The LAW is God's Will for man.

"Change is automatic", but remember, the new Christian doesn't know SPIT about the "Kingdom of God", since it's only suddenly become visible to them. Maturing takes time. But NO CHANGE?? Ain't happening.

You looking for a way out of obedience???

No I am not. And yes it is true that change takes time.
Some people grow, some don't.

Definitely bad teaching is a problem that can cause people to not grow in the faith, having said that going under the law is a horrible thing, it nullifies grace.

Scripture is pretty clear on this.

Here we go again! Backloading salvation with works.

Perhaps if these questions can be sufficiently answered, I would have a better understanding of faith and works.

What works did Abraham perform? How did he display his faith?
Abraham came within inches of killing Isaac. The fell swoop was well on its way in the intent to connect a knife with his son's heart.
Is this what counted toward Abraham as righteousness?

No!

Hebrews 11
17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,c 18even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”d 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Abraham received the promises of God's word which included, "Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned." So, he reasoned that Gjod could raise the dead, considering God's instruction that he offer his son upon the altar.

That action displayed his faith in God's word, rather than faith in the work (which by any other circumstance, human sacrifice is strictly forbidden in the law). So, God's word preceded Abraham's faith in God to fulfill His promises. In other words, God gave His word to Abraham and Abraham believed it.

And there is no one that God hasn't given His word to.