Your right, Its not just belief..
What is true faith?
Paul shows abraham as an true example of what living faith looks like
1. contrary to hope. in hope do we believe?
2. do we not waver at the promise to undbelief, but are we strengthened in faith giving God the glory?
3. are we fully convinced that what God promised, he can fulfill?
Abraham was.
Rom 4
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief,
Romans 3:24
being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Titus 3:7
that
having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
2. I was redeemed and all of my sins were forgiven based on grace.
Ephesians 1:7
In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
3. I was made alive, or born again by grace
Ephesians 2:5
even
when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans 4:16&version=NKJV
Romans 4:16
Therefore
it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the
faith of Abraham, who is the father of us
and it is not done by works
Romans 4:2
For
if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Romans 4:4
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Romans 11:6
And
if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if
it is of
works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Ephesians 2:9
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2 Timothy 1:9
who
has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Titus 3:5
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
so where is your confidence in?
Your works, or your ability to work
Or Christ.. WHo died for you so you could be set free from the penalty of sin..
Baptism is a WORK OF GOD. Read Colossians 2:12. It is NOT a work of merit nor is it one of “our works.”
Did baptism originate with YOU?
Did YOU think up the idea of “baptism?”
Did YOU command “baptism?” I hope you do not try to take credit for baptism.” No? Then it is NOT one of YOUR WORKS. And it is NOT one of MY works. It is NOT A WORK OF MAN at all. It IS a WORK OF GOD. Just as the Holy Ghost says in Colossians 2:12.
Jesus asked the Jewish rulers where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or man? Matt. 21:25 So lm asking YOU the same question He asked them—only not John’s baptism—WHERE DID THE BAPTISM OF JESUS COME FROM? From heaven or from men? Will you answer or will you be like those Jewish leaders and say, “ we can’t say it was from heaven or He will say, then why haven’t you obeyed it!” I would really like to know your answer to that question.
In case you think baptism came from men, let me remind you of a few scriptures.
Matt. 28:18-19- JESUS COMMANDED baptism.
Do YOU have the power and authority to command baptism in your name? The only reason you could command it at all is by the authority and power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is NOT YOUR WORK. It is HIS.
Therefore, baptism originated from Jesus, from Heaven—not at all from men. It is NOT A WORK. OF MAN; it is a WORK OF GOD.
In Luke 17 the Holy Spirit says that we cannot “BOAST” about doing anything that God has commanded us to do because we have only done what was our DUTY to do. So baptism is not a work that we can “boast” about. Eph.2:9. Therefore, Eph. 2:9 is not teaching that baptism does not save us. It’s saying that we can’t be saved by “our works which we have thought up, or which originate with us because then we can “boast” about them. If baptism was OUR WORK then we could “BOAST” about doing it- but God makes it very plain that 1) it is NOT OUR WORK MATT. 27:18-19, Colossians 2:12) , and 2)therefore we cannot “boast” about it. Luke 17:10.
Your mistake is not understanding what kinds of works are talked about in the scriptures you used. For example, Romans 4:2 that you gave, clearly states that the works there are “ BOASTFUL” works that would have been Abraham’s works—not the works of God, which we cannot “boast about doing.” And are our “duty” to do. The same with verse 4-still talking about the same kind of works.
Eph. 2:9- BOASTFUL works
2 Tim .1:9 specifically says “OUR WORKS.”
Titus 3:5 specifically says “ WORKS WHICH “WE” have done.”
You have used these verseS incorrectly; trying to make them say that ALL WORKS ARE BAD and trying to teach that baptism is a “BOASTFUL” work OF MAN when such passages as Matt28:18-19 and Colossians 2:12 teach the very opposite from what you are teaching.
In order to be “consistent” with your present teaching you must admit that “Faith” is a WORK, because John 6:29 says that “belief” is a WORK , also. Now look at your conclusion: if the scriptures you used in your post—Roman’s 4:2,4, Eph. 2:9, 2 Tim 1:9, and Titus 3:5 and Roman’s 11:6–if those scriptures prove that we are not saved by “WORKS”, then you have just proved we are NOT SAVED BY “belief”; because the Holy Spirit wrote that it is a WORK! Not only in John 6:29 but also in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, the Spirit says “ Remembering …YOUR WORK OF FAITH…”. AND AGAIN IN 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the Spirit AGAIN calls belief a WORK: “…and the WORK OF FAITH…”.
Just as “baptism” is a WORK OF GOD, so is “faith” a WORK OF GOD. John 6:28 asks the question, “WHAT SHALL WE DO THAT WE MAY WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?” Verse 29 is Jesus’s answer, “ THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YOU BELIEVE.”
This harmonizes perfectly with what Jesus says in Mark 16:16. He makes “faith” and “baptism” equal in importance and value, when He says it takes “faith” ( a work of God) AND “baptism ( also a work of God) in order for someone to receive salvation. BOTH are works of God, proven by scripture, made equal in importance by Jesus and placed BEFORE you receive salvation, not AFTER salvation the way men teach it. What a very clever trick of the devil! Just say it comes AFTER you are already saved; maybe no one will notice that Jesus placed it BEFORE salvation. He is the father of lies!
My “confidence” is in what the Holy Spirit has said in John 6:29, 1 Thess, 1:3, 2 Thess. 1:11, Col. 2:12, Matthew 28:18-19, and what the Son of God says in Mark 16:16. Acts 2:38, and 1 Peter 3:21. And by putting my confidence in WHAT HE SAYS, I am putting my confidence in Him. Like Saul of Tarsus when he was baptized in Acts 22:16, I am “Calling on the name of the Lord” to save me according to what He has said in the Holy Scriptures.
Are you STILL going to teach that those scriptures you gave prove that all works are eliminated and that you cannot be saved by any works and that baptism is a “work” that is boastful and comes from man, and that baptism is “OUR WORK”, and cannot save you? If you do, you are contradicting The Holy Spirit and the Son of God. If you still believe that baptism is a work of MAN, ( Our work) then I guess you have answered my question of whether baptism is from heaven or man. You believe it is from MAN! I think Jesus would disagree with you. I know the Bible does, and the Holy Spirit ( Colossians 2:12)
The Bible just does not support a “faith alone” doctrine. You would be “wise” to get out of that false doctrine and save your soul.
