Saved by faith alone?
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Thank you, 2Christ. By your post, you've just proved my point. According to your logic, you have turned Jesus Christ into an advisor but have removed Him as the Savior. And good luck to you too, 2Christ.
Where you stop to short is this
Aramaic root carries a beautiful, deeper spiritual and legal meaning.
- Innocence and Justice: In ancient Aramaic, zeka did not just mean Crushing an Enemy. It meant to be acquitted, declared innocent, or vindicated in a court of law.
- The True Overcomer: To have Zakutha means you have been Tested, Proven Righteousness, and Cleared of All Charges. It is a Vctory of Purity, Truth, and Faith over false accusations.
- Another Common Word: Aramaic also uses the word nishan (ܢܸܨܚܵܢܵܐ) for victory, which carries the flavor of shining, eminence, or brilliant glory achieved through a great deed offering as Jesus
Sometimes I think theologians over-complicate things. The word GRACE (Grk: charis) is one of those words that I believe has been overly amplified. In the days when the Apostles were teaching the universal language was Koine Greek and xáris was an ordinary word meant, basically, "favor" It answers directly to the Hebrew (OT) term 2580 /Kaná ("grace" which in the concrete sense of Hebrew meant, extension-toward")to be favorably inclined, or kindly disposed towards. Both terms refer to God freely extending Himself (i.e., His favor), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (and be near) them. Generally grace can be translated as simply FAVOR whether the favor is HUMAN or DIVINE. God the Father was motivated by His kindness and love towards the human race to offer His son as a way to obtain life and salvation. However, we must respond to the gift by believing.
8 For it is by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and this not from yourselves; IT is the gift of God,
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.…
When some people read this they wonder what the indefinite pronoun IT is referring to. Some say the GIFT of God is GRACE. while others are sure the gift of God is FAITH. In English it is impossible to tell; however, in Greek it is possible to know since nouns as well as the corresponding pronouns and adjectives have gender agree.. Unlike Latin-based languages like Spanish in which nouns have two gender forms - masculine and feminine, Greek nouns and their referents [i.e., adjectives and pronouns] have THREE gender forms: masculine, feminine and neuter all of which must agree with respect to their gender.
In verse 8 the word IT as well as GIFT in the phrase IT is the GIFT of God are both neuter so they refer to each other.
However the word GIFT could not be referring to either GRACE or FAITH since both of those words are feminine words.
If the gift of God is neither GRACE nor FAITH what is it? A. T. Robertson solves this using grammar, asserting that IT [the gift of God] is referring to the entire proposition set forth by the gospel, which is that we can obtain salvation because of
(1) God's gracious offering of the son,
(2) which we obtain by means of faith
(3) rather than by works.
As Robertson summarizes: GRACE is GOD'S PART FAITH IS OURS.
That faith is not a gift makes sense when you think about it. God is not the one who has to believe. WE ARE. Although the Father may offer to us evidence we are the ones who must make the decision to trust and to ENTRUST ourselves TO Him. The ordinary means God goes about establishing faith in us is through the preaching of the word. However, the soil must receive the seed and even some who receive, believe may not make it to the harvest. The Holy Spirit can inspire, encourage and strengthen us but we humans have the power to resist, harden our hearts, and grieve Him.
8 For it is by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and this not from yourselves; IT is the gift of God,
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.…
When some people read this they wonder what the indefinite pronoun IT is referring to. Some say the GIFT of God is GRACE. while others are sure the gift of God is FAITH. In English it is impossible to tell; however, in Greek it is possible to know since nouns as well as the corresponding pronouns and adjectives have gender agree.. Unlike Latin-based languages like Spanish in which nouns have two gender forms - masculine and feminine, Greek nouns and their referents [i.e., adjectives and pronouns] have THREE gender forms: masculine, feminine and neuter all of which must agree with respect to their gender.
In verse 8 the word IT as well as GIFT in the phrase IT is the GIFT of God are both neuter so they refer to each other.
However the word GIFT could not be referring to either GRACE or FAITH since both of those words are feminine words.
If the gift of God is neither GRACE nor FAITH what is it? A. T. Robertson solves this using grammar, asserting that IT [the gift of God] is referring to the entire proposition set forth by the gospel, which is that we can obtain salvation because of
(1) God's gracious offering of the son,
(2) which we obtain by means of faith
(3) rather than by works.
As Robertson summarizes: GRACE is GOD'S PART FAITH IS OURS.
That faith is not a gift makes sense when you think about it. God is not the one who has to believe. WE ARE. Although the Father may offer to us evidence we are the ones who must make the decision to trust and to ENTRUST ourselves TO Him. The ordinary means God goes about establishing faith in us is through the preaching of the word. However, the soil must receive the seed and even some who receive, believe may not make it to the harvest. The Holy Spirit can inspire, encourage and strengthen us but we humans have the power to resist, harden our hearts, and grieve Him.
Ultimately....
We are all to learn to fully trust and rest in the competency of God's JUSTICE.
God is absolute competency.
grace and peace .....
[2Pe 1:1, 3 KJV]
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: ...
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
[Gal 5:22 KJV] 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[Jhn 12:37-40 KJV]
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
Faith is a gift precisely because it is rooted in a God-given understanding of the truth. A person cannot force themselves to believe something they think foolish. Therefore, when a person truly believes the gospel, it is only because God has opened their eyes, changed their perceptions, and made that truth undeniable to them - it is binary - that someone either believes it is true or they don't- there is no middle ground. This belief comes with/from/by being given by God a new heart, a new spirit, and a renewed mind through spiritual regeneration by which is faith given. Belief (or faithing) itself is the inevitable result of that change.
@JimiSurvivor
In rereading my post, I realized that in my first sentence, I did not convey what I actually wanted to say.
I said, " Faith is a gift precisely because it is rooted in a God-given understanding of the truth".
What I meant so say is "an understanding of the truth is rooted precisely in a God-given faith".
Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
In rereading my post, I realized that in my first sentence, I did not convey what I actually wanted to say.
I said, " Faith is a gift precisely because it is rooted in a God-given understanding of the truth".
What I meant so say is "an understanding of the truth is rooted precisely in a God-given faith".
Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
you say things about me you conclude on what I never said, I know perfectly well that without Christ none could be saved so stop demonizing me. Christ is ever present in my life I live by his words and I follow him.