You can put nails in your make-believe coffin if you insist. But in order to do this you have to rip out of the bible scriptures that tell us that our works of righteousness are necessary in our salvation effort, along with the works of Christ, and his sacrifice that he made and the grace that he offers. It is the combination of both that confirm our salvation.
We know how you feel about these scriptures of works of righteousness, from your words that you given us a while ago from Martin Luther, who disparaged James' words about our works of righteousness and so Luther pretty much rips the words of James from the bible, so that he can eliminate any bible words against grace. Which to me is not a good way to study the bible and come up with your beliefs about how one is saved.
Sad that you can believe that.
You have fallen for the WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS, dead faith.
Romans 3:20-24 (HCSB)
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20 [/SUP]
For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin ⌊comes⌋ through the law.
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21 [/SUP] But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets
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22 [/SUP] —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
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23 [/SUP] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
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24 [/SUP] They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
HOW MANY CAN EARN THEIR JUSTIFICATION, BY WORKS?
I assume you got that question right?
That is NOT WHY God wants us to strive to obey HIM after HE ALONE SAVED US, while we were ENEMIES OF GOD!
Romans 5:8-10 (HCSB)
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8 [/SUP] But
God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
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9 [/SUP] Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
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10 [/SUP] For if,
while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, ⌊then how⌋ much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!
AFTER WE ARE SAVED, GOD wants us to exhibit
to others, how we are to LOVE GOD, and show them HOW WE LOVE THEM LIKE GOD HIMSELF.
Romans 5:5 (HCSB)
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5 [/SUP] This hope will not disappoint ⌊us⌋, because
God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
So, climb down off your high horse, and GIVE ALL THE CREDIT FOR YOUR SALVATION TO JESUS CHRIST.
THEN after you have a big slice of humble pie, climb down into the humanity, and willingly let
CHRIST in you, open up a SALVATION SHOP one yard from hell.
AND that is NOT an invite to be like the World, BUT it is to SHOW the LOVE OF GOD, that is IN YOU, to the UNSAVED of this World, so that we can GET a few more saved, before the FATHER says to the SON,
"It is FINISHED, go get your BRIDE."
1 John 3:14-19 (HCSB)
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14 [/SUP] We know that we have passed from death to life because
we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
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15 [/SUP] Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
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16 [/SUP]
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
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17 [/SUP] If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his ⌊need⌋—
how can God’s love reside in him?
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18 [/SUP] Little children,
we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.
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19 [/SUP]
This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence,
IT IS NOT PART OF SALVATION, IT IS PART OF GOD's LOVE that was poured into our hearts.
THAT IS THE PURPOSE FOR OUR GOOD WORKS, and it HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR PERSONAL SALVATION. That was and IS the Mercy and Grace that GOD showed us, the first moment we genuinely BELIEVED.
Romans 3:20-21 (NCV)
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20 [/SUP]
because no one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin.
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21 [/SUP] But
God has a way to make people right with him without the law, and
he has now shown us that way which the law and the prophets told us about.
Romans 3:26-27 (NCV)
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26 [/SUP] And
God gave Jesus to show today that he does what is right. God did this so he could judge rightly and
so he could make right any person who has faith in Jesus.
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27 [/SUP]
So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! And why not?
It is the way of faith that stops all bragging,
not the way of trying to obey the law.