For the deceptive one saying I did not know faith was a gift from God
Dec 23, 2013
#1
Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that, WHATSOEVER God doeth, it shall be for ever: NOTHING can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
Whatsoever means, anything that God would do and it clearly states that what ever it is that he does lasts for ever.
Jesus+anything= A gospel of a different kind with no power to save and cursed by God. See Galatians chapters 1 and 3
Jesus-anything= A gospel of a different kind with no power to save and cursed by God. See Galatians chapters 1 and 3
Jesus plus nothing or minus nothing equals biblical salvation that lasts for ever.
Some false teacher had taught the Galatian brothers and sisters that they had to have faith in Christ and then be circumcised for true salvation. Paul calls this heretical teaching a gospel "of a different kind which is not the same kind" that he had been preaching and then double curses anyone who teaches salvation by grace, but kept by works.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which WE HAVE DONE, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration (the blood of Christ applied through faith) and the renewing of the Holy Ghost (A born again spirit)
Ephesians 2:8-10 In the grace you are, having been saved out of faith, and that not of YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.
1. We are immersed into a standing of grace (unmerited favor before God) out of the act of faith.
2. The element of faith is not of us (as we are saved by the perfect faith OF Christ Galatians 2:16, 20 and the life we live
is based upon the faith OF Christ
3. It is a free gift (John 3:16) and the last time I check nobody works for a free gift in real life
Having said these things I will also say the following.
True biblical faith will produce biblical works as which came first below
1. Noah building an ark or Noah having faith that it was going to rain and flood the whole earth which led to the
building of the ark.
2. Abraham going on the long trek to the promise land or God calling him out of Ur and giving the promises
unto Abraham.
3. Noah, Abraham, David as well as all believers through the ages had or will have biblical works which are produced by
biblical faith.
No contradiction found between the Roman letter from Paul and the letter from James as both speak of faith and works and the difference between the two is as follows.
Paul in Romans is teaching about being justified BEFORE GOD which is by faith which produces works.
James in his letter is talking about being justified BEFORE MEN and our true faith shall be SEEN by men based
upon our biblical works.
Salvation is by grace, through faith into the perfect faith of Christ, without additions or subtractions, is eternal and sustained by God and will always PRODUCE biblical works.