Nothing I have written contradicts Hebrews and faith is definitely not a work.
Scripture is clear... somehow you never want to address Paul's very clear teaching....
Romans 4:4
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.
Let us be honest here. I have never heard that I need to address Romans 4:4 to be legitimate.
If I have never heard this question, how can I answer it, or be accused of not answering it.
Never is a big word. It implies an absolute, unfortunately where an absolute should not be.
Those who want to dismiss someone out of hand but is actually incapable of doing this should
not try such a thing, or it comes across as arrogant, dismissive and slanderous.
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Rom 4
I am justified by faith alone, working faith, faith that produces works and fruit, that is not dead or passive,
but active and alive.
Now I know where I stand or why I stand. So why is it my language is changed, miss-interpreted, and told
that I am following something I am not.
The truth is, and I mean truth, some support fruitless faith, and claim fruitless faith brings eternal salvation,
while James describes this very faith as dead, brings nothing, has no value and is empty.
I wish I could see another way through, but there is none. The only religion that has a way through is if
you believe you are eternal through a spiritual experience, changing your mind, and then nothing can affect
you. So when Paul says if you sow to the sinful passions and you reap death, he is meaning eternal life.
And when Paul says if you sow to the spirit you reap eternal life, he is meaning rewards, extra goodies.
So death is eternal life, eternal life is rewards. And those who follow Gods will and do His works by His
Spirit are doing the works of the enemy and doomed to hell. You got to admire this thinking, really admire
it, because it has to actually change the words and get them to mean something else than they say, and
then say people are blind to read the words and what they mean and believe them.
At this point it is no longer an argument, it is making up your own truth.
And I am fine that people do this, it is their world and their fate, not mine. God bless you.
It is hard to understand why you would need to do this, or even think it makes sense.
How is it possible to even look in the mirror and do this? But people are so tied to a belief system they
will die for people they are loyal to, no matter what.