Not By Works
- Thread starter dcontroversal
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Where does it say in the Bible that trust in Christ is a work that can not justify?
Who defined 'works' as ANYTHING you do to be justified?
The prohibition is against performing works of righteousness in order to gain a declaration of right standing with God. Trusting in Christ is not included in that prohibition, and is in fact deeply contrasted with performing the works that can not make God declare you righteous. The Bible plainly teaches that you are made righteous by believing/trusting in Christ. That is in stark contrast to performing works of righteousness in order to be made/declared righteous by God:
"to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." - Romans 4:5
See? Trust in God is NOT included in the works that can not justify. It is clearly contrasted with the works that can not justify.
Who defined 'works' as ANYTHING you do to be justified?
The prohibition is against performing works of righteousness in order to gain a declaration of right standing with God. Trusting in Christ is not included in that prohibition, and is in fact deeply contrasted with performing the works that can not make God declare you righteous. The Bible plainly teaches that you are made righteous by believing/trusting in Christ. That is in stark contrast to performing works of righteousness in order to be made/declared righteous by God:
"to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." - Romans 4:5
See? Trust in God is NOT included in the works that can not justify. It is clearly contrasted with the works that can not justify.
It's not your faith. You don't have any of that. You are incapable of knowing what you can't see really is true.
God is the only one who can make you see that the unseen gospel of Christ is real.
What God wants from you is your trust in what he has shown you to be true about Jesus that you can't know is true on your own. And even then you can't trust him without his encouragement and help. There's no room for boasting in that way to be justified.
God is the only one who can make you see that the unseen gospel of Christ is real.
What God wants from you is your trust in what he has shown you to be true about Jesus that you can't know is true on your own. And even then you can't trust him without his encouragement and help. There's no room for boasting in that way to be justified.
That last would ONLY be true if you had nothing to do with the decision to belief. The desire in my heart to do righteousness is not something I produced. The faith I have in Christ doesn't come from within. We agree. You're assuming, however, that once God works in you, that you have the ability to lose yourself to the wild, and the Shepherd would not come looking for you. As if in His searching, He would not find you. You are persistent that God is only capable of reviving your soul and showing you the way, but that He must pray to... I don't know, your will or something... That all the work He's done will succeed, that you'll make it to the finish line with all He's given you.
