The Million Dollar Question:
Definition of work: activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.
Given: You believe that you of your own free will must believe (mental effort) to be saved (to achieve a result)
Question: How do you explain that you do NO WORK in order to be saved??????
... and that question is but one of many .... like ... how do you explain:
John 1:12 But to as many as did receive
and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God
[talking salvation here],
that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— 13 who were born, not of blood [natural conception],
nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse],
nor of the will of man [that of a natural father],
but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
John 6:29 Jesus answered, “
This is the work of God: that you believe [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.” [works] Clearly this verse defines “faith” as a work. Thus faith must originate from God since God’s
grace does not include man works (
Galatians 5:2).