I agree that there are different types of works...
Good and bad, wise and unwise, ture and false, kind and unkind, they are all works
Works of the flesh and works of the Spirit.
Our works are not worth anything when it comes to salvation.
We can not work our way to heaven.
No works can undo the result of one sin.
Sin = eternal death. All have sinned.
All good comes from God so even if we do good works they are thanks to God and from God. Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, ...
We can and should do Godly works because God is working in us.
All glory to God.
The different types of works I was referring to were not good/wise, true/false, kind/unkind, etc. They are the ones actually talked about in the Bible—Boastful works Eph. 2:9 the works of the old law Galatians 3:10; good works Eph 2:10; works of the flesh Galations 5:19; and WORKS OF GOD John 6:28-29.
Specifically, the WORKS OF GOD in John 6:29 is very enlightening because Jesus calls “FAITH” a WORK!! I’m just wondering if all the people who want to claim that works don’t have anything to do with salvation will go so far as to throw away the work of faith, also? Jesus Himself called it a “work”. Are you going to argue with Jesus? Will you contradict Him? Or maybe “disagree” with Jesus? I would think that since “salvation” comes from Jesus, He has the right to define what “faith” is. And He says it is a WORK. And of course it is— because it is something YOU.must DO! God does not just “zap” you with faith. You have to believe. You have to do something. So Jesus is right; Faith is a work that you must do. Not only that, you can choose whether you want to do it or not. There were lots of people in the New Testament who chose NOT to believe. So, if “works” do not have anything to do with salvation, then “faith” does not have anything to do with salvation.
Since Jesus has defined “faith” as a work, that means repentance and confession must be WORKS of God also. He says faith is a WORK OF GOD, and we know that it is something we must DO, and repentance and confession are things we must DO ALSO. The command to believe, repent, and confess all come from God—not men. That means they originate from God—not men. That means they cannot be works we can “BOAST” of. Luke 17 says when we have done ALL God has told us to do, we have only done our DUTY. So faith, repentance and confession are NOT “boastful” works talked about in Eph. 2. But they are definitely “works” that are essential to salvation. The statement that “works don’t have anything to do with salvation” can’t be true or else Jesus was wrong when He said that faith was a work.
What about Baptism?? People object to baptism because it is a “work”. Yes, baptism is something you must DO, just like faith, repentance, confession. Baptism originated with God—not man. See Matt. 28:18-19. Just like faith, repentance, and confession. It was commanded by Jesus in the “great commission” in Matthew 28 and Mark 16, Just like faith, repentance, and confession. Baptism is a “WORK OF GOD” just like faith, repentance, and confession.
In the Bible, when people were told what to do to be saved, sometimes repentance might not be specifically mentioned as in Mark 16:16 where Jesus said to believe and be baptized to be saved. ( that doesn’t mean it’s not necessary) And sometimes confession might be left out as in the conversion of the jailer in Acts 16 (that doesn’t mean it’s not necessary), and sometimes even FAITH is left out; Acts2:38 Repent and be baptized…( that doesn’t mean that faith is unnecessary) but baptism is NEVER, NEVER left out of the story.
Acts 2- repent and be BAPTIZED
Acts 8- the Samaritans believed and were
BAPTIZED
Acts 9- Saul of Tarsus, Arise and be BAPTIZED.
Acts 10- Peter Commanded them to be
BAPTIZED.
Acts 16- Lydia, BAPTIZED
Acts 16- the jailer, BAPTIZED the same hour of
The night.
That sounds like to me that baptism was important. And I only single baptism out because it is the one thing that men say is not necessary.
Faith, Repentance, Confession and yes, Baptism—THEY ARE ALL WORKS OF GOD.