Do you have examples you might share to provide better understanding for what you mean to say there?
Here's a good start:
Romans 11:6 And
if by grace, then is it
no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
The importance of grace is established:
Ephesians 2:5, 8
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved; ...
8 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God:
So, we see here that works save nobody, nor are we justified by works:
Romans 4:2 For
if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
So, when we think about works, they are the efforts we put forth as the means to try and impress the Lord, or to earn His favor, which cannot be done given that we have His unmerited favor, otherwise known as "grace," by which we are saved through faith.
Some will go to James and demand that what he said applies to us also (thus failing to rightly divide the word of truth), but they also fail to consider the very first verse as to whom James was addressing, and WHEN he was addressing that to Israel.
This works also in the realm of trying to "retain" one's salvation, which is also works. How do we know that?
Matthew 10:22, 24:13
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that
endureth to the end shall be saved.
24:13 But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved.
Jesus spoke that message to Israel, who were under the Kingdom Gospel, not the Gospel of Grace...not yet. They were not sealed by Holy Spirit, not like we are who are under the Gospel of Grace.
So, one who thinks they are retaining their salvation by their efforts of endurance, they are placing themselves under "another gospel", and when they preach that other gospel, they are accursed.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are
so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Galatians 1:8 But
though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
The Kingdom Gospel was true for those who were under that gospel. So, rightly dividing the word of truth isn't a matter of dividing truth from falsehood, but truth from truth. That's why there's such horrid confusion in so many professing believer's testimony and gospel message when mixing truths that were not written TO us with Paul's truth that WAS written TO us.
I also posted verses that speak to the fact that when we believe in the saving work of Christ on the cross and in His resurrection, we are sealed by Holy Spirit. That seal is absolute, and for those with pathetic hermeneutics trying to make out the Lord as being so weak that He can't hold on to those who are truly His, that's the work of the devil in the arena of churchianity and its false teachings.
Does that help?
Observe the words in post #256. That's a classic example of tuck tail and run when confronted with big, bad truths that cannot be beaten by emotional arguments and pathetically puny hermeneutics. Generally speaking, I hope others here bolster their beliefs with something of far greater substance than that worthless series of posts.
MM
