Not By Works
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You know that NOT BY WORKS is obvious.
Verses like:
2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB)
9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
2 Timothy 1:18 (NIV)
18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
There are good works, and they count ZERO for Salvation.
Verses like:
2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB)
9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
2 Timothy 1:18 (NIV)
18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
There are good works, and they count ZERO for Salvation.
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When we look at these verses in the context of the whole bible this what becomes apparent.
Joh 3:16
The verse indicates God’s love is global, sacrificial, personal and eternal. Here is a single verse that shows us the mind of God, the heart of God and the will of God.
1Jn 2:2
The prima facie reading of this text seems unequivocal:
Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of believers, many of whom John is addressing (“for our sins”); and furthermore, Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of “the whole world,” meaning unbelievers to whom John is not directly writing to.
Succinctly put, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus has a universal scope.
1Jn 2:15
What is the will of God
Do Not Be Conformed to this Age
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
God loves all sinners, Christ Jesus came to save all sinners, not all sinners will come to Christ Jesus for salvation.
Joh 3:16
The verse indicates God’s love is global, sacrificial, personal and eternal. Here is a single verse that shows us the mind of God, the heart of God and the will of God.
1Jn 2:2
The prima facie reading of this text seems unequivocal:
Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of believers, many of whom John is addressing (“for our sins”); and furthermore, Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of “the whole world,” meaning unbelievers to whom John is not directly writing to.
Succinctly put, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus has a universal scope.
1Jn 2:15
What is the will of God
Do Not Be Conformed to this Age
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
God loves all sinners, Christ Jesus came to save all sinners, not all sinners will come to Christ Jesus for salvation.
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Yes true faith will produce good works but we are not saved by them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
I love these verses
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What makes me very sad is that it's not uncommon to just qote v28
It tends to be done on the basis that God will work things in us to make good the things we have suffered in life, bad things.
My simple example is the sexual abuse I suffered.
V28 was quoted to me.
Firstly God cannot make that good. No amount of sin suffered to done can be made good.
But God will work good in these things in order to conform us to the image of Jesus.
He brings healing helps us to forgive.
As Jesus forgives.
As we allow him to do so God will then use to help others.
Those are good works.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
I love these verses
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What makes me very sad is that it's not uncommon to just qote v28
It tends to be done on the basis that God will work things in us to make good the things we have suffered in life, bad things.
My simple example is the sexual abuse I suffered.
V28 was quoted to me.
Firstly God cannot make that good. No amount of sin suffered to done can be made good.
But God will work good in these things in order to conform us to the image of Jesus.
He brings healing helps us to forgive.
As Jesus forgives.
As we allow him to do so God will then use to help others.
Those are good works.
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Can faith save without works ?
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:14-21, 23-24, 26 KJV
Faith that doesn’t change us tangibly isn’t what the gospel is about there’s a reason Paul said this
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
Titus 3:8
because if you put a group of believers together and no one is insisting “ good works have nothing to do with anything “ the one constantly affirming what Paul said there in that faithful saying , is going to change us from those insisting what we do isn’t important to those like this
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:11-14 KJV
if we reject the inclusion of our works and insist there’s nothing to see there well Never become those zealous of good works and that’s why he suffered and died to redeem us from sin and create someone better in deed and truth
When we say we’re saved by grace not by works the next line says we are created in Christ for good works
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV
We want to cut the part out about us walking in good works ordained of the gospel but then we’re like empty vessels or a body without a spirit
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:14-21, 23-24, 26 KJV
Faith that doesn’t change us tangibly isn’t what the gospel is about there’s a reason Paul said this
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
Titus 3:8
because if you put a group of believers together and no one is insisting “ good works have nothing to do with anything “ the one constantly affirming what Paul said there in that faithful saying , is going to change us from those insisting what we do isn’t important to those like this
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:11-14 KJV
if we reject the inclusion of our works and insist there’s nothing to see there well Never become those zealous of good works and that’s why he suffered and died to redeem us from sin and create someone better in deed and truth
When we say we’re saved by grace not by works the next line says we are created in Christ for good works
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV
We want to cut the part out about us walking in good works ordained of the gospel but then we’re like empty vessels or a body without a spirit
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