Ephesians 2 is not preaching faith alone.
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Luke 11:13
Acts 2:38
Galatians 3:2
Ephesians 1:13
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves [the Holy Spirit is] the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Because we are His creation created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has pre ordained that we should walk in them.
Contextually interpreted Ephesians 2:8-10
Acts 2:38
Galatians 3:2
Ephesians 1:13
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves [the Holy Spirit is] the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Because we are His creation created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has pre ordained that we should walk in them.
Contextually interpreted Ephesians 2:8-10
Your entire response fails right here:
NOTE: NOT WITH HIS OWN NATURAL BLOOD! He entered the heavenly tabernacle, not made with hands, having obtained eternal redemption for us.)
Only with His blood of the Spirit. Jesus Christ's resurrected enteral body is His heavenly tabernacle, not His old natural body of flesh and blood.
The argument is not that Jesus Christ does not sprinkle and wash His saints with His own blood. It's which blood of His: natural blood shed into the earth on the cross, or His eternal Spirit's blood of resurrected immortal body.
1Co 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
So, are you sprinkled, washed, and drink Jesus' natural blood shed on a wooden cross?
Jhn 6:54
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed…
Or, is the as Scripture says, the precious blood of the Spirit of Christ by resurrected from the dead:
1Pe 1:18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Jesus' eternal blood of the resurrection is far better than the natural blood of man, even as the heavenly tabernacle is far above the earthly body.
I've already given the Scriptures you ignore, that show Jesus could not be speaking of His own natural flesh and blood, as being that of His New Covenant.
Jesus was not serving up some of His bodily blood at the supper, nor does anyone drink of it in communion. Nor can anyone do so today, since that natural blood was shed to the earth from a cross almost 2000 years ago.
When Jesus speaks of His blood sprinkling, and washing, and of covenant and communion to drink, He makes it clear that He speaks of that of the Spirit of life:
Jhn 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Heb 12:24
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
If you want to believe in the cannibalism of eating natural flesh and drinking natural blood, then you're a transgressor:
Lev 17:14
For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Act 15:29
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well.
If you want to believe in a Catholic 'communion' of His natural blood becoming 'in verity' the blood of communion, then so be it.
Or, if you want to believe the natural blood of Jesus has become spiritual blood, then you are believing in mysticism, not in Scripture of God:
1Co 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Pagan 'transmutation' of the natural body into higher spiritual being is false. Natural flesh and blood is not born of the Spirit, and the Spirit is not natural flesh and blood:
Jhn 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Which proves the blood you speak of is not His blood Jesus speaks of:
Jhn 6:54
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed…
Which is because you speak of is natural flesh and blood, that God commands never to drink. Nor does God command sprinkling and washing with natural blood of human sacrifice.
False on two counts:
1. It's not faith in Jesus' crucifixion sacrifice that saves anyone, but rather faith in His resurrection from the dead:
Rom 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
2. Beleiving Jesus Christ was crucified on a Roman cross, can be confirmed by historical fact. Only faith in His resurrection saves the soul, because it must be from the heart by His own word, not by historical nor present sight.
Jhn 20:27
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
2Co 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight
Therefore, faith in Jesus' crucifixion sacrifice saves no man. That's the primary lie of Faith Alone salvation at the cross, rather than salvation and justification by the faith of His resurrection:
Rom 4:25
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Just believing Jesus was crucified on a cross for sins, is no better than believers in historical fact, nor of devils that believe He also was the Son of God crucified by wicked hands:
Mar 5:7
And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
Jas 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
There's nothing eternal about natural flesh and blood, neither on earth, nor through mystical transmutation:
1Co 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
'Eternally effective' is just another Faith Alone ideological bromide, that in this case is supposed to mean Jesus' natural blood shed on the cross is saving souls by Faith Alone.
The Sinless Divine One was the eternal Word and Son come down from heaven, to dwell in the flesh among men on earth. His natural flesh and blood body was no more divine than the natural flesh of any other man and women on earth.
The soul is not the natural body, nor is the spirit of a man natural flesh and blood.
Jhn 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Jhn 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Pagan pantheism is false: No natural body on earth is divine.
Jesus did indeed died for sins, and His natural blood was shed for sins, but the atoning blood is not made effectual by shedding alone, but also by sprinkling upon the people:
Exo 24:8
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
Only in pagan religion does killing the sacrifice alone make atonement for the people.
Therefore, Since it was not Jesus' natural blood shed on the cross, that was sprinkled upon anyone at the cross; Then Jesus must rise again to sprinkle His own blood upon the people, to make atonement for sins.
1Pe 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
And so, the resurrected Jesus Christ now and forever sprinkles His own precious blood of the Spirit, not His old natural blood shed into the earth, as that of Abel's.
Heb 12:24
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Jesus' blood of the resurrecting Spirit is far better than any natural blood on earth, because He can sprinkle upon the inner man of the heart, and so can cleanse the soul and conscience from sins.
Heb 9:12
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews never teaches 2 different bloods of Christ. It teaches one sacrifice, one offering, one blood, once for all.
The blood that saves is the blood He shed (Matt 26:28; Heb 13:12; Col 1:20) & Heb 9:12 says He entered heaven by His own blood, the same blood shed on the cross, not a new "spiritual"” substance created later.
The "sprinkling" language in 1 Pet 1:2 & Heb 12:24 refers to the Spirit applying the benefits of that once‑shed blood to believers, not Jesus performing a 2nd sprinkling ceremony after the resurrection.
Hebrews explicitly denies repeated offerings (Heb 9:25–26; 10:10–14).
Your claim that Christ needed a 2nd blood or a 2nd atonement contradicts the very book you're quoting.
There is ONE sacrifice, ONE offering, ONE blood, ONCE for all & the Holy Spirit applies it to the heart.
Only all of YOU with Faith Alone, sees justification with men by works, and not with God:
Matthew{23:5}
But all their works they do for to be seen of men:
Jhn 5:44
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
But WE readers of the Bible as written, only see Abraham justified with God by works, and so called the Friend of God, not the friend of men.
Abraham was not justifying himself by offering up Isaac, nor was he justified with Isaac by killing him. And so, God was the only One seeing the work of Abraham, and being justified with.
This is where justified by Faith Alone ideology must go to extremes to deny Scriptural justification by works. They have to now preach works to be justified of men only, and not of God.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Which we do by faith toward God in the sight of God, and not only to be seen of man.Otherwise, what good are we to those who need a coat on a cold day like today. Brother knocks on my door shiveringand I send him away, "I'll pray for you brother!"
Bye-bye.
How about if I invite him in, warm him up and give him a coat and hot beverage. Then my faith actually means something to him.
Since Faith Alone ideology refuses Abraham being justified with God by offering up Isaac, but only with men, then Faith Alone ideology preaches being justified only with men by works, and not with God.
Matthew{23:5}
But all their works they do for to be seen of men:
Jhn 5:44
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
If the works we do are not justified with God, but only with men, we have works to boast of, not any works honoured by God.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, that any man should boast.
Eph 2 rejects any faith of men, that can be boasted of with men, without any honour from God.
But it is an example of offering our own house, or at least the one we live in.
And offering up an only son is not the only example given in Scripture, whereby a man is justified with God. Rahab was also justified with God by offering the spies another way out of the city.
And there is also the work of Phinehas in the wilderness, that is forever counted to him for righteousness by the LORD:
Psa 106:30
Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
Gal 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
And so we see by Scripture as written, that by faith and works toward God, a man is counted righteous and justified with God.
Paul the apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus, was most useful by Jesus Christ to rebuke Jews seeking justification by works of the law, without believing the Messiah of God. James is then used by Jesus Christ to rebuke Christians, who begin to seek justification by Faith Alone without works of righteousness.
The Jews by nature found it better to do works by law, rather than by faith in God. And contrariwise, some Christians find it more justifying to believe the truth alone, without doing the truth:
Jhn 3:20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
It's our deeds that are justified or reproved by the light of Christ, not any faith alone.
As far as salvation from Hell, there is none in Scripture, but only in the imagination of being saved by Faith Alone.
No Scripture speaks of being saved from hell or condemnation, but only from the evil deeds that are condemned by God to hell.
Mat 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
God never commands repentance from condemnation and going to hell, but only from unrighteous works that are condemned as evil:
Ezek 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Psa 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Correct. Nor by any works justified with men, that can be boasted of. And especially not by any works of evil that men have done.
Rom 3 confirms Eph 2, that no man is saved by their faith, that is with works they can boast of, whether by self-righteousness or by law or by evil deeds.
Faith Alone without works is dead, and saves no man. Faith with works of our own righteousness before men, are not justified with God.
James 2 rebukes the former dead faith. Eph 2 and Rom 3 rebukes the latter proud faith.
True.
Rom 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Ponder what Paul is saying in Romans 10.
Faith Alone without works cannot call on the Lord Jesus and confess Him with the mouth.
True again. Faith Alone without works is unperfect, and cannot save nor justify the soul.
The Faith of Jesus Christ is perfected in works, the same as He was perfected in obedience to God:
Heb{5:8}
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb 2:9
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Correct, but any person on earth can desire to do good. Only the sons of God do good from the heart:
3 John{1:11}
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
1 John{2:29}
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Faith Alone without works is salvation by good desire only. It's the vain justification of men for good intentions alone.
There is a misunderstanding in your presentation of the gospel.
Jesus alone performed that atonement, that reconciliation, so that we are at peace with God now.
1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Why does Paul state that the only thing that the Corinthians need to understand is Christ crucified?
Because that was the perfect sacrifice that Jesus performed for us.
We had no part to play Christ's eternal sacrifice for us.
Hebrews 10:10
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
Hebrews 10:19-23
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a
great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Are we called to be holy?
Are we called to love others?
Of course we are to be obedient to Jesus but we must understand how we are saved.
Christ's death and resurrection is the only cause of salvation.
We never boast in our own trivial works; we boast in the King of Kings.
Our Lord and Savior.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus
You completely misunderstood Genesis 22:7-8.
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
Surely, you understand that Abraham is not the subject of this messianic prophecy?
Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs
of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Do you understand that the Old Testament is revealing the Christ all the way through.
Moses wrote about Jesus; did you know that?
Jesus said,
", Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Ok you just refuse to understand what people mean and not once have I seen you ask someone what they mean by saying faith alone.
Anyways I have other questions. If we are not part of the body of Christ when we sin how do you interpret 1 John 2:1
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
1 John 2:1 ESV
Do you think there’s a difference between living in sin and stumbling but repenting?
And do you think you’re right with God because you never mess up or because of Jesus?
EddieM said:
You wrote:
Other than James 2 declaring that faith alone without works is dead, and can save no man; Eph 2 isn't talking about faith alone without works. Rather Eph2 is making the difference between the faith of God with works of grace, vs the faith of man with works to brag about.
Omniscient Beings do not exercise faith.
I did not write the top sentence. I wrote only the last sentence.
You wrote:
Other than James 2 declaring that faith alone without works is dead, and can save no man; Eph 2 isn't talking about faith alone without works. Rather Eph2 is making the difference between the faith of God with works of grace, vs the faith of man with works to brag about.
Omniscient Beings do not exercise faith.
I did not write the top sentence. I wrote only the last sentence.
Correct. We are saved by grace, and the spiritual man knows God always comes first, since man is only created in His image.
The natural man does not acknowledge God nor the things of the spirit of man, but only the natural flesh and blood.
Since being saved by grace is dependent on repenting from sins and trespasses, then the sinner is the individual necessary to repent. Jesus Christ died for our sin, and is risen to deliver and justify man from sinning. But He that never sinned, cannot repent of our sins for us.
Anyone believing in a salvation without first repenting of all our sins and trespasses, is believing in a false salvation with continued sinning.
And anyone believing their faith in Christ saves them while still sinning, is believing in a false Christ to save them with their sins, not in Jesus Christ the righteous, who only saves us from our sinning:
Mat 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Ezek 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
1Jo 3:8
He that is committing sin is of the devil; for the devil is sinning from the beginning.
Exactly. everyone that repents of their own sins and trespasses for Jesus' sake, and takes up their cross to follow Him, are crucified with Him, with the old man of sins and trespasses.
Mar 8:34
Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Rom 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Eph 4:22
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Gal 6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Those who have crucified their old man of sin on their cross with Christ, are now the new man of God no more serving sin, but only only serving the Lord Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jhn 8:34
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever is committing sin is the servant of sin.
Those still committing sin in service to sin, are not crucified with Christ to the world, but they they remain their own old man of sin...
Try looking at the wonderful work that Jesus can do for us, by His resurrecting power to save us from sinning.
I know the angels of God are applauding every sinner, that repents of their old sinning for Jesus' sake:
Luk 15:10
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
I'm fairly sure the evil angels that sinned, are applauding any interpretation of a Christ, that comes to save sinners with their sins.
God has done everything for us in Christ that He is ever going to do, to save sinners by repentance and salvation.
2 Cor 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:
True. No man is yet resurrected from the dead, except the resurrected man Christ Jesus.
There is no imperfect progressive sanctification in the body of Jesus Christ. Nor any imperfect washing and justification by Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 6:11
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
If you believe that you have arrived at that point of perfect salvation and justification with imperfect sinning and sanctification, you are deluded.
If anyone believes they have already arrived at the resurrection from the dead, within their natural body on earth, they are deluded:
2Ti 2:18
Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Phl 3:12
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
No one has already arrived at perfected eternal salvation in this life, whether it be by their own perfected holiness, or by their own perfected doctrine of Faith Alone.
Being delivered from all sinning and trespassing is indeed most wonderful. I had not known such grace of God, until repenting of all my sins, with none held back for later progress.
That's when I asked for and recieved Jesus' own great and righteous faith to only do His good, and not do any man's evil.
2Pe 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Rev 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Exactly.
Matth 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned…for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
It's easy to see what a sinner is in their own heart: Sin. Which is by themselves saying they have sin.
It's also easy to see what a sinner has in their own heart: Self justification. Which is by saying all people have sin the same as themselves.
If everyone on earth has sin in their heart, then no one has Jesus Christ the righteous. And if no one has Jesus Christ the righteous in their heart, then no one is washed, sanctified, nor justified by Him.
And so, everyone on earth is falling short of His resurrection from dead to life, if all are unrepented sinners, that willingly say they still have sin against God in their hearts:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Rom 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
True, which is why faith alone with no action does not save.
So, which do you have? Faith with works, or faith alone without works? It's not possible to have both at the same time.
James{2:14}
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone...
James either does not understand what "faith alone" means, or James intentionally misrepresent it.
That makes James either ignorant or a troublemaker to Faith Alone Christians.