Results 1 - 6 of 6
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Salvation: "By" Grace, "Through" Faith. | Eph 2:8 | 10ECPreacher | 34038 | ||
Salvation: "By" grace, "through" faith... ...and "that" [Salvation] is not the result of anything you or I have done, but it is the gift or present from God to mankind. 1. "By" grace... Nothing anyone ever did could either merit or produce the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God. It was God Incarnate who "took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in the fashion of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:7-8) This was the means of procuring salvation for all mankind. And in the very word "grace" [charis] we see a "gift" from God. "How beautiful God's salvation plan When Grace the awful gulf did span And He took on the form of man To take our sins away." Grace... the bridge built by God in the person of Christ that spans the gulf between lost humanity and glorious deity. 2. "Through" faith... Faith is believing enough to "walk across the bridge built by grace." No man simply sitting on the side of the gulf and viewing the beautiful bridge built by grace can consider himself "saved" simply because he acknowledges the construction of the bridge. Faith without works is lifeless; faith with works brings eternal life. God so loved the world that He gave to it the very embodiment and personification of Himself (His dearly beloved Son), so that whoever would actively and continually believe in Him (have faith in Him, i.e., trust and obey His teachings and continue in His Word) would not perish (be lost as is the unharvested grain in a field), but that they would have everlasting life (the essence of salvation). When crossing the bridge, we acknowledge that we had neither the knowledge nor the means to construct it; but we also recognize that the mere building of the bridge did not put us on the far side of it--we must "walk by faith" in order to reach the other side. Tim D. Cormier Tennessee Preacher |
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2 | Salvation: "By" Grace, "Through" Faith. | Eph 2:8 | John Reformed | 34083 | ||
Dear Bro. Tim I appreciate your beautiful analogy of Christ being the bridge between God and man. However my understanding of the scriptures would have Christ picking me up and Himself carrying me across. I believe the the Scriptures teach that even faith is God,s gift to His people (Eph 4:6-7). John Reformed |
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3 | Salvation: "By" Grace, "Through" Faith. | Eph 2:8 | 10ECPreacher | 34099 | ||
Greetings, John. My understanding of faith in the Scriptures is that it is expressed by obedience to the Word of God. Spurgeon said of faith, "Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith." I understand that the air that we breathe is a gift from God, but He doesn't breathe for us. The fact that He "invites us" into His Presence doesn't automatically put us there. I am convinced that there are many people who intellectually acknowledge the Gospel of Jesus Christ and claim to be "believers", but they have never "obeyed the Gospel". 'However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"' [Romans 10:16 NASB] "dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." [2 Thess. 1:8 NASB] "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" [1 Pet. 4:17 NASB] 'This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone, A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.' [1 Pet. 2:7-8 NASB] Kind regards, Tim D. Cormier Tennessee Preacher |
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4 | From whom does faith originate? | Eph 2:8 | John Reformed | 34105 | ||
Dear Bro. Tim The crux of my question is: From whom does faith orignate? Can an unregenerate man (one who is dead in trespasses and sin) find within himself the capacity for faith?, or must it necessarily come from an outside source I believe that we are saved by grace thru faith and even my capacity to believe in Christ was a gift from God. Perhaps I misunderstood your analogy, it seemed to me that God did His part by providing His Son (the bridge) but then we had to do are part by contributing our faith (getting up and crossing the bridge). It is my contention, based on my understanding of Scripture, that formerly I was dead in trespasses and sin; my foolish mind was darkened; etc.(Ro:1). I was without God and was actively in rebellion against Him. Then I was presented with the Gospel and I believed. It must have been the Holy Spirit that gave me a new heart that made faith possible to begin with. I'd appreciate your thoughts. Your Bro. in Christ, John |
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5 | From whom does faith originate? | Eph 2:8 | Makarios | 34115 | ||
Greetings John! Faith originates from hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) If we have faith and belief in God after first hearing the Word of God (first exposure), then my answer is 'Yes', that faith can originate from one who is not saved, since it is by faith that we are saved (Romans 5:1-2). And this faith, that we have "happened upon" by hearing the Gospel for the first time, is what will lead us into salvation. To describe faith a little more "deeply", I would cite Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 118:8, and 2 Cor. 5:7. To define 'faith', then Hebrews 11:1-2 is always helpful. Blessings to you, Makarios |
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6 | From whom does faith originate? | Eph 2:8 | 10ECPreacher | 35552 | ||
Greetings, John and Makarios. In addition to what Makarios has stated, I would simply add that faith is the conscious and cogent response of humanity to deity; which response acknowledges the definition of humanity versus deity, and at the same time acknowledges the distinction between humanity and deity. "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." [Heb. 11:6 NASB] Now we know that none can come to God except the Spirit draw him. I understand faith to be an individual's acknowledgement of and obedience to the drawing of the Spirit. When someone is presented with the Gospel, they hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Obedience to the Word of God (i.e., the Gospel) is the response of one who believes the Word of God that was presented. "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" [Rom. 11:33 NASB] Kind regards, Tim D. Cormier Tennessee Preacher |
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