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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Does our actions help save us | NT general Archive 1 | nae-nae 04 | 114105 | ||
will the act of treating people with kindness and doing good work help save us referring to Ephesians 2:8-9 | ||||||
2 | Does our actions help save us | NT general Archive 1 | Hank | 114258 | ||
nae-nae 04 -- Nay, nay to your question :-) Works do not save, help to save, or keep one saved. You cited Eph. 2:8,9 as a basis for your question. These two verses lay down core teaching about how God saves sinners: The passage teaches (1) that God is in charge of salvation; (2) that it comes about by an act of God's grace; (3) that sinners can come to God only through the instrumentality of faith; (4) that this saving faith must be placed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; (5) that salvation is the gift of God and does not come as a result of works. ..... Now, let's extend your reference point by one more verse. Look at verse 10: "For we are His worksmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." In verse 8 the Apostle has laid it down in clear language that salvation is a gift offered by the grace of God alone and comes about by faith alone in Christ alone. In verse 9 the Apostle re-emphasizes what he said in v.8 about salvation being a gift of God. He does this by saying in clear and direct language that this salvation he's talking about is not given to you because you have been a good person -- "there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10) -- and helped old ladies across the street and been a loving parent and spouse. No, the Apostle says, this salvation we're talking about has nothing to do with your works, and so please understand that not one of you has any reason whatever to boast that God saved you because you were such a good person. The Apostle is telling the Ephesians something like this, "Look, your righteous deeds are like filthy rags to the Holy God (Isaiah 64:6). No matter how good you try to be, your good works won't get you saved. You need a Savior (Isaiah 53:6). Only Christ can save you because of His finished work on the Cross. (Acts 4:12) This salvation is God's gift of grace. Therefore, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). ....... Now, in verse 10, the Apostle explains the relationship between saving faith and works, between justification -- the experience of a guilty sinner receiving the position of righteousness before God, made possible only on the basis of the individuals personal faith in the work of Christ -- and sanctification -- the work of the Holy Spirit in setting a man apart for Jesus Christ at his conversion and the continued work of the Holy Spirit in the believer which results in increasing holiness. In v. 10 the Apostle answers the question, What comes after salvation?...what does the Lord want us to do after we are saved? He says, "for we are His worksmanship" -- the Greek word sometimes has the connotation of a "work of art." God poured his mighty creative genius into us, the Apostle is saying. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). God's sovereign purpose and planning (see Chapter 1 of Eph.) which He prepared beforehand is this: that we are His workmanship, His 'work of art', created in Christ Jesus for good works. It is therefore His plan that you walk in these good works. The Apostle makes this point immediately in the wake of his discussion of how salvation comes about (verses 8,9). Note how he unfolds his points, his logical sequence. The sinner is saved by grace through faith. (v.8) Works have nothing to do with it. (v. 9). The regenerated believer is created in Christ Jesus for good works (v. 10). SUMMARY: Works follow salvation as an attestation to our faith (James 2:18), but works do not contribute in any way to salvation, neither in attaining it nor in keeping it, and neither yet to "losing" it. (Eph. 2:9). --Hank | ||||||
3 | Does our actions help save us | NT general Archive 1 | flinkywood | 114273 | ||
Hank, if once we believed in faith, yet our faith died through worklessness, we are left with 2 choices, it seems: 1) We never really believed unto salvation. 2) We believed but our salvation died. This scripture, "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." (Acts 5:32) In conjuction with, "You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;" (Jam 2:22) has been bugging me lately. James uses Abraham as an example of faith needing to be progessively proven and perfected, a maturation process (James 2:21-23). Does Paul understand this any differently that James? "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;" (Phi 2:12) It seems we can lose the gift of life through simple neglect. "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Heb 2:3a) Apparently, like Adam, we can fall from the grace given to us, to the degree that the Holy Sprit is denied us (Acts 5:32). Hank, how readest thou? Colin |
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4 | Does our actions help save us | NT general Archive 1 | Hank | 114278 | ||
Colin, my flinkywood friend, it distresses me that you are bugged; and as winter wanes and spring unfolds, the bugs will only get worse, so let's do what we can to get you de-bugged as quickly and as thoroughly as possible :-) ...... Of the two choices that you list, (1) that one never believed unto salvation or (2) that one believed but his salvation died, we can slug half of the bugs by eliminating (2) as a possibility. Here's how: Why would salvation die? From lack of works; that's what the works-salvation guys teach, but Scripture never does. So let's cast Proposition 2 aside and consider Proposition 1. But the best I can hope to do in a single post is to present a definition of the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer and leave you with a series of passages to examine. First, a concise definition of the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer: The view that genuinely regenerate believers are divinely secure in their salvation and thus will never lose it. This is very similiar to the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints, viz., the view that genuine believers will continue in the faith until the end. ....One can't hope to do the doctrine justice, not even synoptically, in a post or two, because it is, as I'm sure you are keenly aware, a complex topic on which scores of thick books have been written. Before I list the biblical passages, let me ask whether you'd like me to take an exegetical stab at the verses you listed in your inquiry. If you would, I'll be happy to try. ...... Here, Colin, are the passages. If you would like, look them over and then let's talk about those bugs some more before spring gets here! (These passages have generally to do with salvation and security, and many of them are probably familiar to you already, but I sincerely hope they will add to your insight. John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom.5:9,10; 8:1; 8;31-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; Eph. 4:30; Heb.7:25; 13:5; 1 Pet.1:4,5; Jude 24; John 1:12; Eph.1:4-7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet.1:18,19. There's more if you want them! --Hank | ||||||
5 | Does our actions help save us | NT general Archive 1 | flinkywood | 114279 | ||
Hank, to die, to sleep, perchance to dream, Ay! there's the bug! I'll ponder these verses and return ere long. Learingly thine, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/05/theater/reviews/05LEAR.html Colin |
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