Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. [Luke 6:47-49] |
Subject: rock foundation |
Bible Note: You wrote: "Job pleased God by his faith in Him - Heb 11:2,39 - For by it (faith) the men of old gained approval. OT saints placed their faith in God (and whatever His word was to them at the time) and their faith in God was credited to them as righteousness." Right, that is justification. We are not declared righteous by our works, but the OT saints demonstrated the genuineness of their faith by God-honoring works. The same was the case with Job; notice that Job 1:1 talks about his blamelessness being tied both to attitude and actions. The faith Job had led him to (1) fear God and (2) turn away from evil. True saving faith always works this way in the believer. You wrote: 'Without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. This is faith in Him and what He says, not faith in our efforts to keep the Law or "Christian principles."' Careful here. Our Lord does tell us that without faith it is impossible to please God, but Hebrews 11:6 is not saying that faith alone pleases God. Take a look at the rest of Hebrews 11. All of the people mentioned had faith, by which they were justified, but in every case mentioned faith is demonstrated by ACTIONS which honor God. With every person the writer mentions, the text reads "By faith, X DID such and such." Therefore, true faith results in works, the evidence of the faith that is already there, as you wrote. Which brings us back to our original quandry: if Job is still fallen and fleshly (i.e. not "born again"), how is it possible for him to exercise saving faith in God in the first place, much less demonstrate the genuineness of that faith by turning from evil? Romans 3 and 8:6-8 seem to close the door on the unregenerate from ever doing anything that could be classified as pleasing God. So how could Job fear God if his depraved nature had not been changed at some point (see Romans 3:18 for that specific problem)? "We, as NT believers are called the same thing - Eph 1:4; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22. We are not holy and blameless because we don't sin. We are holy and blameless because we have placed our faith and turst in God and He now indwells us." In all of those verses, we are PRESENTED as holy and blameless on the basis of what Christ has done. It doesn't say that we are supernaturally transformed into holy and blameless people in our own right. It is a fascinating study to read through the New Testament regarding our new identity and see that in virtually every single verse, the prepositional phrase "in Christ" occurs. It's as if we are to constantly remind ourselves that it is our identification with Christ and His works that is getting us into heaven, just as much today as the moment we first possessed faith in Him. That having been stated, God did not save us by our works, but He did save us for the purpose of good works (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9,10; 1 Thessalonians 4:7). We are at the same time justified by faith alone and, as a result, called to obedience. So the question remains: how could a "fleshly" Job, in his fallen, depraved nature, do things that honored God? --Joe! |