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NASB | Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; |
Subject: is water-baptism needed for salvation? |
Bible Note: Part 2 CDBJ Coming to your last argument Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP) 8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] Don't you see in your own choice of scripture v.9 "Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast." The works which are spoken of are the works of the law to us those are the dead works spoken of earlier those are the works where by a man try's to justify himself as worthy before coming to Christ. But let's move on to the works we are supposed to do You say it is by faith alone. Is it really? James 2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:18 But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? James 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. James 2:25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. So the conclusion of the matter is. Yes we have the work of baptism but this work was ordained of God before the foundations of the world. The difference being this is not a work of the law whereby we seek to be justified by our works. It is not of ourselves. Yes we seek salvation through baptism because it is the extension of our faith unto justification of life. James ask's the question "if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him" Then he goes on through the rest of the chapter to expound on the fact that faith without works is dead he shows that Abraham and Rahab were justified by works being mingled with their faith. James uses them both as examples to us because they were not the dead works of the law but the works of God. Godinus |