Subject: need for a bible-anyone |
Bible Note: Oh, dear me. You seem to think that true Christians believe that saving faith is just a "nod of the head" about some teaching. Yes, true faith leads to and manifests itself in obedience, but it is not the obedience itself that saves us. Do you really think that you can earn your place in heaven by the things that you do? Faith without works is indeed a dead, useless, and false faith, but works can never save us. RAVEN, why can you not read these few verses and not know that our works will not save anybody or anyone at anytime? 'What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness"' --Romans 4:1-5 "Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." --Romans 4:23-25 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." --Ephesians 2:8-10 [saved FOR good works, not as a RESULT of them] "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." --Titus 3:4-7 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." --John 5:24 Listen, RAVEN. We can play Bible ping-pong all day long and the conclusion will be the same. Every passage that you cite regarding the importance of fruit and good works in the life of the Christian fits quite well with the teaching that true, saving faith results in good works. None of the verses above fit into your scheme of "faith plus works results in us having a right standing with God." --Joe! |