Subject: need for a bible-anyone |
Bible Note: Part2: As far as the verses you quoted: "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; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." --Philippians 2:13 (works of salvation) "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" --James 2:14 (where is your fruit?) This individual is not bearing the fruit of his salvation. He is claiming faith, but is not displaying any. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." --Ephesians 2:10 (again, bearing fruit, serving, doing what is expected of one claiming Christ) If I don’t bear fruit-will this affect my salvation? "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." --John 14:12 Greater miracles than Jesus performed? (miracles, works of evidence, proof) You wrote: Repentance is a requirement and component of true saving faith. So is baptism. Faith in what God has commanded is going to do what He says it will. You wrote: God, however, knows whether He has worked saving faith in me or not (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 4:5), and does not need the outward manifestations before he can credit me with Christ's righteousness. So, did the Israelites need to “outwardly manifest” obedience with circumcision? God sought to put Moses to death for failing to circumcise his son. Exodus 4:24-26 And before you cry irrelevant, is it not a parallel to your claim above? You wrote: I do not ignore Psalm 119:160. I said you misused by alleging that "the sum" being described in the verse means that passages that say that God's people are saved through faith, specifically excluding works, can be combined with passages commanding us to obey God, to conclude that we are indeed declared righteous on the basis of something we do (actually a LOT of somethings, according to you). It means that the Bible is not a series of contradictions from the OT to NT or vice versa. All the Scriptures are in harmony. One passage is not to be elevated above another, but we need to see the harmony in it. Not to say “…but…” There are no “buts” in Scripture. Hopefully you caught that point and I am not going to get a response showing me the word “but “ in Scripture! Mouse2 |