Subject: Does our actions help save us |
Bible Note: 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 |