Is belief "works"?

[gr8grace]

Why is belief,considered by some, a "work" before regeneration?

Eph 2:8....And that not of yourselves - That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered "that" - τοῦτο touto - is in the neuter gender, and the word "faith" - πίστις pistis - is in the feminine. The word "that," therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to "the salvation by grace" of which he had been speaking.

Where in the bible does it spell out for us that belief is a work?

I believe that the kingdom of darkness is behind this myth that we as creatures cannot believe. Satan wants absolutely no creature in heaven and is trying to blind Christians from teaching Free believable and Available Grace to the lost.

When Christ is the object our belief and faith it has no human merit what so ever.

Satan is trying to convince us that belief is a work, and he will try to convince us that our belief is the object of our faith therefore its a "work".

With this scheme Satan antagonizes both Grace for the unbeliever and true knowledge for the believer.

1 Tim 2:4 who desires ALL people to be saved(GRACE) and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. That is the will of our Father!

Satan.....who desires NO people to be saved(convince them they cant believe for Gods Grace) and to blind ALL from the knowledge of the truth so Gods free and available Grace wont be taught to the lost.

 

[Knotical]

The bible does not equate "belief" to works. There are those that are so adamant that even though we are under a covenant of grace we are still required to do good works in order to be saved. This is completely false. Good works comes after we are saved as an act of worship to God and praise for the awesome gift He bestowed upon us.

 

[farouk]

'Works' - 'not of works' - in Ephesians 2.9, is clearly contrasted with 'faith' - 'by grace are ye saved through faith' - in Ephesians 2.8.

This kind of settles it for me.

 

[for_his_glory]

It's just that many are taught a false gospel that says we have to work for our Salvation. They confuse Philippians 2:12 with Ephesians 2:8,9.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Ephesians 2:

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

[Butch5]

Why is belief,considered by some, a "work" before regeneration?

Eph 2:8....And that not of yourselves - That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered "that" - τοῦτο touto - is in the neuter gender, and the word "faith" - πίστις pistis - is in the feminine. The word "that," therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to "the salvation by grace" of which he had been speaking.

Where in the bible does it spell out for us that belief is a work?

I believe that the kingdom of darkness is behind this myth that we as creatures cannot believe. Satan wants absolutely no creature in heaven and is trying to blind Christians from teaching Free believable and Available Grace to the lost.

When Christ is the object our belief and faith it has no human merit what so ever.

Satan is trying to convince us that belief is a work, and he will try to convince us that our belief is the object of our faith therefore its a "work".

With this scheme Satan antagonizes both Grace for the unbeliever and true knowledge for the believer.

1 Tim 2:4 who desires ALL people to be saved(GRACE) and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. That is the will of our Father!

Satan.....who desires NO people to be saved(convince them they cant believe for Gods Grace) and to blind ALL from the knowledge of the truth so Gods free and available Grace wont be taught to the lost.

It doesn't matter if belief is a work. Works are necessary as Christian so we should just do them.

 

[Butch5]

The bible does not equate "belief" to works. There are those that are so adamant that even though we are under a covenant of grace we are still required to do good works in order to be saved. This is completely false. Good works comes after we are saved as an act of worship to God and praise for the awesome gift He bestowed upon us.

Doesn't Paul say that Abraham was justified by faith the way we are? If so then weren't the OT people also under grace?

 

[BornAgain]

Why is belief,considered by some, a "work" before regeneration?

Eph 2:8....And that not of yourselves - That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered "that" - τοῦτο touto - is in the neuter gender, and the word "faith" - πίστις pistis - is in the feminine. The word "that," therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to "the salvation by grace" of which he had been speaking.

Where in the bible does it spell out for us that belief is a work?

I believe that the kingdom of darkness is behind this myth that we as creatures cannot believe. Satan wants absolutely no creature in heaven and is trying to blind Christians from teaching Free believable and Available Grace to the lost.

When Christ is the object our belief and faith it has no human merit what so ever.

Satan is trying to convince us that belief is a work, and he will try to convince us that our belief is the object of our faith therefore its a "work".

With this scheme Satan antagonizes both Grace for the unbeliever and true knowledge for the believer.

1 Tim 2:4 who desires ALL people to be saved(GRACE) and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. That is the will of our Father!

Satan.....who desires NO people to be saved(convince them they cant believe for Gods Grace) and to blind ALL from the knowledge of the truth so Gods free and available Grace wont be taught to the lost.

James 2:24 (KJV)
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:26 (KJV)
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Paul refers to works which are excluded from God's plan to save, James discusses works which are included in it. Those excluded, discussed by Paul, are works in which one might glory (exult in, boast of). The works included (mentioned by James) are those which perfect faith. The first one, works of which a man might boast and in which he might glory, are human, meritorious works, works of human achievement, works of which is to earn salvation.

The works included, and told by James, are the commandments of the Lord. Obedience to which is necessary for salvation. 1 John 2:4, 2 Thess 1:7-9.

Humble submission to the will of God as expressed in his commandments, far from involving works of the type excluded, (boastful works) , show complete reliance upon God, and not upon one's self. Only those who seek to exclude all work, even the commandments of the Lord, such as baptism in water for the remission of sins Mark 16:15-16, have a hard time harmonizing Paul and James. Paul taught the necessity of obedience to the commands of Christ as plainly and positively as did James. Rom 6:3-4.

 

[gr8grace]

James 2:24 (KJV)
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:26 (KJV)
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Hearing and believing, etc. are all works.

Hello,

What works did you do then to get saved? does each and every person have to do exactly what you did to get saved? are you really saved? or are you continuing in your good works to get to that elusive just perfect place?

 

[rrowell]

Hello,

What works did you do then to get saved? does each and every person have to do exactly what you did to get saved? are you really saved? or are you continuing in your good works to get to that elusive just perfect place?

"faith" cometh by hearing, therefore "hearing" is a righteous work.:

Rom 10:17 (KJV)
17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

[Butch5]

Hello,

What works did you do then to get saved? does each and every person have to do exactly what you did to get saved? are you really saved? or are you continuing in your good works to get to that elusive just perfect place?

One believes, repents, gets baptized and abides in Christ for starters.

 

[BornAgain]

Hello,

What works did you do then to get saved? does each and every person have to do exactly what you did to get saved? are you really saved? or are you continuing in your good works to get to that elusive just perfect place?

Obeyed the gospel.

 

[BornAgain]

One believes, repents, gets baptized and abides in Christ for starters.

 

[farouk]

One believes, repents, gets baptized and abides in Christ for starters.

...and the baptism is an outward sign of what, inwardly and spiritually has already occurred.

 

[Butch5]

...and the baptism is an outward sign of what, inwardly and spiritually has already occurred.

No, it's an appeal to God for the cleansing of sins.

 

[farouk]

No, it's an appeal to God for the cleansing of sins.

I thought that faith in the blood of Christ did this (1 John 1.7).

 

[Knotical]

Doesn't Paul say that Abraham was justified by faith the way we are? If so then weren't the OT people also under grace?

No, they were under the original covenant of works that was established with Adam. That covenant was not replaced until Jesus.

 

[BornAgain]

I thought that faith in the blood of Christ did this (1 John 1.7).

Hi farouk,

By walking in the light two things happen: (1) we have fellowship with each other
(2) the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Cleansing is attributed to the blood of Christ.

Alot of important things to take into think about in this scripture.

(a) It is not the mere example of Christ's dying that accomplishes our salvation.

(b) it is not simply the contemplation of his death which delivers us from the guilt of sin.

(c) it is not belief in the moral implications of Calvary which produces the blessing.

(d) faith in the suffering of Christ on the cross. It is the blood, the shed blood of the Son of God, that cleanses us from sin. It cleanses from sin, not merely or solely the conscience, but sin, all sin, whether of thought, word, or deed, rash sins, sins of ignorance, of malice, of omission or commission, sins of the flesh, sins of the disposition, sins of pleasure or of pain, sins of every type and kind committed at any time or place.

"Cleanseth" is constant process, conditioned on our walking in the light. As we walk the blood operates to keep us constantly cleansed from the defilement of sin and the condemnation which attends it.

 

[BornAgain]

...and the baptism is an outward sign of what, inwardly and spiritually has already occurred.

f,

I don't understand what an outward sign is that has already occurred?

 

[BornAgain]

No, they were under the original covenant of works that was established with Adam. That covenant was not replaced until Jesus.

Romans 4:16 (KJV)

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

 

[Knotical]

Romans 4:16 (KJV)

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

Uh huh, your point?