P
PDoug
Guest
There are a number of people putting forward the idea that a person is saved by works. Paul was vehemently against this, and wrote the Romans and Galatians sternly warning them against this practice. A number of people are trying to sell this idea by saying that a person is initially saved by having faith alone, but after this initial process, a person needs to do works of righteousness (along with having faith) in order to remain saved. However, please look at the following scriptures:
Galatians 5
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Ephesians 2
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithâ€â€and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godâ€â€
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that those who are trying to be justified by the law, have fallen away from grace. Given the fact that the only way someone can come under grace is by having faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), Paul warned the Galatians that those who started out having faith, had fallen away from grace because they pursued the law in order to maintain their justification / salvation. Therefore Galatians 5:4 warns against the very same thing, those who say you must do works of righteousness, say you must do.
Someone might next ask, why did Paul say then, what he said in the scripture below?
Romans 2
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Actually the scripture above says the same thing as the one below:
(NASB)
James 2
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
If Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that someone is not to follow the law in order to maintain justification / salvation, why did he turn around and agree with James that we should obey the law? That is because when you have faith, it causes you to obey the law / do works of righteousness. That is the only answer that fits. This answer is also consistent with the following scripture:
Romans 3
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The righteousness by faith from God which does not involve the direct pursuit of the law, is testified or outlined in the law. The only explanation for the above is that when someone has faith, it results in that person obeying or acting consistent with the law unconsciously, or consciously in a natural fashion. So are there any scriptures that support this happening? Please look at the following:
2 Peter 1
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
The scripture above indicates that we have been given God's divine nature - that is why someone is able to have faith, and act according to God's law in a natural fashion.
One important thing we must do, is dispell the notion that we have direct control over our actions. Am I saying that we do not have the ability to cross the street if we want to, or avoid taking a slice a cake if we don't want to? No. What I'm saying is that our freedom to act is constrained in certain ways, that ultimately results in us acting righteously or unrighteously. That is why Jesus said the following about sinners:
John 8
34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Therefore a sinner sins, not so much because he directly chooses to sin: a sinner sins because he is actually constrained to do so. But this situation also exists in those who have faith - to a degree:
Romans 7
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to doâ€â€this I keep on doing.
.
.
.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to Godâ€â€through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Galatians 5
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Romans 8
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
.
.
.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live
Philippians 2
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
In the 4 scriptures immediately above, Paul talks about the situation that exists in someone who has faith. Paul indicates that those who have faith are constrained to act in some ways according to Spirit, but in other ways according to their sinful nature - and also that the Spirit and the sinful nature are in conflict with one another over how you should act. Further, Philippians 2:13 indicates that it is God who puts in you the desire to do His will, and also causes you to do His will.
There are some who will laugh at the idea that people are actually (ultimately) controlled by their sinful nature, or by both the Spirit and their sinful nature - with the Spirit increasingly controlling their behavior, the more they have faith. However what I'm saying is actually borne out by scripture, and attested to by my experiences.
One final thing, given the fact that someone is saved by a type of faith that results in the natural production of good works, it is important to note what that faith is. Christ outlined how someone should have faith in the following scripture:
Mark 11
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Having faith (that leads to the natural production of good works) is: saying what you want and believing it will happen, or asking God for what you want and believing you will receive it. You can read more on the subject here and here.
Galatians 5
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Ephesians 2
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithâ€â€and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godâ€â€
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that those who are trying to be justified by the law, have fallen away from grace. Given the fact that the only way someone can come under grace is by having faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), Paul warned the Galatians that those who started out having faith, had fallen away from grace because they pursued the law in order to maintain their justification / salvation. Therefore Galatians 5:4 warns against the very same thing, those who say you must do works of righteousness, say you must do.
Someone might next ask, why did Paul say then, what he said in the scripture below?
Romans 2
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Actually the scripture above says the same thing as the one below:
(NASB)
James 2
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
If Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that someone is not to follow the law in order to maintain justification / salvation, why did he turn around and agree with James that we should obey the law? That is because when you have faith, it causes you to obey the law / do works of righteousness. That is the only answer that fits. This answer is also consistent with the following scripture:
Romans 3
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The righteousness by faith from God which does not involve the direct pursuit of the law, is testified or outlined in the law. The only explanation for the above is that when someone has faith, it results in that person obeying or acting consistent with the law unconsciously, or consciously in a natural fashion. So are there any scriptures that support this happening? Please look at the following:
2 Peter 1
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
The scripture above indicates that we have been given God's divine nature - that is why someone is able to have faith, and act according to God's law in a natural fashion.
One important thing we must do, is dispell the notion that we have direct control over our actions. Am I saying that we do not have the ability to cross the street if we want to, or avoid taking a slice a cake if we don't want to? No. What I'm saying is that our freedom to act is constrained in certain ways, that ultimately results in us acting righteously or unrighteously. That is why Jesus said the following about sinners:
John 8
34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Therefore a sinner sins, not so much because he directly chooses to sin: a sinner sins because he is actually constrained to do so. But this situation also exists in those who have faith - to a degree:
Romans 7
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to doâ€â€this I keep on doing.
.
.
.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to Godâ€â€through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Galatians 5
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Romans 8
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
.
.
.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live
Philippians 2
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
In the 4 scriptures immediately above, Paul talks about the situation that exists in someone who has faith. Paul indicates that those who have faith are constrained to act in some ways according to Spirit, but in other ways according to their sinful nature - and also that the Spirit and the sinful nature are in conflict with one another over how you should act. Further, Philippians 2:13 indicates that it is God who puts in you the desire to do His will, and also causes you to do His will.
There are some who will laugh at the idea that people are actually (ultimately) controlled by their sinful nature, or by both the Spirit and their sinful nature - with the Spirit increasingly controlling their behavior, the more they have faith. However what I'm saying is actually borne out by scripture, and attested to by my experiences.
One final thing, given the fact that someone is saved by a type of faith that results in the natural production of good works, it is important to note what that faith is. Christ outlined how someone should have faith in the following scripture:
Mark 11
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Having faith (that leads to the natural production of good works) is: saying what you want and believing it will happen, or asking God for what you want and believing you will receive it. You can read more on the subject here and here.
