'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of GOD, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.' (Ephesians2:8&9)
Hello Fred J
Sir I know you reject what I teach because you are a calvinist.
Your interpretation of Ephesians 2:8-9 is reformed theological error.
For by grace you have been saved
All salvation is not based on merit but on mercy and Grace aka unmerited favor.
through faith
This is where you go wrong. You claim God is working faith in us and we have zero ability on our own to have faith because of Total depravity aka Total inability.
According to your religion Faith is not mans part but God miraculously working faith in us.
If this is true then all those that God does not miraculously work faith in are going to hell.
Your religion makes God guilty for every man who goes to hell because they were not given faith directly from the Holy Spirit in a miraculous direct operation of God.
If I have zero ability to have faith then I cannot be held responsible for not believing!!!
True Biblical teaching is that faith comes from reading, preaching, teaching, hearing the word of God.
This proves unregenerate can understand and believe simply by hearing the gospel presented to them.
Romans 10:17,
- faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
No miraclous work from the Holy Spirit in order to have the ability to believe according to Paul.
Paul says we simply need to hear the word of God and by the word we get faith in God.
Your religion denies Romans 10:17 by claiming no man can believe from just hearing the gospel, he must be miraculously worked on first by the HS then he will believe.
Not according to Paul!!!
and this is not your own doing
Paul does not mean you cannot have faith by your own understanding.
Paul is saying salvation is not of your own doing!!! Meaning it does not come by meriting or earning it.
Paul already explained salvation comes by Grace through faith and not of your own doing i.e. merit.
it is the gift of God
See? " it is not of your own doing it is the gift of God"
Paul is speaking of salvation is not of your own doing but a gift from God not faith is impossible by your own ability as you wrongly teach.
Romans 6:23,
-
for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
not a result of works
The gift of God i.e. salvation is not by merit but by Grace is Paul's point.
so that no one may boast
Paul's point is if someone could earn their salvation through works they would boast.
This has nothing to do with how they obtained faith.
The Ephesians were saved in Acts 19:1-7
These 12 men did not even know about the Holy Spirit when the first believed in Jesus!!
This proves the Holy Spirit did not need to work a miracle on them so they could believe.
All they needed was Paul to preach to the the full gospel of Christ and then on their own the had faith in Paul's teaching, Romans 10:17.
Acts19: 1-7,
- Paul having passed through the upper regions of
Ephesus and finding certain disciples
he said to them, have you recieved the Holy Spirit since you believed
and they said unto him, we have not as heard whether there be any Holy Spirit
Here they have faith but have not even received the Holy Spirit!!!!! This goes directly against CALVINISM
Now listen to Paul water baptize them in the name of Jesus Christ and AFTER they have been saved they then recieve the Holy Spirit by Paul's hands. NOT WHAT CALVINIST TEACH!!!!
Acts 19:4-7,
- when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
and when Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spake in tongues and prophesied
Why is it they believed the gospel taught by Paul but never got the Holy Spirit until AFTER they were saved?
This proves your theology false because according to you they were totally unable to believe without the HS first performing a miracle on them to have the ability to believe the gospel.
The Bible dis-proves calvinism.
Romans 10:17,
-
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God