Therefore faith is no mental activity, an attitude of the mind and nothing more.
Real faith is an attitude of obedience, it follows that obedience will result out of a genuine faith; therefore I am in agreement.
Again Abraham was a man who obeyed God, who DID DO obedient works and was justified by those works.
Abraham was only justified by works in that his works showed forth that he had a genuine faith. Before man, he was justified by works. Before the Lord, it was his faith that did all the justifying.
But the Bible does NOT say that faith is just a mental attitude and nothing more...
Ephesians 2:8-9 precludes that faith is not obedient action.
Again:
By faith Abel obeyed in his offerings
By faith Noah obeyed, moved with fear in building the ark
By faith Abraham obeyed in moving from his house and land
By faith Abraham offered up Isaac.
Obedient action
results from a living and saving faith.
You have yet to show where God first saved one BEFORE that person was obedient to the will of God.
How about in Luke 18:35-43?
No person was ever saved by God while that person continued in disobedience to God's will.
I do believe that repentance is required. However, the works that result out of real repentance do not save; but the repentance and faith itself is what saves a man.
God requires obedience first, then justification follows.
If that were the case, then salvation would be of works. However, the Bible teaches contrary to such a notion as that.
WE have seen that faith/belief is a work so the "not of works" of verse 9 cannot annul the work of faith of verse 8.
Rather, Ephesians 2:8-9 shows that faith/belief is not a work. It is only a work if you insist that you are going to be saved by works. Then, Jesus says that it is a work so that you will come to Him with faith alone in Him as the singular work that you accomplish.
Nor can the "not of works" of verse 9 annul the good works Christians are required to do.
Christians are not
required to do good works. We do them because He loved us first and therefore we love Him in return (1 John 4:19). The love of the Lord is shed abroad in our hearts via the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5). We love much because we have been forgiven much (Luke 7:36-50). Therefore we do not obey out of obligation but out of love (at least, this is the case with me).
God does not require sinless perfection from man but an obedient faith
Galatians 3:10, Matthew 5:48, and James 2:10-12 would tell us otherwise. However, simple faith in Christ and what He did for us on the Cross appropriates Christ's perfect life and righteousness (through His shed blood) to us so that we are accounted as perfectly righteous through our faith in Him.
Man is saved by grace but not saved by grace only.
Works cannot be included in the salvation by grace that the Lord gives (see Romans 11:5-6 (kjv)).
Paul refutes salvation by grace only in
Romans 6 by showing salvation takes both God's grace and man's obedience.
Obedience is unto righteousness, not salvation.
Just because the Christian is saved by grace does not allow the Christian to disobey God and sin for the Christian is one who is dead to sin. We each are serving one of two master, we are serving either:
1) sin unto death or 2) obedience unto righteousness (
Romans 6:16).
I agree. However, the obedience is not unto salvation, but unto righteousness.
The Bible shows that works of the OT law do not save, that works of merit do not save, good works will not save the sinner but the Bible shows time and again that obedience to God's will does save.
Show forth scripture that says this (the latter thing), please. Give me an exhaustive list, if you will.
All works are therefore not the same and no verse unconditionally eliminates all works.
Currently, I believe that when God says salvation is not of works, He is referring to every kind of work.
If Rom 4:5 or Eph 2:9 eliminate obedience then that eliminates one from serving "obedience unto righteousness"
Romans 4:5 and Ephesians 2:9 do not eliminate obedience; in that they do not say that a Christian will be disobedient. I contend that salvation by a living faith alone results in real righteousness in the heart of the believer (see, for example, 2 Corinthians 5:17, or Titus 3:3-7). But we do not want to put the cart before the horse by saying that I do good works unto salvation; for my salvation (by faith) is unto good works; which (I will agree) is unto being called practically righteous.
However, Romans 4:5 and Ephesians 2:9 do declare quite plainly that our salvation does not come by what we do (works) unless you count the prescription in Romans 10:9 to be some kind of work.
NO ONE who continues to serve sin unto death will be saved. (
Romans 6:16)
I agree. A person is
regenerated and
renewed by faith alone in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:3-7); and therefore they will not continue in a lifestyle of sin. However, they are not saved through living a righteous lifestyle either; but through faith in Jesus Christ: which produces that righteous lifestyle.
One cannot save himself by doing his own righteousness but one can save himself by doing God's righteousness.
Again, it is not the righteous deeds that save a man; but the faith that produces the righteous deeds, that saves him.
It is a discipline that is recommended by Paul (1 Cor. 7:25-25) as a more excellent way to serve God.
I don't see that in that scripture.
Funny how you won't rebuke a person who LIES - but you'll rebuke the person who exposes it.
I will rebuke a stinky attitude when I see it.
Exposing lies and revealing truth IS good fruit.
Again, it is the attitude in which you do things.
Your ignorance of history and complete gullibility has gotten the best of you.
This is what I am talking about. You do not need to be insulting and obnoxious in order to be persecuted for righteousness' sake.