justbyfaith
Well-Known Member
A person can indeed do works that for all practical purposes, appear to be of faith, and yet not have a saving faith.So, by their actions, they demonstrated their faith on a daily basis for 50 years.
Your hypothesis is ridiculous.
Consider:
Mat 7:21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23, And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These did many good works; and also trusted that they would be saved because they did those works.
But in that, they were trusting in their works rather than in the finished work of the Cross, they missed the boat.
They were not cleansed on the inside; they were not regenerated and renewed by the Holy Ghost; as Paul writes that such a thing is not of works in Titus 3:5.