Balancing Justification and Eternal Life By Faith Alone vs By Works of Faith

[FaithWillDo]

I'm not saying we serve by the Law--in fact, in the replies, I explicitly condemn that--so that's not the issue.

"Salvation by works" (as you are using it) is really a misnomer, as I've argued. Works will save you on the Day of Judgment, so the question is how both can be true, and I've covered some material on how the two might be reconciled.

The objection Paul has to the idea of "justification by works" is if it consists in "a righteousness of my own from [the knowledge of good and evil]", but that form of "righteousness" would, by definition, not encompass "God's righteousness" revealed "from faith to faith" (Ro 1:5,17, 14:5,23)--"our own righteousness" will not justify us, because it isn't up to snuff, but "God's righteousness", working God's works, apparently does justify us.

Dear GracePeace,
No, works will not save you on the Day of Judgment. Christ is the Savior and it is He who saves us.

Salvation comes to a person solely by the works of Christ. After Christ gives a person both the Early and Latter Rains, judgment will fall to convert them. After they are converted, they will be in the "rest" of Christ. Christ will then cause the converted believer to perform "good works" or "works of faith". There are no works that a person ever does to earn their salvation. Christ does all the works by indwelling us and causing us to "will and do of His good pleasure".

Also, a believer's time of judgment comes shortly after they receive the Latter Rain and have their spiritual blindness healed. It is a part of the conversion process that Christ mentions here:

Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

and here:

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Joe

 

[GracePeace]

Ppl that think they have a profound revelation outside of God's word are going to be rudely awakened !

Please go out of your way to not make remarks about others, as it could offend them, and that could start a flame war, which would waste tons of time and space, and destroy the discussion. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE REMARKS ABOUT OTHER USERS.

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
No, works will not save you on the Day of Judgment. Christ is the Savior and it is He who saves us.

Salvation comes to a person solely by the works of Christ. After Christ gives a person both the Early and Latter Rains, judgment will fall to convert them. After they are converted, they will be in the "rest" of Christ. Christ will then cause the converted believer to perform "good works" or "works of faith". There are no works that a person ever does to earn their salvation. Christ does all the works by indwelling us and causing us to "will and do of His good pleasure".

Also, a believer's time of judgment comes shortly after they receive the Latter Rain and have their spiritual blindness healed. It is a part of the conversion process that Christ mentions here:

Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

and here:

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Joe

Romans 2:6-16, 14:5,23 disagree with the idea that works we do will not justify and save us--justification by faith alone, and by works of faith is the conundrum this thread seeks to address, and you are free to interact with the material I've furnished which seeks to reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable.

I will not discuss "early rain", etc, because it's not Apostolic doctrine, so there's no point in bringing that up.

 

[L.A.M.B.]

So be it.
But no thread on here is w/o flame throwers for very few agree with the word of God!
If this offends too bad.
Carry on, I'll not observe. I'm done.

 

[GracePeace]

So be it.
But no thread on here is w/o flame throwers for very few agree with the word of God!
If this offends too bad.
Carry on, I'll not observe. I'm done.

Thanks.

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
No, works will not save you on the Day of Judgment. Christ is the Savior and it is He who saves us.

Salvation comes to a person solely by the works of Christ. After Christ gives a person both the Early and Latter Rains, judgment will fall to convert them. After they are converted, they will be in the "rest" of Christ. Christ will then cause the converted believer to perform "good works" or "works of faith". There are no works that a person ever does to earn their salvation. Christ does all the works by indwelling us and causing us to "will and do of His good pleasure".

Also, a believer's time of judgment comes shortly after they receive the Latter Rain and have their spiritual blindness healed. It is a part of the conversion process that Christ mentions here:

Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

and here:

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Joe

God works in Christians, but Christians do not always walk in God's works--eg, "obey, for it is God at work in you" Php 2:12,13--that is part of the issue addressed in this thread.

 

[FaithWillDo]

I'm not going to go out of my way to use or wrangle about terms not used by the Apostles--eg, "early rain".

The texts are difficult enough to understand on their own without introducing new terminologies.

Dear GracePeace,
Scripture is only difficult (actually impossible) to understand when a believer has only received the Early Rain of the Spirit. After Christ gives a believer the Latter Rain, their spiritual blindness will be healed. Only after it is healed will the believer understand scripture. Christ taught this truth in Mark 8:21-25. Paul's conversion experience also taught it.

The teaching of the Early and Latter Rain is frequently taught in scripture (especially by Christ) but not usually by those terms.

In the verse below, James does use them:

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the EARLY and LATTER RAIN. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

When a believer has only received the Early Rain, they are said to be "waiting" for the Lord to come a second time. This requires patience as James says.

This concept of the Early and Latter Rain is also taught by the marriage analogy used in scripture. When Christ first comes to His virgin, they become espoused (engaged) to Him. Christ then goes away to prepare a place for them. When it is completed, Christ will return for His Bride and the marriage will take place. The engagement is when the person receives the Early Rain. The wedding occurs when they receive the Latter Rain. The marriage analogy's main teaching is found in the Parable of the Ten Virgins and in Revelation chapter 19.

Paul uses this analogy here:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

After a believer receives the Early Rain, they remain unconverted and spiritually blind. At this time, they can only see Christ carnally (as when He took away the sins of many). In other words, Christ has only appeared to the new believer in the flesh as He did when He died on the cross. But because a new believer does not understand this truth, they believe that they are seeing Christ spiritually and that they have the knowledge of the truth. They don't believe that Christ came to them in the flesh (Early Rain) but that He came to them in the Spirit (Latter Rain).

John said this about it:

1John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

When a believer denies that Christ came to them the first time "in the flesh" (the Early Rain), John says that they are under the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ.

Paul said that the spirit of anti-Christ would completely devour the church after his death. For that reason, the church (which is now apostate) has no understanding of the Early and Latter Rains. They believe that when Christ first comes to them, He pours out the Spirit and converts them. However, this event is the Latter Rain. They are denying that Christ ever came in the flesh to them.

Joe

 

[FaithWillDo]

God works in Christians, but Christians do not always walk in God's works--eg, "obey, for it is God at work in you" Php 2:12,13--that is part of the issue addressed in this thread.

Dear GracePeace,
Until Christ's judgment is complete and a believer is fully converted, they will not always walk by the Spirit.
Joe

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
Scripture is only difficult (actually impossible) to understand when a believer has only received the Early Rain of the Spirit. After Christ gives a believer the Latter Rain, their spiritual blindness will be healed. Only after it is healed will the believer understand scripture. Christ taught this truth in Mark 8:21-25. Paul's conversion experience also taught it.

The teaching of the Early and Latter Rain is frequently taught in scripture (especially by Christ) but not usually by those terms.

In the verse below, James does use them:

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the EARLY and LATTER RAIN. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

When a believer has only received the Early Rain, they are said to be "waiting" for the Lord to come a second time. This requires patience as James says.

This concept of the Early and Latter Rain is also taught by the marriage analogy used in scripture. When Christ first comes to His virgin, they become espoused (engaged) to Him. Christ then goes away to prepare a place for them. When it is completed, Christ will return for His Bride and the marriage will take place. The engagement is when the person receives the Early Rain. The wedding occurs when they receive the Latter Rain. The marriage analogy's main teaching is found in the Parable of the Ten Virgins and in Revelation chapter 19.

Paul uses this analogy here:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

After a believer receives the Early Rain, they remain unconverted and spiritually blind. At this time, they can only see Christ carnally (as when He took away the sins of many). In other words, Christ has only appeared to the new believer in the flesh as He did when He died on the cross. But because a new believer does not understand this truth, they believe that they are seeing Christ spiritually and that they have the knowledge of the truth. They don't believe that Christ came to them in the flesh (Early Rain) but that He came to them in the Spirit (Latter Rain).

John said this about it:

1John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

When a believer denies that Christ came to them the first time "in the flesh" (the Early Rain), John says that they are under the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ.

Paul said that the spirit of anti-Christ would completely devour the church after his death. For that reason, the church (which is now apostate) has no understanding of the Early and Latter Rains. They believe that when Christ first comes to them, He pours out the Spirit and converts them. However, this event is the Latter Rain. They are denying that Christ ever came in the flesh to them.

Joe

I do not believe in "early" and "latter" rain (as you are using it), because it is not taught by the Apostles, and I will not discuss it--again, the Scripture is already difficult enough to understand without adding terminology to it, so I prefer to stay within Its bounds.

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
Until Christ's judgment is complete and a believer is fully converted, they will not always walk by the Spirit.
Joe

Judgment of believers is not complete until Christ returns (Ro 2:6-16).

 

[FaithWillDo]

I do not believe in "early" and "latter" rain (as you are using it), because it is not taught by the Apostles, and I will not discuss it--again, the Scripture is already difficult enough to understand without adding terminology to it, so I prefer to stay within Its bounds.

Dear GracePeace,
Did you read Mark 8:21-25? Can you understand it?
Joe

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
Did you read Mark 8:21-25? Can you understand it?
Joe

Yes, it is not relevant. I have raised the Scriptures I consider relevant to the topic, you may interact with them if you wish to engage me in discussion on the topic I have raised. If you wish to discuss your topic of "early rain and latter rain", I encourage you to start a thread on it.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Yes, it is not relevant. I have raised the Scriptures I consider relevant to the topic, you may interact with them if you wish to engage me in discussion on the topic I have raised.

Dear GracePeace,
It is highly relevant. You just can't see it. As I said, you must rightly divide the Word by believers who have only received the Early Rain and believers who have received both the Early And Latter Rains.

An Early Rain believer walks by the flesh (works) and a converted believer walks by the Spirit.

When Paul is addressing his churches, he is teaching them as Early Rain believers who are carnal and are waiting for the Latter Rain.

Consider what Paul says in the first chapter of Corinthians:

1Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice what Paul says in verse 2. He says that the Corinthian church has been "called" to be saints. They are not saints yet because they have only received the Early Rain.

In verse 7, Paul also says that the church comes behind in no gift and that they are "waiting" for the coming of the Lord.

Then Paul says that when the Lord comes, He will "confirm" the believer to the end (verse 8) so that they will be blameless in the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is the judgment of Christ which will immediately follow the believer's confirmation (Latter Rain, salvation). The purpose for the judgment of Christ is to destroy the carnality of the believer.

Because a chosen believer is converted and saved prior to judgment falling to them, they will be blameless during their time of judgment.
When Paul teaches the Corinthians who have only received the Early Rain, he frequently chastises them because they are straying from his teachings.

1Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul says that he has fed them with "milk" and that they are not able to bear it. They are just to carnal in their thinking and beliefs. However, this is not true for converted believers.

Can you see the difference between an unconverted believer and a converted believer?

Christ explains the difference here:

Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

The Old Wine represents the Old Covenant which is based on the works of man. The New Wine represents the New Covenant which is based solely on the works of Christ. After a person receives the Early Rain and enters the church, they will not desire the New Wine yet. They will prefer approaching Christ by their own works (Old Wine). But after the believer receives the Latter Rain, their preference will change to the New Wine. It is at that time that they will be converted and saved. They will then enter into the rest of Christ knowing that they have no works of their own from which they can be justified. They are justified only by the faith that Christ gave to them with the Latter Rain.

You will never understand works vs. faith and how that concept is taught in scripture until you understand the many teachings on the Early and Latter Rains.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The "many" are people who have been called out from the world when they receive the Early Rain. The Early Rain will give a new believer a measure of faith which will cause them to accept Jesus as Lord. This is when a person will enter the church.

The "few" represent the Elect and they come out from the "many" when they receive the Latter Rain. They are the only ones who are chosen for salvation before they die. The rest of mankind must wait until the final harvest which occurs at the end of the final age.

The Early Rain is what Paul received on the Damascus Road. This is when he first called Jesus "Lord". At that time, Paul became blind and had to be lead by the hand. Three days later, Paul received the Latter Rain. It was at that time that the scales fell off Paul eyes and he was given "eyes that can see". This was his moment of salvation.

Only the Elect after they are converted will stop mixing their own works with faith as the Early Rain believers do.

Joe

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
It is highly relevant. You just can't see it. As I said, you must rightly divide the Word by believers who have only received the Early Rain and believers who have received both the Early And Latter Rains.

An Early Rain believer walks by the flesh (works) and a converted believer walks by the Spirit.

When Paul is addressing his churches, he is teaching them as Early Rain believers who are carnal and are waiting for the Latter Rain.

Consider what Paul says in the first chapter of Corinthians:

1Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice what Paul says in verse 2. He says that the Corinthian church has been "called" to be saints. They are not saints yet because they have only received the Early Rain.

In verse 7, Paul also says that the church comes behind in no gift and that they are "waiting" for the coming of the Lord.

Then Paul says that when the Lord comes, He will "confirm" the believer to the end (verse 8) so that they will be blameless in the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is the judgment of Christ which will immediately follow the believer's confirmation (Latter Rain, salvation). The purpose for the judgment of Christ is to destroy the carnality of the believer.

Because a chosen believer is converted and saved prior to judgment falling to them, they will be blameless during their time of judgment.
When Paul teaches the Corinthians who have only received the Early Rain, he frequently chastises them because they are straying from his teachings.

1Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul says that he has fed them with "milk" and that they are not able to bear it. They are just to carnal in their thinking and beliefs. However, this is not true for converted believers.

Can you see the difference between an unconverted believer and a converted believer?

Christ explains the difference here:

Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

The Old Wine represents the Old Covenant which is based on the works of man. The New Wine represents the New Covenant which is based solely on the works of Christ. After a person receives the Early Rain and enters the church, they will not desire the New Wine yet. They will prefer approaching Christ by their own works (Old Wine). But after the believer receives the Latter Rain, their preference will change to the New Wine. It is at that time that they will be converted and saved. They will then enter into the rest of Christ knowing that they have no works of their own from which they can be justified. They are justified only by the faith that Christ gave to them with the Latter Rain.

You will never understand works vs. faith and how that concept is taught in scripture until you understand the many teachings on the Early and Latter Rains.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The "many" are people who have been called out from the world when they receive the Early Rain. The Early Rain will give a new believer a measure of faith which will cause them to accept Jesus as Lord. This is when a person will enter the church.

The "few" represent the Elect and they come out from the "many" when they receive the Latter Rain. They are the only ones who are chosen for salvation before they die. The rest of mankind must wait until the final harvest which occurs at the end of the final age.

The Early Rain is what Paul received on the Damascus Road. This is when he first called Jesus "Lord". At that time, Paul became blind and had to be lead by the hand. Three days later, Paul received the Latter Rain. It was at that time that the scales fell off Paul eyes and he was given "eyes that can see". This was his moment of salvation.

Only the Elect after they are converted will stop mixing their own works with faith as the Early Rain believers do.

Joe

There will be no discussion of "early rain" in this thread. I encourage you to start your own thread on the topic.

 

[FaithWillDo]

There will be no discussion of "early rain" in this thread. I encourage you to start your own thread on the topic.

Dear GracePeace,
Without an understanding of the Early and Latter Rain, you cannot understand how works vs. faith applies within the church. You are shutting down any opportunity to understand this truth.
Joe

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
Without an understanding of the Early and Latter Rain, you cannot understand how works vs. faith applies within the church. You are shutting down any opportunity to understand this truth.
Joe

The Apostles don't mention it, so it's not necessary to understand their teachings.

Again, you are free to start your own thread, since you are interested in discussing your own ideas.

 

[GracePeace]

Dear GracePeace,
The Apostles mention it, you just can't see it.

Why are you limiting what scriptures can be used to teach on the subject of this thread. Do you not have a love for the truth?

Joe

Please do not be disorderly. There will be no discussion on your "early rain" idea. That is not the topic. It is off topic.

 

[GracePeace]

Why are you limiting what scriptures can be used to teach on the subject of this thread. Do you not have a love for the truth?

Actually, I am merely limiting the discussion to the Scriptures--nowhere does the NT teach "early rain" and "latter rain" ideas.

I just want to discuss the words of the NT. Those words are plenty difficult to understand, as Peter says, so I'm not going to add to that difficulty by importing additional ideas (eg, "early rain" and "latter rain") to the NT.

 

[GracePeace]

I'm reposting earlier posts, because they are being buried by users wrangling about wanting to import extra-Biblical ideas to the discussion.

In Hebrews, it speaks of resting from our own works...

Hebrews 4
10For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.

...but, then, speaks of other works we are expected to do, which are done by faith, which are, apparently, in a different category...

Hebrews 11
17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,
...
37They were stoned, they were sawed in two,f they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

Could it be that the works that do not justify us are our own works--"good works" produced by the flesh (Ro 8:3; Gal 3:3), "a righteousness of our own" from "the [knowledge of good and evil]" (Php 3:9)--but that the works that do justify us at the coming judgment are the "God's righteousness" God performs in us when we walk by faith?

Romans 1
5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake
...
17For in [the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Romans 14
5Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
...
23But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.f

But wouldn't this lead us right back to justifying ourselves by our works, so that justification is not a gift?
Unless the righteousness we perform is itself a gift (Ro 5)?
Unless we work as justified people?
Even so, in this case, aren't we still obtaining justification by good works?
But we aren't justifying ourselves, God's righteousness is justifying us when we work God's works.
Eg, Paul says he was abundant in labors, but, since he's "under Grace", it wasn't him but God's grace.

1 Corinthians 15
10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

I don't know of any other way to reconcile the two.

Also, even with the rule of Romans 14:5 ("each man must be fully persuaded in his own mind") holding true, there is apparently yet a danger of being persuaded incorrectly: Being incorrectly persuaded, persuaded of a lie, with respect to service to God after being saved by grace through faith and receiving the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:1-3), results in deserting God (Gal 1:6), being severed from Christ (Gal 5:4)--the Galatians apparently did not even know they were believing in a lie, but "ignorantia juris non excusat", "ignorance of the Law is no excuse", and, so, they were bearing the penalty.

Galatians 5
7You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth? 8Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. 9A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.

So, how is it that the Galatians were penalized? After having already been saved, they, also, concerning service to God/maturation, were "fully persuaded", and, yet, their "persuasion" did not qualify them as "walking by faith", because it did not come from God, and actually disqualified them concerning the faith--thus, it is possible that a Christian can be "fully persuaded" of the rightness of their way, and still not qualify as "walking by faith" or "revealing God's righteousness", rendering them "condemned" and not "justified" in the present (and, if they don't course correct, "condemned" at the coming judgment). Their "persuasion" may not be from God--what they think is their "service to God", because they are "persuaded" of its correctness, may actually be a denial of the faith, and it may actually be disqualifying. So a person has to be careful in how they proceed in the faith, even if their intentions are good and they think they are doing good work, because they may be tripping over and not know why (though they may feel the distance from God).

Since the Law produces slaves, ipso facto invoking fear--and the Law is merely a species of "the knowledge of good and evil" (so that even a Christian who is not explicitly "under Law" could suffer repercussions as if he were)--I speculate that this revolves around serving with fear (elsewhere, also, God refuses to save His already-saved people if there is fear involved), which, one might suspect, ought to be taken care of by being justified by faith alone.
Relevant would be, "Perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with torment," excepting for the fact that it says the one who keeps God's commands is perfect in love.
Well, obviously, the person who does no wrong, but keeps God's commands, has no reason to fear, but this does not lend "perfect love casts out fear" to "we're justified by faith, not works, so we're not afraid, and we can serve without fear, so we're not bearing the penalty of serving under Law/with fear", but lends "perfect love casts out fear" to "the one who knows good if he doesn't do it for him it is sin" and "let each man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (ie, "if you are persuaded to do some good thing, but you don't do it, you're condemned, thus, you must justify yourself by positively doing the good that you know"), which seems problematic... unless you ask God for forgiveness?

@marks I would not mind discussing this with you, since you try to be honest, and you don't fling poop at me.

 

[GracePeace]

I'm reposting earlier posts, because they are being buried by users wrangling about wanting to import extra-Biblical ideas to the discussion.

Notice: In Galatians, the solution to their error of trying to become perfect by being "under Law" is never "Christ alone--you're not saved by works", the solution to their error is "faith which works by love" and "serve one another by love".

This is a working description of...

Galatians 3
1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

He takes issue with their method of perfection--the Law, which is weak in that it relies on sinful flesh (Ro 8:3), rather than Grace (as explained, serving in the newness of the Spirit of Grace takes the form of walking by one's convictions (Ro 1:17, 14:5,23))--not with their seeking perfection. Yet, somehow, their seeking perfection by the Law is tantamount to seeking justification by works of the Law (which he had already, before, condemned).
So, it is possible that in seeking perfection, progress in spirituality, a person may--even without explicitly being under Law (since, again, the Law is merely a special form of the more generalized knowledge of good and evil that all men, Jew and Gentile, are "under" since Adam)--actually deny justification by faith in Christ. Again, for the aforementioned reasons, I would speculate that this would take the form of serving God in fear, and such a persuasion would not be from God.