There is no faith alone in Ephesians 2:8, stop adding words to it.

[Johann]

Yes.

""""" For the Preaching of the CROSS is to them that perish >>foolishness<<; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.""""

"""" For they ......being ignorant ...of = God's righteousness, and going about to establish THEIR OWN righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.""""

"Faith" is how you "submit" to the righteousness of God.

"these IGNORANT", try to work THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS.... (Self Saving).... = by Water Baptism , Good Works, Confessing sin, Commandment keeping, Church membership, and etc.."""

That's not what I meant-talking about believers.
J.

 

[Johann]

Yes.

""""" For the Preaching of the CROSS is to them that perish >>foolishness<<; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.""""

"""" For they ......being ignorant ...of = God's righteousness, and going about to establish THEIR OWN righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.""""

"Faith" is how you "submit" to the righteousness of God.

"these IGNORANT", try to work THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS.... (Self Saving).... = by Water Baptism , Good Works, Confessing sin, Commandment keeping, Church membership, and etc.."""

-and also-it is Imperative to see the context of the Scripture references you quote.

 

[Behold]

I am prepared to challenge you on water baptism-good works-confessing sins-commandment keeping and "etc. "What does it mean to be perfect?" Sinless?

Jesus is Salvation.

Nothing else.

So, if a person is teaching that "water baptism, and good works, and Penance, commandment keeping, and confessing sins" are a part of Salvation, then they are not understanding the Cross of Christ that is God's Gift of Salvation.

Therefore,.... all These self efforts that you listed...

The Self effort of getting in the Water
The Self effort of confessing sin
The Self effort of obsessing on commandment keeping,

YOU do those, as your idea of Discipleship... Whereas... Christ on the Cross completed your Salvation, John 3:16... 2nd Cortinthians 5:19... John 3:17......Romans 4:8...... before you were born.
Christ died for the sin of the world, in the Foreknowledge of God, before Lucifer became Satan, and before Eve trusted a talking serpent.

JESUS is Salvation.... or as Paul teaches that we preach this as ..."Christ Crucified".

Do not ADD to the Cross, personal self effort,., as this Denies the Cross.

Its really just one simple understanding that can free you ...

Recognize that SALVATiON is What God did for us, as Christ on the Cross 2000 yrs ago.

And, Discipleship is what we do AFTER we have received from God, what Christ has completed for us on the Cross.

Salvation and Discipleship, are not the same.

 

[Ghada]

Bad vibe coming from you-calling another believer a sinful Christian-online-publicly.

Whoa, wait a minute. You don't call yourself a Christian and a sinner? Don't you teach all people, including all Christians are still sinners??

If you are one of the Christian saints that repented of sinning, then I certainly apologize.

 

[Johann]

Whoa, wait a minute. You don't call yourself a Christian and a sinner? Don't you teach all people, including all Christians are still sinners??

If you are one of the Christian saints that repented of sinning, then I certainly apologize.

Thank God for Romans 7.
J.

 

[Arthur81]

Many sinners imagine that they are saved by grace through faith when they have never obeyed the gospel of Christ. These people are totally oblivious to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ will be:

"...Taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power..."
— (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

These sinners use Ephesians 2:8-9 to justify their rebellion to the glorious gospel of Christ; convincing themselves that there is somehow no gospel to obey. But what does the word of God say about such behavior?

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
— (James 1:22).

And what do the holy scriptures say about rebellion and stubbornness? They say that:

"...Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry..."
— (1 Samuel 15:23).

Where then will such people end up if they do not repent? Sorcerers and idolaters:

"...Shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
— (Revelation 21:8).

Nevertheless, here is how that passage is written in the Word of God:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."
— (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But what the children of disobedience who use this verse to justify their rebellion do not understand is that the epistle to the Ephesians is not written to those that are:

"...Dead in trespasses and sins..."
— (Ephesians 2:1).

The epistle is written:

"...To the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus..."
— (Ephesians 1:1).

How did the Ephesians become saints and faithful in Christ Jesus? They became saints when they were:

"...Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
— (Acts 19:5-6).

This is how the Ephesians were saved by grace through faith. They obeyed the gospel of Christ which was first preached on the day of Pentecost:

"...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
— (Acts 2:38).

They obeyed it, for:

"...It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
— (Romans 1:16).

And this is how we christians are saved by grace:

"...Through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
— (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Christians have nothing to boast about. Even their faith is not of themselves. It is the gift of God. As it is written:

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
— (Romans 3:27).

And where does their faith come from? It is written:

"...Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
— (Romans 10:17).

It is therefore God who:

"...Hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
— (Romans 12:3).

Amen. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.'” (Mark 1:14-15 RSV)

Obeying the the command to repent and believe the gospel is to obey the gospel! No works involved.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9 RSV)

The New Testament makes clear, both faith and repentance are gifts of God, GRACE!

It is also by grace that the child of God obeys in his Christian walk -

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil 2:12-13 RSV)

Also total sanctification is guaranteed by God at the the last day -

"May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1Thess 5:23-24 RSV)

I still prefer the KJV (and YLT) translation of a warning given by the Apostle Paul -

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2Cor 11:3 KJV)

 

[Ghada]

Thank God for Romans 7.
J.

You thank God for being double hearted? God forbid.

Thank God for His deliverance from Romans 7 into Romans 8.