Not sure if I posted this before. I went back over 8 pages and couldn't find it. So I will post it anew.Works:Richard, old: So, correct me if I am wrong, you are saying that faith in what God did on the cross is not enough, that "FAITH IN" the work that Jesus (God) did on the cross is just not enough to save a person. Salvation by God's grace is not free but that a person "MUST" do something to earn his/her salvation?XXXX responded: No, Richard, that is just your distorted view of my position. What Christ did on the cross is enough...absolutely enough... but we **must** respond to what he has done. We are saved by gods grace alone (not faith alone). Our faith is a response to that. Our works are a sign of true faith and not a dead one. We are enabled to have faith and accomplish works only because of Gods grace. There is no diminishment of what Christ accomplished only the point that we must respond to it.Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.********************You start out saying that "what Christ did on the cross is enough" and then say "BUT" we "MUST" respond in works. That is like saying ALL the furniture in the room has been moved out BUT there is a chair in the room. The last parts of the statements contradict the first parts.Sorry XXXX but reading what you wrote I can't see that your salvation is by God's grace since you insist that a person "MUST" do works in order to respond to God's grace. If salvation is by God's grace then why "MUST" a person pay for it in any way? Can't you see that if a person "MUST " respond with works then that person is still under a law and that is not grace. The Jews had to do the works of the law to show their faith. But it became all attempted works and no faith. I see the idea you have expressed as leading the Church to the same condition. The "MUST" or "HAVE TO" is making many go out, and by their own choice and efforts, do good works that are not really what God (the Spirit) is leading them to do. They are being led by their own efforts, and will, to do good works that they think will show their faith, and that is not God working through them for His purpose. They are works for the man's purpose.If you said we "SHOULD" or we "WANT TO" do good works in response to what Jesus did for us, then I can go along with it just as Paul said in Romans 7 "the things I want to do I don't do." It is the choice of words you use and you can't seem to see it. When you say we "MUST" or "HAVE TO" do works you add our own efforts to God's work of salvation. It negates the words of Hebrews 4:9-10.By the way, God knows whether a person has faith in His Son or not. He knows if it is sincere. A child of God does not have to prove anything to men and they are honest with God admitting their sinful nature. Man's judgment of the children of God cannot, and does not, save or condemn them. (Romans 14:4) But I understand where it all comes from. In just about every book I read, written by religious writers, they use the same words you do, "MUST" and "HAVE TO." See the books by Max Anders and John MacArthur. People love theses book and think the authors are wonderful. But they are books that teach that Christianity is all about moral social living.You said, "We are saved by gods grace alone (not faith alone)." When you add our works it isn't grace alone is it? Yours is a perversion of the word "grace" and is not the truth. John and Paul said that it is our faith that overcomes the world, not our faith and works. (1 John 5:4) (Galatians 3:2-5)If a person feels they "MUST" or "HAVE TO" do good works, then the good works they are doing are not freely given, they are given to help purchase (earn) their salvation since the teaching is that they "MUST" or "HAVE TO" respond with good works. Your statement above contributes to this feeling. ----- This is how I see it and your contradictory statement hasn't changed my mind.Richard
