Saturday, July 18, 2015

1st. God wants us to keep His commandments. If we don't keep them, He won't save us.


RSP:Hi De Maria,
Doing some study and writing?
As often as I can.

That article was long... not to mention all the thousands of [size 3] being put on every line of text!
What's wrong with size 3? I put it on size 3 rather than constantly zooming in to make the text readable. Otherwise the letters are two tiny for my aged eyes to see.

Some big problems with it though...
The problems are with your theology.

It fails to be true.
It is absolutely true.

First, James 2 is not telling us that faith and works together are what God requires in order for Him to justify us.
Yes, he is:

James 2:24

King James Version (KJV)

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

When he says that it is not by faith "only", that means that faith is necessary. But note that he says justification is by "works". Therefore, both are necessary.

If we go back to James 2:14, we see that he asks:
James 2:14

King James Version (KJV)

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Can faith save? Note that the faith which he is questioning is faith without accompanying works.



James is explaining that just claiming to have faith... but not actually having any proof to show it is motivating or active is a useless kind of believing. a dead kind of faith.
That is correct.

It can't save us. A real living faith will, and it will have lot's of evidence because it is motivating us to do things because it is real.
Very good.

Second, we are truly justified by faith in Christ because that is how God wants it to be... because he does not want anyone to boast about how they were good enough to merit their own justification.
I think the core of that is true, but you've got something confused.

1st. God wants us to keep His commandments. If we don't keep them, He won't save us.
2nd. God doesn't want us to boast that we kept His Commandments as though we did it without Him. Just look at the Pharisee in the Temple:
Luke 18:9-11

King James Version (KJV)

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.


The Pharisee boasted in keeping the Commandments and therefore trusted in himself instead of God.
3rd. This is why faith is so important. Read Heb 11. It is by faith that we must work in order to be saved. 

The Gospel is very clear about that.
Your gospel. But not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Read Matt 25:31-46.

Thirdly, Obedience is one of the fruits of this supernatural faith... and your mistake is thinking that by us saying we are saved or justified by faith alone... you think we are saying by just saying we believe, and we don't need to be obedient! That is not what we are saying.
That is precisely what most of you are saying. And if you are not, then you are contradicting yourself when you object to justification by faith and works.


And in conclusion... you are misreading scripture in order to justify your misunderstandings, and coming to some wild conclusions about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I note that you are making a bunch of claims about what I am doing, but you are posting no Scripture. The reason can only be because you can find no Scripture to support your claims. Whereas Scripture supports my teaching from the beginning of the Old to the end of the New Testament.

The Ten Commandments teach us we need Jesus Christ, and we receive Him into us through faith inwardly, and there is no amount of works that achieve that for us. If we do have a saving faith our lives will change and we will be concerned in obeying Christ, and following Him.
And once we do, He will save us. But if we don't, He won't.

It is not about adding works to faith.
Yeah, it is:

2 Peter 1:5-11

King James Version (KJV)

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.



Keep trying, If you are truly concerned with the truth some day you may find it.
That is advise you need to take. May God help you along.

The very best to you!

And to you!

Sincerely,

De Maria

2 comments:

  1. He got really close to figuring it all out but then pulled the blunder of thinking that our merit is something we keep count of. At least he recognized the importance of obedience, but sadly doesn't see it total utility in our salvation.

    Good post De Maria!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know. I don't understand how some can come so close. Its as though they simply don't want to believe the truth.

    ReplyDelete

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