You're shoehorning works into belief. Belief isn't a work either.
My point that you keep ignoring are the words “
work of faith” mentioned by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11. For example: The Bible also mentions a thing called the: “
work of the Lord,”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
You are saying that the “
work” in the “
work of faith” is totally separate from the “
faith.” But that would be like saying that the “
work” of “
the work of the Lord” (in 1 Corinthians 15:58) is totally separate or unrelated from “
the Lord.” Yes, a work can be different from the Lord. But the “
work of the Lord” is tied or connected to “
the Lord.” Just as the “
work” in the “
work of faith” is connected to the “
faith.”
Need some examples of the “
work of faith”?
- By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
- By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house;
- By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac
- By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land
(Hebrews 11:4) (Hebrews 11:7) (Hebrews 11:17) (Hebrews 11:29).
These heroes of faith were being faithful. Their faith led to the “work of faith.”
But lets look at the word “
faithful” in the Bible.
“If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
“But the Lord is
faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep
you from evil.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
So we can see that God can be faithful. This is not a belief alone here. God is doing something to show his belief in something.
For the word “
faithful” is a derivative of “
faith.”
We can see the same word used for a church in Revelation, too.
“be thou
faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10).
So if God is faithful to forgive us our sins, and if God is faithful to establish us and keep us from evil (Which are things that the Lord does), then we must also realize that a certain church is told to be faithful (to do certain things) as apart of them receiving the crown of life (everlasting life).
Romans 10:17 says,
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
What is the Word of God that we are to hear in Romans 10:17?
It's the Holy Bible. We need to hear and obey the Word.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22).
So if we just hear the Word and we are not doers of the Word, we are deceiving ourselves.
Why? Because faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
Why? Because we are justified by works and not by faith (belief) alone (James 2:24).
Belief and faith (trust) is 100% complete and absolute dependence on God + nothing.
Are not the Scriptures given by inspiration by God? If this is true, is not God the ultimate author behind the Bible? If so... then do you believe His Word in James 1:22 in that we have to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, otherwise we are deceiving ourselves? Is not believing the divinely inspired message in James 1:22 that comes from God a trust in God?
You said:
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Thus, it's
accounted as righteousness, while it's not a work of righteousness in and of itself.
Yes. Romans 4:3 is 100% true. But to focus a laser beam on Romans 4:3 as the sole truth on righteousness and salvation alone is to come to a wrong conclusion on the topic of salvation and righteousness. For the Bible speaks more about salvation and righteousness in other kinds of ways. The Bible does not conform to our overly simplistic way of thinking on words or by looking at verses that we prefer to hear over others.
Romans 4:21-22 paints another side of the story involving righteousness that flows out of faith.
“And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:21-22).
We see here that Abraham having been fully persuaded (faith) was also able to PERFORM (the work of faith) and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. So Abraham had faith + the work of faith (that is a part of the faith). By this kind of faith, righteousness was imputed to him.
You said:
Then Rick has merited (earned) the status of firefighter. You can't weasel out of this.
I don't think Rick will be a firefighter for long if he refused to do the work of a firefighter anymore. Rick believing in being a firefighter includes doing the work of a firefighter. So there is nothing to weasel out of as you suggest. You are simply refusing to see the reality of how things are.
You said:
But the works are the result of true faith.
Hence, why works can be called the “
work of faith” and hence why works can be called being “
faithful.”
Doing the “
work of faith” can also be called, “
hearing the Word of God as a part of the faith” according to Romans 10:17.
You said:
Nowhere does it say they are the synergistic cause of salvation.
1 John 1:7 says that if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
This verse sounds synegistic to me because it says we have fellowship with one another. It is not forced because it gives us the IF clause. If we walk in the light. The light is God the Father. So if we walk in the light of God the Father as Christ is in the light of God the Father, then we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. This walking in the light is also defined for us by the use of indirect wording in 1 John 2:9-11. Walking in the light is loving your brother according to the indirect wording used in 1 John 2:9-11. So we have to love our brother in order for the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all sin. For 1 John 3:10 says that he that does not righteousness and does not love his brother is not of God. 1 John 3:15 says he that hates his brother is like a murderer and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. So a belief alone will not save you. We need to love our brother and we cannot hate him.
You said:
Time out: Define "faith" in one sentence.
Well, if it were to be just one sentence, it would be Hebrews 11:1.
Hebrews 11:1 says,
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
However, if I were to write more about faith, it would be the following:
One of the definitions at the 1913 Webster dictionary defines faith as:
(Judeo-Christian Theol.) The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called
historical and
speculative faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please him [God].
- Heb. xi. 6.
The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind which is called "trust" or "confidence" exercised toward the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior.
Another definition for this dictionary says:
Fidelity to one's promises, or allegiance to duty, or to a person honored and beloved; loyalty.
Children in whom is no faith.
- Deut. xxvii. 20.
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,
I should conceal.
- Milton.
Source:
Faith | Definition of Faith by Webster's Online Dictionary
We know that by faith (belief or trust in God who is unseen and trust in His promises to us) also includes believing the other words by God that involves obeying what God tells us to do. For if God is telling us to do something in His Word, then it takes faith or trust to do that thing. This is why Noah by faith built the Ark. God told Noah to build the Ark. But it took faith for Noah to build it and or to do the work of faith. The work of faith is tied to the faith. They breath in harmony together. Noah was being faithful when he built the ark. In fact, if Noah just had a belief alone and he did nothing and he did not build the ark, he would have perished in the global flood. So a belief alone does not save. For even the demons believe and tremble. Yes, faith can start off as a belief and be accredited as righteousness, but it does not remain that way. Faith will be followed by the work of faith. Faith will be followed in being faithful. Faith will be manifested by a person by both believing and obeying what the Bible says. The Bible is the faith. God gives words in the Holy Bible for us to have faith in them. Whatever part of the Bible you don't believe or act upon, it will be a lack of faith on your part in what God says.
Faith is a belief and trust and can start off that way, but a true faith will always manifest itself with the work of faith. Just like a firefighter who believes in being a firefighter does the work of a firefighter. It is a natural outflow of his belief. They breath together in harmony. Faith is believing and trusting God, and faith also is obeying God. For Jesus said, why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say? (Luke 6:46). Meaning, they had a belief in the Lord, but it was not the correct kind of belief or faith in the Lord that Jesus desired because they did not do what He said. Their profession as Jesus as Lord was mere intellectual ascent. That doesn't work. A belief alone or a faith alone without works is dead (James 2:17). They needed to be faithful as a part of the faith.
Faith starts off in believing in God's grace without the deeds of the Law. We believe (or trust) in Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 3:16). We believe (trust) in the gospel in that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was risen three days later on our behalf for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We call upon the name of the Lord seeking forgiveness with our sins with Him (Romans 10:13, Luke 18:9-14). We receive Jesus Christ into our life (John 1:12). This is where faith begins (that comes from the Holy Bible).
But faith does not stop there. Faith does not end here. The journey of faith continues in the “work of faith” by obeying God's Word (the Holy Bible, which is the faith). We are to also perform as a part of the faith as Abraham had done (Whereby righteousness is continued to be imputed to us). For if you obey God in what He tells you to do, you are also having faith in what He is saying. Just as Noah had faith in building the ark. Noah was being faithful to what God told him to do. So then faith continues after being saved by God's grace. This faith continues in following Jesus and doing what He says. Faith continues by following or doing what His apostles said. This is also faith. But it is the second side of the coin of faith. For one cannot obey God without first being saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Otherwise one would be putting the cart before the horse. For no man can save themselves on the basis of works alone without God's grace. That would be like a person thinking they can find favor with God by trying to outweigh their good deeds over their bad deeds on some sort of cosmic scale. It doesn't work like that. A person's past slate of sin needs to be wiped out by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Then after, they are forgiven and after they accept God's grace, then obedience to the Lord (as a part of the faith) in what He tells us to do in His Word can then follow.
