justbyfaith
justified sinner
- May 19, 2017
- 3,461
- 572
- 51
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Calvary Chapel
- Marital Status
- Married
Romans 3:31 means that Christians establish the Old Covenant Mosaic law not in its letter, but in its spirit (Romans 7:6), by loving others (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14, Matthew 7:12).
As Christians, we also establish the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law as a schoolmaster to lead unbelieving sinners to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25, Psalms 19:7, Romans 3:20).
Not initially (Ephesians 2:8-9), but ultimately (James 2:24).
Ultimately also; for Ephesians 2:9 does not make a distinction; it does not say that a man is not saved by works only initially, it says he is not saved by works period. Likewise the same in Romans 4:5 and context, Titus 3:4-7, and Romans 11:5-6.
Also James 2:24 is speaking of justification, which has as its definition being declared righteous. So then, we are declared righteous by man when we do good works; however before God we are justified by faith alone (Romans 4:5 and context). In Romans 4:1-2 if Abraham was justified by works he hath whereof to glory, but not before God (in other words, it is only before man that he was justified by works).
It's both.
For John 15:2a refers to Christians, who are branches in the vine of Jesus Christ, wrongly employing their free will in such a way that they fail to produce good fruit, so that ultimately they are taken away from Jesus (John 15:2a), cut off from Him for their unrepentant laziness, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Matthew 25:26,30).
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ from beginning to end and all the way through (Romans 1:17, Colossians 2:6, Galatians 3:1-3). Good works/obedience are the result of a living faith in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3, Romans 16:26).
Matthew 7:21-23 shows that both faith and obedience to God are required for Christians to enter ultimate salvation (Romans 2:6-8, Hebrews 5:9, James 2:24). But, because of free will, there is no assurance that Christians will choose to obey (Matthew 25:26,30, Luke 12:45-46).
Matthew 7:23a could be hyperbole, like Matthew 23:24b is hyperbole. For Matthew 7:22 could refer to Christians, believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, John 20:31), who had repented from their sins (1 John 3:6) and performed many wonderful works for Jesus to the end (John 15:4-5). But at some point subsequent to their initial repentance, they had fallen back into some unrepentant sin (Matthew 7:23b; 2 Peter 2:20-22), so that they had to be rejected by Jesus in the end despite their continued faith and good works (1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Hebrews 10:26-29).
Regarding the ability to cast out demons (Matthew 7:22), that is one of the signs that people are Christians, believers in the Gospel (Mark 16:17). People must be careful not to fall into the unforgivable presumption of Mark 3:22-30.
And the point that I was making was that Matthew 7:22-23 shows that someone can do many good works and yet not be saved; which indicates that they are not saved by works; but by faith alone in Jesus Christ...which transforms the heart (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 5:5 w/ 1 John 3:17-18) so that it is the inclination of the person who has a living and saving faith in Christ, to do good works. The transformation itself does not happen because of any work of righteousness that I have done or can do (Titus 3:4-7); but through faith in Christ, which brings about the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, making the believer a new creature in Christ with godly and righteous inclinations (again, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore salvation, which I define as the transformation I am speaking of, is by faith alone in Christ and not by any work of righteousness that I can do or have done (Titus 3:4-7).
It's not either/or, but both/and (Hebrews 5:9).
The fruit that we bear is the evidence of a saving faith but not the cause of salvation. The cause of salvation is that we are rooted and grounded in the love of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If I do not bear good fruit, Christ will see that as the evidence that I am not rooted and grounded in His love. Therefore if I don't bear good fruit I will be taken out of the vine as a branch and men will gather me, and cast me into the fire, and I will be burned. But not because I lack the bearing of good fruit. The lack of good fruit is only the outward indication that I am not saved; that I am not connected to the vine and drawing up nourishment from the source. I would be cast into the fire and burned as the result of the fact that I am not connected to Jesus; not because I am not bearing good fruit. The fact of not bearing good fruit is only the thing by which God determines that I am not connected to Jesus if I am not connected to Him.
The question that will be the prevailing indicator of whether I am saved or not saved on the day of judgment is not that God will ask, "What fruit did you bear/ what good works did you do for me?" No; the prevailing question that God the Father will ask is, "What did you do with my Son?" And if I say that I received Him, it will be determined whether I bore fruit in keeping with being a new creature in Christ. The fruit would be an indicator of whether I truly had a relationship with Christ; but the deciding factor concerning whether God will let me into the kingdom will be what I did with Jesus.
And also, if you focus on being planted firmly in good soil, fruit will automatically develop in your life as a result of the fact that you are rooted firmly in good soil; as is the case with every healthy plant. I know of no healthy plant firmly planted in good soil and tended to constantly by a good husbandman that will not bear good fruit in due season; it is only those plants that are not planted in good soil; or those planted that are not tended to by the husbandman, that do not bear good fruit. That is the nature of plants.
Last edited:
Upvote
0