Anyone can post one-liners dissent and vainly imagine it forms a cogent case for something when in fact it is baseless nonsense.
Prove faith isn't a work.
[Rom 4:2-6 NASB] 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Here we see Paul draw a distinction between faith and works and then claim that faith is not a work.
Prove Paul believed otherwise.
[Gal 2:16 NASB] 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
[Gal 3:12 NASB] 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM."
Provide a single example from Galatians that talks about the faith of the unregenerate.
Provide a single example in Galatians where faith is mentioned absent any corresponding behavioral manifestation of that faith.
Abraham. He was made righteous for his faith in the gospel before doing any works.
[Gal 3:2, 5-9 NASB] 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ... 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying,] "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
I know you read Gal 3:2 and 6 and thought "FALSE DICHOTOMY!!"
Otherwise, the righteous shall live by faith (Gal. 2:20) and the unrighteous will not live at all. Everyone was shut up under sin and kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed (Gal. 3:22-26). In other words, faith is revealed, not inherent in the dead sinner.
Strawman.
No one argues that faith is inherent in the dead sinner.
We were all previously shut up to the faith and shut up under sin, but Arminianism says God works in the shut up person just enough to allow that person to have faith before being freed from the sin that shuts him up from that faith. The promise by faith in Jesus Christ given to those who believe (Gal. 3:22) but there's no record of any unregenerate believing in the God he denies exists.
If Armininianists say this, they are wrong (though they probably don't say this). The correct argument is that no mystical, magical, or spiritual power is required for faith and faith is mere belief in the gospel.
Paul wrote about justification by faith, not salvation by faith. There isn't a single verse in the entire Bible that states we are saved by faith.
[Luk 7:50 NASB] 50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
James 2:17-18
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, 'You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.'"
Works qualifies faith as genuine. Faith alone saves. This is why Abraham was made righteous for his faith decades before he offered Isaac on the altar (the very example James uses to show that works perfected faith).
[James 2:20-23 NASB] 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
Yet Romans 4 says that Abraham was made righteous PRIOR to circumcision. Abraham was circumcised 20-30 years before offering Isaac on the altar. So he was given righteousness prior to performing the works that confirmed his faith was genuine.
Works demonstrates faith as genuine, but faith alone apart from works makes one righteous.
So when the Arminian asserts God is waiting for the unregenerate sinner to believe, that Arminiain is saying God is waiting for that dead and enslaved unregenerate sinner to demonstrate or operationalize his faith from the sinfully dead and enslaved and still not yet regenerate state.
The faith discussed in Galatians is all about the regenerate, not the unregenerate.
Faith qualifies a person for inheriting Abraham's righteousness. When we have the same faith in the gospel that Abraham had, we are considered 'children of abraham' or "abraham's descendants." This human adoption doesn't require regeneration. Once that kinship relationship with Abraham exists, God gives us -- as qualified heirs -- the righteousness of Abraham. Since the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an unrighteous person, we must first be made righteous before the Holy Spirit can indwell us.
Faith isn't a mystical magic as Calvinism presupposes.
