Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
It is true the Holy Bible teaches we are not saved by works. I agree completely with Paul's teaching in Epheasians. But we must be Biblically educated well enough to know what kind of works Paul is referring to in Epheasians 2:8-9.
It is unbiblical teaching to teach we are saved by faith ALONE. Nowhere does any of the apostles or Jesus Christ Himself teach this false man made doctrine.
Why? Because it is an impossibility to be saved without works.
I will prove that the Bible really teaches we are saved by,
Grace, Faith, Works.
It should be obvious but it is not to those who have been indoctrinated into Sola Fide that if this doctrine be true, then we are saved without God! For by Gods grace we have been saved!
And Gods grace IS A WORK, A WORK OF GOD!!!
Just as Faith is a Work of God. Now can we be saved without Gods grace or faith? We know the answer.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS lest any man should boast.
Now can man boast of the works that God does to save us?
Can we boast of the work Christ did on the cross to save us from our sins?
Obviously not. Then Paul what kind of works can man do that he would boast about? MERITORIOUS WORKS OF MAN!
Why is Paul teaching this in Epheasians? It is because Jews did not understand how God saves us. They had it seared into their conscience that salvation comes from keeping the Law of Moses. Paul had to explain to the Jews over and over that doing works of the old law cannot save anyone.
Yet many jews who even believed and were converted to Christ tried to bind the old Mosaical law on other christians. Particularly gentile christians.
This is why Paul had to teach we are not saved by the works we do so often un his writings. The Jews had to be taught out of the error of their misunderstanding of what is true faith in God. How we are truly saved.
Faith alone folks are ignorant in the exact opposite of the jews. While jews believed we had to do our own works to earn salvation. Faith alone advocates go to the other extreme and say there is nothing man can do to receive salvation. But then they contradict themselves and say we must believe. Faith alone followers are correct that it is not by our works that we are saved. But they have gone to the extreme by believing that no works of any kind are involved in our salvation. This is were they split with the apostles teaching. No apostle taught we are saved only by Faith and no works of any kind.
Epheasians 2:8-9 are works of merit. I agree with Epheasians 2:8-9 completely.
Abraham was not saved by faith alone. This is not Biblically correct. Abraham was accounted as righteous because of his faith and his obedience to God. The scriptures prove this to be true.
Romans 4:2
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
That is exactly what Paul is teaching in
Ephesians 2:8-9.
What kind of works can man boast about? Gods works or man working to earn his salvation? Yep this is what Paul says cannot justify Abraham or anyone. But Paul never taught that Abraham was saved by faith only and no works of any kind.
Romans 4:3
For what does the scriptures say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Martin Luther says believed ALONE. Paul never said in Romans 4:3 Abraham was accounted to him for righteousness by belief only! He said it was by Faith that God made him righteous.
We must know the true meaning of Biblical saving faith.
This is the main problem with why folks don't understand what saves us. It is because people do not know the correct definition of what Biblical saving faith is. Let the Bible define it for us.
The Bible teaches the kind of faith that made Abraham righteous was an obedient faith, we must go back to Genesis to learn this truth.
Genesis 15:6
And he believed in the Lord and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Those who have been tricked into the reformation doctrines will think God is saying Abraham was saved by Faith Alone. And they believe this verse proves this out.
Not so, because Abraham was accounted for righteousness by God because Abraham believed God and then ACTED on his faith by obeying God. Abraham had an obedient faith that made him righteous not faith without obedience to God.
Here is how we know this to be evident.
What did Abraham do for God to declare him righteous in Genesis 15:6? Do you not know that before God said this about Abraham he had already OBEYED God?
Genesis 12:1-8
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
Get out of your country, from your family and from your fathers house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
SO ABRAM DEPARTED AS THE LORD HAD SPOKEN TO HIM, and Lot went with him (He OBEYED GOD AND WENT!)
And Abram sas seventy five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers son and all thier possessions that they had gathered and the people whom they had acquired in Haran and they departed (That is taking ACTION on your faith) to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your descendants I will give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
We learn that all of Abraham's obedience was done before Genesis 15:6 when God declared Abraham righteous by his faith. Question: did Abraham have faith alone at Genesis 15:6?
Or did Abraham already prove his faith by obedience to God?
Any honest person will say Abraham was accounted for righteousness because he had an obedient faith.
The Bible continues to prove this Biblical fact.
Genesis 22:11-12
But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! So he said, Here I am.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD SINCE YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, FROM ME.
Once again the Bible shows us that Abraham's faith was ACTIVE LIVING DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER, TRUSTING IN THE LORD.
Would Abraham have a trusting faith if he did not sacrifice his son Isaac? No, Once again we see the faith that Abraham had was not faith alone but an obedient faith that made him righteous before God.
Just as James taught in James 2:21;23
James 2:21;23
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
V23
And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God.
James said in Genesis 15:6 Abraham being made righteous by God was fulfilled in Genesis 22:11-12 when he OBYED God. James taught Abraham's faith was not alone without obedience but just the opposite.
God accounted Abraham as righteous because Abraham always had an obedient faith from the beginning and it was fulfilled when he obyed God and sacrificed his son. These are all ACTIONS of faith. This us Biblical saving faith. The Bible never teaches wemare saved without obedience to God. Abraham was not accounted righteousness because of faith with no works.
More proof Abraham's faith that accounted him as righteous, saved was faith and works of obedience,
Genesis 26:2;4-5
Then the Lord appeared to him(Abraham's son Isaac) and said; Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; BECAUSE ABRAHAM OBEYED MY VOICE AND KEPT MY CHARGE, MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES AND MY LAWS.
This is overwhelming proof that Abraham was blessed by God made righteous, saved because His faith was an obedient faith. God never would have accounted Abraham as righteous if he had not always had an obedient faith. Likewise we are saved the same today,
When we believe in Jesus and believe in His word and with our faith in Him we put our faith in action and obey God.
This obedience to God through Faith is how we receive Gods grace! Amen
Saved by: Grace+faith+ works of God
When we obey God. His works not ours save us. Faith itself is a work of God:
John 6:28-29
Then they said to Him, What shall we do, that we may work the WORKS OF GOD?
Jesus answered and said to them, This is the WORK OF GOD, that you BELIEVE in Him whom He sent.
It is an impossibility for there to be no works in salvation.
For faith is a work a work of God.
Whenever man obeys the commands to
Believe, Romans 10:17
Repent, Acts 17:30
Confess, Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37-38
Be water baptized, Acts 2:38; Colossians 2:11-13
He has an obedient faith. This obedient faith saves because,
It is not by works which we have done,
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Just as faith is a work of God so is all of these other commands we must obey.
Friend baptism is not a work of man but just like faith it is a work of God.
Titus 3:5=Colossians 2:12
Buried with Him in baptism in which you also were raised with Him through Faith in THE WORKING OF GOD, who raised Him from the dead.
Colossians 2:12 King James version
Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith OF THE OPERATION OF GOD, who hath raised Him from the dead.
It is when we believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ by doing His commandments that then and ONLY THEN does God work His works to save us.
Water baptism is were God WORKS/OPERATES on us to save us from our sins,
Only if we are baptized can we be given access to the blood of Christ that will wash away our sins.
Grace+ obedient Faith+ works of God= eternal life
Romans 4:3 = Acts 10:35
V3
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
V35
But in every nation he that feareth Him, and WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, is accepted with Him.
God accounts us as righteous by faith,
Romans 4:3
God accounts us as righteous by Obedience,
Acts 10:35
We cannot be saved by Gods works without both.
Must have God working operating on us to receive salvation.
Faith alone , without works, Gods works and our obedience is dead,
James 2:24;26
