Unreformedbythetruth said:
No, It is believing in God and His message that God loved the world.
They simple asked Jesus what is the work of God that they should do, and Jesus simple aswered the work of God is to believe in the one He sent. It is still the work that was given to them to do from God.
Maybe it is you who missunderstand the scripture remember.
Just because I do not see it they way you do, does not mean that I am wrong.
Lets talk this out like gentelmen, not like brood of vipers please. There is no reason to call my understanding ignorance. It might be you who is wrong.
What you can say about me, can also be said about.
Mathew 7:2
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Before the cross, God made a lot to happen to bring Christ. Loved this person hated others. Used Pharoah and what ever you may say. O.k. In order to make the path that Christ was comming down.The world had no way before Jesus, but to believe in the one promised to come who will crush the serpents head, and It will strike the one's comming heel.
After the cross He opened the door for the world.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Let me see you want to also to change that scripture to fit your doctrine.
John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Use context.
Second of all: You said that faith is a work, then you said that faith is not a work. You confirm that we have to do a work in order to be saved. That work being coming to faith. Impossible, for man cannot do anything good, and for this, you cannot deny scripture.
Psalm 14:1-3
1 The fool [
a] says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Is there any man who does good? Well... according to David, totally inspired by the Holy Spirit, man can't do anything good. There is no work that man can do that is good. Hence, if faith is good, man cannot do it by his own power. Want more scripture toi back it up? Ok!
Psalm 53:1-3
1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God. 3 Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
This is so crucial that David ended up writing two psalms about it. Wow... shocking! More? Ok.
Romans 3:9-18
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better[
b]? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."[
c]
13"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."[
d]
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."[
e]
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[
f]
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."[
g]
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."[
h]
Well... if man is totally depraved, how does one come to believe? O man! That God may present His irresistable grace upon thee!
Romans 3:22-26
22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[
i] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
There is only one category of believers in Jesus' eyes, and that being His sheep. For whom did Jesus die for?
John 10:11
11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus laid down His life for a specific group of people, notably, His sheep. His flock. Believers to come.
John 10:14-16
14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Jesus died for the flock. His sheep. Who are His sheep? Those whom the Father predestined to be sheep.
Romans 8:28-30
28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[
a] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Ephesians 1:3-10
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us[
b] for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known[
c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Don't forget v 11-14
11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee[
d] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[
e] to the praise of his glory.
Romans 1:7
7To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
God calls some to be saints... interesting....
And I can go on and on and on.... There is just sooo much. I just don't have time right now... back to working on an essay.
Later gator,
Randy