"if by grace then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works then it is no longer grace" (Rom 11:6)
Works are in a sense salvific because of the scriptures I quoted from James earlier. Faith without works is dead and can't save anyone - James 2:14 What does it profit if a man says he has faith and has not works, can his faith save him?
Jesus died to save us, but we are not saved unless we show our faith by our works - James 2:18 I will show you my faith by my works.
Jesus paid the price of our sin, BUT He needs us to do a little work to
really satisfy the Father?
Are you sure you're a Baptist?
Tell me, which works in James 2 should I emulate to help Jesus save me... should I commit treason, lie, or offer my son as a human sacrifice?
See James 2:10 and Romans 4:4-5 ("He who works NOT, but BELIEVES...")
Matthew 25 has nothing to do with salvation. That is abundantly clear in the text. First of all, He was answering a specific question, He never mentions faith, He wasn't addressing idividuals, not all men are His "brothers"... and tell me what, then, do the naked, hungry and imprisoned do to get saved? What do invalids do to get saved? What did the thief do to get saved? What did Paul do before Damascus to get saved?
For a little more detail, visit my article on Matt 25 at my web site.
"Jesus himself says that if we do not do things (feed the poor, visit those in prison - works) we will go to external punishment."
So what do the people in prison do? Visit each other? Feed the rats? What do you tell someone on death row... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved... and you have 12 hours to go visit a prisoner, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the sick... otherwise you'll go to hell... GOOD LUCK!
How many times do I have to do this? Can I vist
one prisoner
one time and feed
one hungry person and God is in
my eternal debt to not only let me into heaven, but He now has to take care of me forever because I visited a prisoner?
How many prisoners did the thief on the cross visit? How many hungry people did he feed?
If salvation is by works, then it is of debt. If it wholly of grace, then God is not our debtor.
The second scripture: Matthew 7:21-23
"Lord have we not done MANY WONDERFUL WORKS..."? You're reading pride into the text. What is missing in that condemnation is a relationship with God by FAITH.
If salvation is by works then it is no longer by grace. If it is grace then it is no longer of works. The two are mutually exclusive. (Rom 11:6). You are saying that salvation is accomplished by the blood sacrifice of Christ and one visit to a prison? You cheapen the sacrifice of Christ.
I have backed my beliefs up with scriptures - please show me where you get your beliefs from in the scriptures.
A. Salvation from Genesis through Revelation.
B. From my web site as well...
Grace excludes any works of the flesh:
"if by grace then it [election v.5] is no longer of
works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of
works then it is no longer grace" (Rom 11:6)
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By the LAW?
Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the LAW." (Rom 3:27-28)
"Now to him who
works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who
works not, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." (Rom 4:4-5).
"for if righteousness comes by the LAW, then Christ died in vain." (Gal 2:21).
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Grace (Salvation) is a free gift:
"For it is by grace that you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works so no man can boast." (Eph 2:8-9)
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Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us." (Titus 3:5).
"[God] hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." (2 Tim 1:9)
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God justified us through the blood of Christ (who is God in flesh) by faith alone.
"being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith" (Rom 3:24-25a)
"Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Rom 5:9)
"Therefore, having been
justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have access by faith into this grace by which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom 5:1-2)
"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them... For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him." (2 Cor 5:19,21)
"To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Rev 1:5-6)
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. " (Hebrews 13:12-13)
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" (Rev 5:9)
"Giving thanks unto the Father
who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:12-14)
"In Him we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph 1:7)
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God
" (1 Peter 3:18)
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea come , buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Is 55:1)
"And by him [Christ] all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the LAW of Moses." (Acts 13:39)
"the Holy Spirit has made you elders to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28)
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There is no mixture of LAW and grace for salvation:
"You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by LAW; you have fallen from grace." (Gal 5:4)
"For if those who are of the LAW are heirs, faith is made void and the promise of no effect, because the LAW brings about wrath... therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace..." (Rom 4:14-16a)
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified apart from the deeds of the LAW." (Rom 3:28; cp 4:4-6).
"if by grace then it [election v.5]
is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But
if it is of works then it is no longer grace" (Rom 11:6)
"If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so... concerning the LAW, a Pharisee;... concerning the righteousness which is in the LAW, blameless... [That I might] be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the LAW, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:4,5b,6b,9)
"He takes away the first that he might establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all... For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Heb 10:9b-10,14; cp. Heb 1:3)
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures... For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor 15:1-4,22)
"Israel, which followed after the LAW of righteousness has not attained to the LAW of righteousness. Why? Because
they sought it not by faith, but as it were, by the works of the LAW. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone. As it is written: Behold I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Rom 9:31-33)
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Jesus promised eternal life by faith:
"Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life... He who believes is not condemned; but he who believes not is condemned already..." (John 3:16,18a)
"They said to him 'What shall we do to work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said unto them,
'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.' " (John 6:28-29)
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:25 , 26)
"he who comes to me, I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37b)
"I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved" (John 10:9)
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John tells us that we can know that we have eternal life:
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13)
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." (John 3:36a)
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Why would anybody trade Christ and grace for LAW, knowing that LAW only condemns and that LAW excludes grace?:
"Tell me, you who desire to be under LAW, do you not hear the LAW?... Cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." (Gal 4:21,30)
"This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the LAW or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal 3:2-3)
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For as many as are of the works of the LAW are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is he who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the LAW, to do them. But that no one is justified by the LAW in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith." (Gal 3:10-11)
"For whoever shall keep the whole LAW and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)