The saving value of good works

Harry3142

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Hmmm. I've always thought the seed was the gospel, and the places where it landed were the hearers. In that view, you would be saying the seed became vital and productive due to those who heard it.

Can the gospel save anyone who either refuses to accept it, or accepts it superficially, but quickly turns his back on it when trouble arises because of it? Can the gospel save anyone who hears it, says that it sounds good, but decides that the affairs of this life and its concerns must take priority, so he'll make a commitment later? I think we both know the answer to those questions.

It is only when the gospel is accepted by a person who truly understands what that gospel entails that the gospel bears fruit, and that is due to the person's understanding, and accepting, the gospel that is offered to him.
 
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Harry3142

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Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

"Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "

"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." The Gospel of St. Matthew 19:16-26,NIV)

Even though the young man had kept the commandments, he knew that he had not achieved the perfection required of us if we must earn our own way into eternal life. But when he heard what still needed to be done, he realized that he had reached the limit of what he himself was capable of doing. This is what we call a spiritual 'Achilles heel', and we all have one.

This passage is also a clear message that the keeping of laws and commandments are not enough to save us, nor is it enough to even approach the perfection that God expects of us. We as Christians must go must farther than the mere keeping of a set of laws if we are to truly say and do what God wants of us.

But we are limited by our own weakness. The 'extra mile' that we must go in order to perform as Christians is simply beyond our capabilities. Fortunately, what we cannot do because of our weakness, God can do through us because of his strength. It is our union with his Spirit that enables us to perform in ways that go far beyond the keeping of any set of laws:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26,NIV)

Even if we could keep the laws and commandments perfectly, but we have failed to have the 9 'fruit' as the impetus for our words and actions, we have failed to act in accordance with God's will. The old saying 'He did all the right things, but for all the wrong reasons' is applicable to us. It is only when the impetus for what we say and do is the 9 'fruit' of love, joy, peace, patience, kindess, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that those words and actions can be said to conform to God's will.
 
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Hi Harry3142,

I think the passage about the rich man talking to Jesus about eternal life means the opposite of how you interpret it.

Jesus here is asked how eternal life is to be obtained. This is a perfect opportunity for Jesus to say, if he had wanted to, "humans are incapable of gaining eternal life through works, what is required is faith alone". Jesus doesn't say this. Jesus' response is "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Jesus' answer to the question of how can we receive eternal life is that we should obey the commandments of God. Jesus elaborates that he is referring particularly to commandments concerning loving and caring for others. Thus, when given the opportunity to make a free statement on the subject, Jesus says that we should aim to receive eternal life through through acting in loving ways. This is entirely consistent with what he says elsewhere in the gospels on the subject (eg Matthew 25:31-46).

At no point in the dialogue does Jesus make the statement that God requires we be perfect in the keeping of the commandments. Your statement "he had not achieved the perfection required of us if we must earn our own way into eternal life" is a misreading of the passage. It simply doesn't say that. The Jews did not believe God requires humans to be perfect: The standard was always understood to be a sincere heart and sincere effort. Sometimes language of the balance of the scales is used (ie >50% success is required). The New Testament never critiques this standard Jewish belief nor does it ever claim that absolute perfection is required of humans.

The dynamics in play in this passage concern wealth and the unjust accumulation of it. In Jesus' time there was a high level of wealth disparity, and many poor people were struggling daily to survive in their severe poverty while others had great wealth. It was not a democratic world, and the wealth they had obtained had often come unjustly through exploiting others. In the gospels, many of Jesus' teachings critique this unjust accumulation of personal wealth at the expense of others, and emphasize how this contradicts the love for others that God requires us to have. In Jesus' eyes, this rich man he is speaking with has not kept God's commandments to love others, nor to not steal from others. The man demonstrates that he loves his ill-gotten gains much more than the people in dire poverty when he refuses Jesus' suggestion that he give his money to those in need. This man is not an example of someone who has kept God's commands well but just fallen a bit short of perfection, rather this man is an example of someone who is outwardly religious but in practice has been causing severe suffering to those around him by gaining riches at the expense of those in dire poverty.

Yet God's blessings are not unattainable for this man. Jesus has a simple suggestion to remedy the situation: Return the ill-gotten gains to those who really need it. That action is a perfectly achievable goal, it is not an action that's beyond human capacity. It doesn't at all indicate that God requires absolute perfection or obedience beyond human capacity. I should note that the greek word being translated "perfection" here can simply mean "completeness" or "maturity", and it ought not to be confused with modern mathematical notions of absolute statistical perfection. (Similarly, in Mat 5:48 is the suggestion that we ought to try to "be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect" via the entirely achievable goal of responding to negative actions with positive ones)

This passage is also a clear message that the keeping of laws and commandments are not enough to save us, nor is it enough to even approach the perfection that God expects of us.
I hope I have succeed in explaining that this passage does not suggest God expects perfection, and that Jesus' clear message here is that if we desire salvation we should aim to achieve it through the keeping of laws and commandments.

It is our union with his Spirit that enables us to perform in ways that go far beyond the keeping of any set of laws:
Certainly God acts to empower people toward right action, and what can be done with God's help far exceeds that which can be done without it.

Do you believe God's power to be so limited that he cannot enable to us keep his own commands?
 
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heymikey80

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Romans 2
5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
And its conclusion:

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:

"None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one."
13 "Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and the way of peace they have not known."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:9-20

Paul's answer is straightforward: follow the Romans 2 road, and you're "dead man walking".

Paul even starts off with this condemnation:

1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Rom 2:1-5

Fun stuff. Do one thing wrong, and it's curtains.

So between these bookends of Romans 2 & 3 -- who's left?

Nobody.

21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Rom 3:21-22

And afterward, faith in Jesus is introduced. :thumbsup:
 
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heymikey80

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Here are a couple more:

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3 :10-14
... well ... as long as you're willing to base your theology on half a sentence.

Prior to v. 10:

8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith ... Pp 3:8-9

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matt 25:31-43
There're two different judgment methods represented in Matthew 25.

The sheep wouldn't survive the judgment method of the goats.

The sheep's own words condemn them by the goats' judgment method.
 
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fhansen

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... well ... as long as you're willing to base your theology on half a sentence.

Prior to v. 10:

8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith ... Pp 3:8-9

This changes nothing-man's "righteousness" was never meant to be one of his own-it can't be-only God can determine mans righteousness. Man's righteousness must be based on faith-a faith that was effectively lost at the fall. Then God can write His laws on man's heart and in his mind as per the New Covenant promises in Jer 31. Either way. St Paul absolutely confirmed that his faith alone wouldn't guarantee him eternal life, he must press on and persevere in the path God's laid out for him.
There're two different judgment methods represented in Matthew 25.

The sheep wouldn't survive the judgment method of the goats.

The sheep's own words condemn them by the goats' judgment method.
Nope, its pretty clearly a one for one equation unless one means to twist God’s words beyond any logical comprehension to fit the agenda of a false gospel or something on that order.
 
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Hentenza

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You don't understand what we believe. In other words, you have misinterpreted our interpretation.

<snip>

I merely took your church's teachings to its logical conclusion. If works play any role in our salvation then faith is diminished to a salvation co-cause but scripture is clear that the promise of salvation does not include works as co-required to fulfill the promise.
 
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Rick Otto

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quote=fhansen;This changes nothing-man's "righteousness" was never meant to be one of his own-it can't be-only God can determine mans righteousness. Man's righteousness must be based on faith-a faith that was effectively lost at the fall. Then God can write His laws on man's heart and in his mind as per the New Covenant promises in Jer 31. Either way. St Paul absolutely confirmed that his faith alone wouldn't guarantee him eternal life, he must press on and persevere in the path God's laid out for him.
Paul confirmed faith was not of ourselves but thru God's mercy in Galatians if I remember correctly.


Nope, its pretty clearly a one for one equation unless one means to twist God’s words beyond any logical comprehension to fit the agenda of a false gospel or something on that order.
I grew up with that in parochial school.
 
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fhansen

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Paul confirmed faith was not of ourselves but thru God's mercy in Galatians if I remember correctly.
The point is that salvation comes not by ourselves but by grace. God can set the parameters any which way He pleases.
I grew up with that in parochial school.
So did I. Then I left it and later ended up with a more or less Reformed theology but when I came back 25 yrs later I found mama learned a thing or two while I was gone. :)
 
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The point is that salvation comes not by ourselves but by grace. God can set the parameters any which way He pleases.

So did I. Then I left it and later ended up with a more or less Reformed theology but when I came back 25 yrs later I found mama learned a thing or two while I was gone. :)
Yes but it also comes through Faith and not of works.
 
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Rick Otto

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quote=fhansen;The point is that salvation comes not by ourselves but by grace. God can set the parameters any which way He pleases.
Agreed,... perhaps a quibble,:sorry:... I believe our contention is supposed to be that salvation also comes not by our co-operation with grace, rather co-operation with God is a result of God having mercifully, not meritoriously, applied that grace.


So did I. Then I left it and later ended up with a more or less Reformed theology but when I came back 25 yrs later I found mama learned a thing or two while I was gone.
LOL! I won't touch that. I'm givin' ya props for style.:thumbsup::cool:
 
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ivebeenshown

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scripture is clear that the promise of salvation does not include works as co-required to fulfill the promise.
I don't see it. I see that the promise itself is given on the basis of faith, but not that the fulfillment is of that promise is by faith alone. I see that "faith without works is dead."
 
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ivebeenshown

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And its conclusion:

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:

"None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one."
13 "Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and the way of peace they have not known."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:9-20

Paul's answer is straightforward: follow the Romans 2 road, and you're "dead man walking".
I don't see how Paul is teaching the doctrine you espouse. For one, I'm not saying that works of the law (Torah observance) will justify or save anyone. If you would like to clarify, I would ask that you highlight and explain particular points within the passage that you feel support your doctrine.

Paul even starts off with this condemnation:

1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3Do you suppose, O man&#8212;you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself&#8212;that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God&#8217;s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God&#8217;s righteous judgment will be revealed. Rom 2:1-5

Fun stuff. Do one thing wrong, and it's curtains.
I've already read this passage, and I don't see what your point is. I'm not judging the present or future state of anyone's soul.

So between these bookends of Romans 2 & 3 -- who's left?

Nobody.

21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it&#8212; 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Rom 3:21-22

And afterward, faith in Jesus is introduced. :thumbsup:
...and faith without works is dead.

James 2
22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?


I can answer that question with a yes. And note how James does not say "by works we know faith was perfect", but rather says "by works faith was MADE perfect."
 
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CaliforniaJosiah

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I see that "faith without works is dead."

Yes, which is of course included in Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sole Fide.

But just because OUR works are associated with faith doesn't mean that OUR works save us so that the Savior is me and Jesus is not the Savior.

That, IMO, is at the core of the issue: WHO is THE Savior - Jesus or me? If we are saved by JESUS' works, then the answer if Jesus. If I'm saved by MY works, then the answer is me. Or one could be a synergists - one who affirms that Jesus TRIED to save us but was unable, He needs me to do the necessary part, so that the Savior is Jesus + Me (with Jesus being largely impotent and me being the critical factor).

IMO, answer this question: WHO is the Savior?
Your answer to that question answers the one about whose works save.







.
 
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fhansen

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Yes but it also comes through Faith and not of works.
You can&#8217;t separate them-that&#8217;s what James was emphasizing. We can&#8217;t earn our way to heaven-as if God owed us a room there as we prove how righteous we are on our own. But He &#8220;graces&#8221; us all through the life we have-whatever time we have left after turning to Him-to prompt us, by His Spirit, to do the right thing, to express our faith in love as per Gal 5:6, to become holier/more righteous. Some call this sanctification; others say it&#8217;s not possible at all. My faith calls this part of our justification-we receive new life when we turn to God but we can also lose it by burying our talents, not letting our lamp shine, not persevering, let alone by actively sinning.

It&#8217;s a process-a beautiful, occasionally grueling one- whereby we come, over time, to increasingly get better at loving God and neighbor, making us progressively ready to be able to &#8220;see&#8221; God, as we come, with His help, to understand why His wisdom and will are so perfect, why He's so worthy of our love and worship and obedience, why we should be attached to nothing above Him first and foremost. That&#8217;s where our justice lies, in our continuous life cooperation with Gods grace, a continuous series of doing the right thing on the basis of faith, even if we sometimes slip back and need to get back on track, rather than in a one-time event of doing the right thing by turning in faith to Him as if nothing more were required and nothing we do could ever compromise that relationship.

We&#8217;re saved by Jesus but then we&#8217;re also to pick up our cross and follow Him. And many would include all of that in their definition of the term "faith" anyway and either way, regardless of our theology, in practice I think many or most of us live our Christian lives that way.
 
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ivebeenshown

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Yes, which is of course included in Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sole Fide.
From what I've seen, proponents of Sola Fide don't actually teach that faith without works is dead, they teach that faith without works is not really faith in the first place.

But just because OUR works are associated with faith doesn't mean that OUR works save us so that the Savior is me and Jesus is not the Savior.

That, IMO, is at the core of the issue: WHO is THE Savior - Jesus or me? If we are saved by JESUS' works, then the answer if Jesus. If I'm saved by MY works, then the answer is me. Or one could be a synergists - one who affirms that Jesus TRIED to save us but was unable, He needs me to do the necessary part, so that the Savior is Jesus + Me (with Jesus being largely impotent and me being the critical factor).
Your portrayal of synergism is but an empty caricature which falsely represents what I really believe. Try "Jesus merited grace for us, including the grace which effectively and potently compels us to do the works which result in salvation." Just because I believe that God saves according to works doesn't mean that I believe we can boast about those works, seeing how they came from God's grace working in us. It is God who saves, and he chose to associate us with his work of grace.

IMO, answer this question: WHO is the Savior?
Your answer to that question answers the one about whose works save.
I believe that Jesus is the Savior, and that God rewards eternal life or wrath according to deeds.
 
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ivebeenshown

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I find that impossible.

Either Jesus is the Savior or you are.
How is it impossible? The charity of Christ is the source of the good works, and Paul said that God will render to every man according to deeds.
 
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What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:

"None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one."
13 "Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and the way of peace they have not known."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:9-20
Perhaps you didn't read the very first post in this thread, but I explained there why this passage doesn't say what you seem to think it does. Please go read my argument there (under 2a in the original post), and if you still feel justified in citing this passage to support your theology, perhaps you could explain why you don't accept my arguments.


My reading of Paul's argument in Romans 1-4 is that he is saying: "God is concerned about morality, not race/culture. Anyone who does evil, no matter what race or culture they are from, comes under God's wrath. Anyone who does good, no matter what race or culture they are from, will receive eternal life." He is not at all saying that no one does good, and you are misreading and misinterpreting his statements about those who do evil.

Paul even starts off with this condemnation:

1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Rom 2:1-5
Those who do evil will suffer God's wrath. What's Paul's recommendation to them? Repentance.

So between these bookends of Romans 2 & 3 -- who's left?
Those who do good. They inherit eternal life, regardless of race and culture (Romans 2:6-11).

I cover the exegesis of Romans 1-4 in more detail in my book. Also worth a read on the subject (if you favour extremely complex scholarly arguments and tome-sized books) is Douglas Campbell's The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul.

... well ... as long as you're willing to base your theology on half a sentence.

Prior to v. 10:

8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith ... Pp 3:8-9
Er, so you accuse your opponent of basing their theology on half a sentence, and then quote half a sentence in support of your own theology?

I so often see this verse quoted out of context by people with your theology trying to make it support their view. In context it cannot mean anything of the sort: It simply wouldn't make sense in the passage the way you are trying to read it. Prior to that verse, Paul has listed all the things he had in his life in Judaism and as a Pharisee that he thought were worthwhile. Half those things involved being born as a Jew - they were things that he didn't "do" himself or put effort into. The other half of his list involves living life according to the rules of the Pharisees, which he is confident he successfully did. Thus, in Paul's eyes, he did live successfully according to the law. He did not fall short of the righteousness of the law, and nor was that righteousness all about human action. In the passage that comes after this verse, he elaborates on his new life as a Christian and his entire explanation focuses on a high level of human effort: He runs the race in order to win the prize, not thinking that he has already attained it. Thus, his description is Judaism is of not a great deal of human effort but successful nonetheless, and his description of Christianity is of continuous effect which he refuses to claim has yet been successful. There is no notion of resting in grace in this passage (he says he strives greatly, not rests). There is no denial of the possibility of meeting the demands of the law in this passage (he says he achieved them). There is no suggestion that faith has given him surety of salvation (he says he hasn't achieved or arrived at his goal).
 
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> I believe that Jesus is the Savior, and that God rewards eternal life or wrath according to deeds.

I find that impossible.

Either Jesus is the Savior or you are.
The connection between these two ideas is this:
"Since Paul, like his Jewish contemporaries, believes the last judgment is adjudicated according to deeds, any agent or thing that catalyzes obedience to God is absolutely indispensable." Judgment & Justification in Early Judaism and the Apostle Paul, Chris Vanlandingham, pg 309

To put it more simply, given that God's requirement for us is that we achieve a certain level of moral behaviour, anything or anyone which enables or inspires us to reach that level of behaviour will be of massive importance. Jesus is saviour because through following his teachings and obeying his commands we can achieve a positive judgment according to deeds.
 
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