Faith Alone

[steppenwolf1218]

The keynote in this parable: he had no wedding garment. A requirement for attendance. He didn’t belong there, he never did. Fast forward to post-cross: He was not clothed in righteousness, specifically, “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of FAITH” (Phil. 3:9).

Now that’s a stretch of interpretation if I ever heard one. In the Gospel passage, not wearing the required garment signifies that the invited did not answer the call in the appropriate manner. He did not afford the respect that was due of him. With us it will be the same before God. What respect are we to afford God? Simple, it is a life that we live for Him as He wants. It is His will and not ours. To go before Him to answer the call without having done this is to be like the man who showed up for the wedding in any manner HE thought suitable.

Now to the passage from Paul. It seems you “fast forwarded” over a lot. You forgot to mention the part where Paul talks of his loss. That loss was everything prior to Paul’s calling that he held true. That truth of Paul’s was not the truth he believed it to be. By finding Christ, Paul finds the truth. The righteousness Paul speaks of is that which he can not attain on his own. That much we can agree on. Salvation is impossible for man to do on his own by his own deeds. However, likewise, the faith of man is not enough either. Look at Thomas the Apostle for an example of this. True faith requires we trust solely in God and His goodness and love for us. Without God’s love, faith is an excercise in futility.

From there you did a screeching halt and neglected to consider another of Paul’s teaching on the Cross. Paul qualifies faith with the submission to the healing powers of the Cross. And he says something significant there also. We are not conformed by the Cross rather we are to conform ourselves to it. That requires an effort. Effort usually involves…ummm…work!

Let’s now go to the next passage in Phillipians from verse 12- 16 (NAB). In this passage, Paul who claims righteousness in the previous passage through God, now says that because it is now so does not mean that there is nothing left for him to do. On the contrary he tells the reader that he must strive on in pursuit of the goal. He continues to strive towards the perfect goal which is the calling of God upwards and the reward that waits there. IOW as Yogi Berra once said…It ain’t over 'til it’s over. Paul recognizes that he has still much work to do for himself as do those he preached to. Are you trying to tell me that you don’t need to do as Paul did just because you claim to have faith?

Take care
Dennis

 

[Pax]

Those are two different Greek words meaning two different things, Pax.

But I do find your hermeneutic interesting. Why not insert ”ever sinless, ever virgin,” wherever Mary’s name appears to demonstrate the interchangeability of “Mary” with “ever sinless, ever virgin?”

Or, how about ”the First Pope,” wherever Peter’s name appears to demonstrate the interchangeability of “Peter” with “the First Pope?”

You’re quibbling, Pax.

Please cite all of the passages of Scripture that speak of an “infusion” of anything, Pax?

Not to my satisfaction, you haven’t.

You’ve offered no proof that to fall, fallen from grace, stumble, etc. means a loss of salvation.

My question posed earlier in the thread has yet to be answered:**

Where in Sacred Writ is a statement that describes the group that Catholics claim God predestined to grace only—He foreknew them, predestined them to grace, called and justified them, and then lets many of them lose their justification and be condemned to hell?**

Where is that stated?

Do you really believe that Judas, Ananias, Sapphira, Simon the Magician, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and other believers that fell to sin or otherwise made shipwreck of their faith were actually saved? Do you really believe anyone that falls into apostasy is still saved even though scripture says otherwise? Do you really believe that all of Paul’s warnings to the churches are just so much fluff? If so, you have a lot of homework to do. Moreover, the point concerning the loss of salvation has been logically proven to you by way of scripture with numerous passages. If you refuse to accept that truth than so be it.

 

[Pax]

In regeneration the true believer receives a new life and a new nature; in justification he receives a new standing before God - righteous. He is made right in His sight. This is a fundamental truth presented by Paul to the church at Rome:Rom 4:5 "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,"This fundamental truth Paul links all the way back to Abraham - the father of all who believe.Rom 4:16 "For this reason {it is} by faith, in order that {it may be} in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,“Gal. 5:24 has nothing to do with justification but all to do with positional sanctification. Paul does not say in that verse that those who belong to Christ are crucifying the flesh,” but “have crucified” the flesh. It pertains the cross principle he wrote about in previously in 2:20:Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."Note: He doesn’t say, I am being crucified with Christ, but “I have been crucified with Christ.” He is consistent in his letter to the church at Colossae when he writes:Col 3:3 "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."He doesn’t say that they are dying so that their lives will in the future be hidden with Christ in God. Nor does he say, “Crucify yourselves in hopes to be hidden with Christ in God.” But “YOU HAVE DIED and you life IS HIDDEN WITH CHRIST in God.” This is positional sanctification. It’s the believer’s new identity in Christ = “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (see 1 Cor. 1:2; cf. Heb. 10, 14), which as eternal (everlasting) as Christ Himself. This cannot be reversed because he writes to them in the following verse:Col 3:4 "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."Now it is most important for the true believer to fully understand his positional sanctification because such glorious knowledge is the catalyst that motivates his experiential, or, practical sanctification here on earth:Col 3:5 "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."You see Pax, the gospel is not just that Christ died for our sins and they’re forgiven, glorious as that is, but that we who have truly believed and are Christ’s have (it is revealed) also died with Christ and are hidden with Him in the heavenly:Eph 2:4-6 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places} in Christ Jesus,"My prayer for you, and all on this thread, is that of Paul’s to the believers at Ephesians just before he wrote to them regarding their position in Christ:Eph 1:18-23 {I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. {These are} in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places,} far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.He goes on then to reveal to them (and all who are Christ’s) their sanctified position in Christ. No longer in Adam, but now, and forever, "in Christ, the “Last Adam.”

Have you been reading the thread. This has all been addressed.

 

[sodak]

The more I read this thread, the more frantic I see some of the posters trying to throw mud against the Catholic wall to see if any of it sticks… Every time I see that happening, I take yet another step closer to Rome (not that I’m not there already)…

 

[Pax]

Please cite all of the passages of Scripture that speak of an “infusion” of anything, Pax?
…
Not to my satisfaction, you haven’t.

I’m sorry that the answers have not to been to your satisfaction. Nevertheless, I respect your thinking and have not given up hope.

Okay, fair enough…I’ll provide the scriptures, but let’s keep this in the proper perspective. Scripture doesn’t use the term “imputed” either. Obviously, we are dealing conceptually with these terms as describing what takes place in the believer.

I will unfortunately have to repeat myself on some of the scriptures since they have already been provided. We will start with the following:

ACTS 2:38
And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

JOHN 3:5
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

1 Cor 6:11
…you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

These verses speak of what it means as a believer to have your sins forgiven and to receive the Holy Spirit. To have your sins forgiven means that you have been “washed.” This is not imputed or juridical only. This means that a person is actually made clean. To be born again of water and Spirit means that a person is made a new creation. This is something that changes the person. This is not simply an imputation or a juridical declaration. This is an ontological change.

Upon washing, one is sanctified and justified. One is thus made holy and is set apart to be in friendship with God. Augusting believed that being washed sanctified, and justified to be an even greater miracle that that of creation.

This is all even more clear an obvious when we look at the prefiguring of baptism in the OT and then compare it with the Book of Acts.

Ezk 36:25-28 says:
“I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Compare this with the book of Acts which says:

Acts 2:37-38
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ** for the forgiveness of your sins**; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.”

The parallel between Ezekiel and Acts is unmistakeable and none of it sounds like imputation. Removing the heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh speaks of infusion not imputation. Receiving the Holy Spirit speaks of infusion not imputation. Cleansing from sin is infusion not imputation.

And here’s another one although I can cite many more. Paul says this to Titus:

Titus 3:4-8
"…He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,

Not a single bit of this fits the concept of (name removed by moderator)utation. It all fits the concept of infusion.

I hope this helps.

 

[sandusky]

Pax:

Do you really believe that Judas, Ananias, Sapphira, Simon the Magician, Hymenaeus, Alexander, and other believers that fell to sin or otherwise made shipwreck of their faith were actually saved? Do you really believe anyone that falls into apostasy is still saved even though scripture says otherwise? Do you really believe that all of Paul’s warnings to the churches are just so much fluff? If so, you have a lot of homework to do. Moreover, the point concerning the loss of salvation has been logically proven to you by way of scripture with numerous passages. If you refuse to accept that truth than so be it.

Pax, here is the statement concerning those predestined to glorification:**Romans 8:29-30

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.**We know that if Judas, Ananias, Sapphira, Simon the Magician, Hymenaeus, Alexander and others fell into sin such that they were finally lost, that they were not of the elect mentioned in 8:29-30 cf v33.

You insist that those God foreknew, in this case, those mentioned above, He also predestined to grace, and He also called and justified them, and He then lets them lose their justification and be condemned to hell?

Where is that group specifically identified, as the group predestined to glory is specifically identified?

Pax:

Moreover, the point concerning the loss of salvation has been logically proven to you by way of scripture with numerous passages. If you refuse to accept that truth than so be it.

Scripture knows of two groups, those who are predestined to glory, and those who are not; you are proving the existence of those who are not; accept it, or not.

 

[Pax]

“…not as a result of works” is essentially faith alone.Yes. But not vise versa (Rom. 6:23). It’s in Whom we’ve believed.

Have you ever actually read all of Romans 6 and appreciated the fact that Paul makes it quite clear that the Christian can no longer live in sin, that by the grace of God man can be free from committing sin, and then caps the whole thing by saying:

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Never forget it…the wages of sin is is death…**that is what we do **and we can lose our salvation if we do not follow Christ and accept his enabling grace to avoid committing sin.

Never forget…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. **This is what God does **, and not us.

 

[Pax]

Pax, here is the statement concerning those predestined to glorification:Romans 8:29-30

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.We know that if Judas, Ananias, Sapphira, Simon the Magician, Hymenaeus, Alexander and others fell into sin such that they were finally lost, that they were not of the elect mentioned in 8:29-30 cf v33.

You insist that those God foreknew, in this case, those mentioned above, He also predestined to grace, and He also called and justified them, and He then lets them lose their justification and be condemned to hell?

Where is that group specifically identified, as the group predestined to glory is specifically identified?

Scripture knows of two groups, those who are predestined to glory, and those who are not; you are proving the existence of those who are not; accept it, or not.

Sandusky,

You are simply repeating yourself and to no avail. I and others have already explained to you that not all that are justified will persevere. This has been proven to you several times and in several ways. If you do not accept it, then so be it.

God forces no one to be saved. God desires that all men be saved. We know, however, that not all men are saved. Among those that are not of the elect of heaven are those that fall from grace.

The following passage simply nails it:

Galatians 5:1-5

FOR FREEDOM Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness.

 

[sandusky]

Have you ever actually read all of Romans 6 and appreciated the fact that Paul makes it quite clear that the Christian can no longer live in sin, that by the grace of God man can be free from committing sin, and then caps the whole thing by saying:

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Never forget it…the wages of sin is is death…**that is what we do **and we can lose our salvation if we do not follow Christ and accept his enabling grace to avoid committing sin.

Never forget…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. **This is what God does **, and not us.

That’s not answering my question, Pax

If you know of no such description of those predestined to grace only, just say so.

 

[Pax]

Sandusky,

The post you addressed was meant for moondweller. I answered you in a different post.

 

[sandusky]

Sandusky,

The post you addressed was meant for moondweller. I answered you in a different post.

Sorry.

If you know of no such description of those predestined to grace only, just say so.

 

[Pax]

I have provided all that you need. The evidence is ample and clear.

 

[ryanoneil]

**

Where in Sacred Writ is a statement that describes the group that Catholics claim God predestined to grace only—He foreknew them, predestined them to grace, called and justified them, and then lets many of them lose their justification and be condemned to hell?**

Where is that stated?

John 15
1
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
2
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
3
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
4
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
5
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
6
Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8
By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
9
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Jesus CHOSE Judas.

Is Judas saved or lost?

Will he sit on one of the 12 thrones and judge Israel or will Matthias sit on one of the 12 thrones and judge Israel?

If Judas was CHOSEN by Jesus how could Satan “snatch” him from Jesus’ hand?

The answer is he didn’t snatch him–and yes Jesus lets people that He chooses leave Him if that is what they choose.

If Judas was Once saved always saved how could Jesus say “It would be better for that man if he had never been born”?

And if you say that Judas was never saved in the first place are you telling me that Jesus doesn’t have sense enough to CHOOSE those that will PERSEVERE with Him or that the perfect Son of God Jesus would CHOOSE one who was evil?

I do not believe that when Jesus CHOSE Judas that Judas was evil–Jesus KNEW that one day he would turn toward evil because Jesus knows everything but Judas was not inherrently evil–he had potential–Christ CHOSE him–he was saved and HE FELL AWAY!

People spoken of in Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 10:26-32 are people that FALL AWAY.

Whether such people are the elect or not does not make any difference when they face the choice of cooperating with God or not cooperating with God.

God knowing who the elect are does not enforce the certitude of the elect and make it happen!

Their cooperation or non cooperation with with God certifies them–and yes it is possible to cooperate with God by doing nothing!

God can do all the saving while totally allowing the cooperation of man–they are not mutually exclusive!

COOPERATION of man by doing nothing to thwart God’s grace is where either grace and faith continue onwards THROUGH “God willed works” or whether sin enters the soul of man and God leaves!

That is mortal sin! It exists and Protestants are wrong in sayng it doesn’t exist!

Since it does exist faith alone can never save because faith alone DOES NOT CONTINUE.

Faith can continue through man cooperating with God by doing nothing to interfere with that grace but without man doing the great positive zero nothing of cooperation faith is dead and so is man!

The question is not Faith alone or Faith plus works the real question is Faith alone or Faith not SUBTRACTED by will that opposes God’s will.

NOT SUBTRACTED is the great positive NOTHING where man cooperates with God!

When that happens God willed works abound and if man just stays out of the way he will die in a state of grace and will one day make it to heaven.

Protestants deny interruption of salvific grace by any particular sin–Catholics are honest enough to acknowledge that such interruption is possible–that is why Jesus gave his disciples the power to forgive and retain sin!

OSAS and faith alone are EASY truths. Mortal sin and possible loss of salvation are HARD truths.

Which ones do you think Satan wants people to believe?

If Blessed Assurance was true why would Paul command us to “WORK out our salvation with fear and trembling”?

If FAITH ALONE saved why would the only place in the whole bible that mentioned “Faith” and “Alone” together as “Faith alone” say that it does NOT justify?

Catholics see ALL THE TRUTH. They see how faith justifies–they just also know that that truth is not ALL THE TRUTH.

Do you think Satan wants people to believe PART OF THE TRUTH and throw out other truths in the bible or see ALL THE TRUTH?

The real question you’ve got to ask yourself is this: Am I willing to bet my eternal soul against 2,000 years of the Catholic Church versus 500 years of the Protestants?

Which church do you think that the Gates of Hell are not prevailing against?!!!

 

[guanophore]

And that’s simply another gospel.No he doesn’t. The “good works” are prepared for those who have already been saved “by grace through faith,” not of themselves, not as a result of works (vss. 8-9). Those saved through faith are now “His workmanship” in that they are “created in Christ Jesus” (the risen Christ) FOR good works (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). Paul precludes works of any kind. The fruit of good behavior and good works certainly may follow as one walks in the Spirit who now indwells him, but those in Eph. 2:10, “created (by God) in Christ Jesus,” are those whom Paul previously described as saved strictly by grace through faith and void of works (vss. 8-9).

I think you are still not distinguishing between holy works, and works of the flesh (law). All good work (hagios) flow out of our justified state before God, and do impact out sanctity.

Such works are based upon, and proceed from the saving grace that we have through faith. They cannot be separated from it. Such good works can stir up the Body in love:

Heb 10:24
let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Such works reflect God’s love in us:

Acts 9:36-37
She was full of good works and acts of charity.

This is not another gospel. It is a broader understanding of saving faith than perhaps you are acquainted, because Catholics do not separate the good works from the saving grace that produces them. This is how Catholics understand “faith without works is dead”. Catholics believe that we are saved through “faith that works”, because any other faith is dead.

Faith is a work.

Not according to Paul: Eph 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Rom 4:5 “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,” In both verses Paul contrasts “faith” with “works.” If faith was considered a work by Paul then he would have been contradicting himself.

No, Paul is not contradicting himself. You, on the other hand, are contradicting both Paul and Jesus and a number of other Apostolic writers. The “works” that Paul speaks of in these passages refer to “works of the law” or works of the flesh. Onthe other hand, work done in faith is “holy”, and to such work are we predestined before the foundation of the world.

John 6:28-29
they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Believing is work, moondweller. If you think otherwise, then your faith has never really be tested. Humans must, by continual act of the will, place our faith in Christ.

Nor was Jesus actually calling faith in Him a “work” for salvation in Jn. 6:27-29. I"… instead they asked what they themselves must do that they might “work the works of God” (IOW, the works that you would define as “sacred”).

Jesus redefines “works” as singular (the “work” of God) and it to be not an act of labor on their part, but a declaration of belief. That they believe on Him whom He (God) had sent. Personal acceptance of His Person and claims is the method whereby life eternal is freely given (like the meal they enjoyed the day prior). Personal faith in the One God sent, rather than personal works, is what enables one to fulfill God’s program for salvation and receive the free gift of eternal life. This is Christ’s message to Israel throughout the gospel account of John.

I think it will help if you can distinguish between sacred work and works of the flesh. Instead of throwing out all work, which is clearly not the NT message. Yes, faith is a gift, our will is a gift, all that we are and can be is a gift. Jesus calls us to use the gift that He has given us to His glory. Humans can either put our will, faith, trust etc, in Him or elsewhere.

Gods works are not the same as "personal works " (I am not even sure what you mean by that, but I will equate it to works of the flesh).

One cannot do the work of God without faith, but exercising our God given ability to have faith by placing it in Christ does accomplish the will of God. This is something that requires human choice and action.

 

[guanophore]

The keynote in this parable: he had no wedding garment. A requirement for attendance. He didn’t belong there, he never did. Fast forward to post-cross: He was not clothed in righteousness, specifically, “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of FAITH” (Phil. 3:9).

I agree with you on this one, MD. Many are called, but few are chosen. Those who choose to answer the call become clothed with the righteousness of God in Christ. Do you think that God clothes them, or do they clothe themselves. Who is responsible for putting on the wedding garment?

 

[sandusky]

ryanoneil:

John 15
1
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
2
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
3
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
4
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
5
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
6
Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8
By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
9
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Where in that passage is God’s foreknowledge, predestination to grace, His calling and justification mentioned?

How do you square the above passage with Jesus saying that His sheep will never perish (Jn 10)? How do you square the above passage with the fact that it’s the Father’s will that of all those given by Him to the Son that the Son should lose none (Jn 6)?

 

[thenobes]

Can a sheep turn into a goat? …on its own power?

How do you square the above passage with the fact that it’s the Father’s will that of all those given by Him to the Son that the Son should lose none (Jn 6)?

If it can, it is the goat who is lost, not the sheep.

It is the Father’s will, but does God allow us ***our own ***will?

peace
steve

 

[moondweller]

Now that’s a stretch of interpretation if I ever heard one. In the Gospel passage, not wearing the required garment signifies that the invited did not answer the call in the appropriate manner.

That’s right. He came in dressed in his own righteousness - his own works - the dictates of his own religion (cf. Matt. 7:21-23).

To go before Him to answer the call without having done this is to be like the man who showed up for the wedding in any manner HE thought suitable.

Yes, thinking his works suitable, his righteousness acceptable before God.

Salvation is impossible for man to do on his own by his own deeds. However, likewise, the faith of man is not enough either.

This is answered quite adequately by Paulhil 3:8 "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which {comes} from God on the basis of faith,To the contrary, Dennis, faith is enough and grace is sufficient. Works that follow may gain a reward, but salvation is gifted, through faith, unmerited and undeserved in any way. Those who think it is may, ‘in that day,’ also find themselves “speechless,” escorted out and barred from the kingdom.

True faith requires we trust solely in God and His goodness and love for us. Without God’s love, faith is an excercise in futility.

Agreed. God’s goodness and love for us is demonstrated in the cross - the work of God through which divine salvation is wrought. Yours is simply to believe it, as Paul did and he received the righteousness which comes from God “on the basis of FAITH” (alone).

 

[sandusky]

Pax:

God forces no one to be saved. God desires that all men be saved. We know, however, that not all men are saved. Among those that are not of the elect of heaven are those that fall from grace.

The following passage simply nails it:

Galatians 5:1-5

FOR FREEDOM Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness.

This deals with reliance on the Mosaic Law to save, Pax, as Heb 6 did.

Be that as it may, how do you square your contention that the one mentioned above loses his salvation, and that He was justified and belonged to Christ with the passages that state that those who are Christ’s will never perish (Jn 10), and that it’s the Father’s will that the Son lose none of those given to Him by the Father, but raise them up on the last day?