Who said I am ashamed? My beliefs do not always serve as a good bumper sticker, and can be taken out of context and misunderstood. Necessitating long boring elaborations. But in this case, it's just irrelevant to bring up into a conversation where you won't even address the very first thing I said, that "the works of the law" means something specific.
Yes, you said "the works of the law" are the Old Covenant Law!
I'm using your own definition, yet every time I bring up an example of Old Covenant Law (like every one of the five I have posted above), your response boils down to "Well, actually, those Works of the Old Covenant Law do Justify" (this I know, for the Council of Trent tells me so?)... never mind that Paul says, the Works of the Law don't Justify.
Yes, you said "the works of the law" are the Old Covenant Law!
Works done under the Law. Not just things that happen to be mentioned in the Law that are done by people not under the Law. See my post above, reprinted for you here:
Yes, every example you give is an example of what could be considered a "Good work." For a Christian today. (Nevermind the counter-examples that you claim do not apply today or to Gentiles. I'll let you cherry pick. I'm very gracious.) But they are not what Paul is talking about. They are not "works of the law."
they are works of the Spirit, works of grace. To put it another way, if I do not kill because it is God's law, I am also following the laws of this state. That doesn't mean I am refraining form killing because of my fear of the state.
It is irrelevant that the laws of the state happen to be the same as the laws of God. So is the case here. The acts of a Christian in doing good works happen to be described in the old Law. But the Christian is not doing "works of the Law." The Christian is not following the Law.
To continue my analogy, I refrain from murder not because it is a state law and not even because it is God's law. I do so because it is not in my nature as a spirit-filled Christian to do so. I appear to "follow" and do "good works" as defined by both man's and God's law.
But in reality I am doing neither. I am following the Spirit in grace.
I'm using your own definition, yet every time I bring up an example of Old Covenant Law (like every one of the five I have posted above), your response boils down to "Well, actually, those Works of the Old Covenant Law do Justify" (this I know, for the Council of Trent tells me so?)... never mind that Paul says, the Works of the Law don't Justify.
You haven't understood a thing I have said. This isn't it.
Those who are not under the law who happen to do a good thing that is mentioned in the law are not performing "the works of the law." That's not what Paul is talking about. He is refuting the idea that the Gentile converts need to be under the law and follow the law in order to follow Jesus. He reports that "the works of the law" do not save. And guess what? They dont.
You want to broaden this into an overall indictment of any good work when it is not the intention fo the author to do such a thing.
It's about attitudes and covenants, not about whether a certain action is listed in Leviticus or not.
Did God harden Pharoah's heart against the Hebrews? (Yes, or No?)
Do you really think the Pharoah's heart required hardening? That he was pre-disposed to just let a captive peopl go but God had to change him?
SD