I.e., you're engaged in a Scripture contest, just as I said.
Both verses can be read with the faith proposition, in the first case the context actually proves my point that true faith has “fruits” that prove a man’s gratitude.
And they can be read much more plainly and plausibly in the sense of affirming that what we do actually matters come the Judgment Day. You're left with the unenviable task of trying to explain why Jesus' words don't actually mean what they plainly do mean. And this is the central fallacy of the "Reformed" position, as it's being touted on this thread. It requires your interpretation to make it mean something different from what it says. It is no longer Scripture, but rather your interpretation of it, that is the most important thing.
In the second case, a humble man is one who does not take account of his worthiness, who does not exalt himself with some action he may have performed. This is the definition of faith. It that looks outside itself for justification.
What you've just described is "a work," in the context of this conversation. It's a positive and conscious act of submission that we must perform in order that justification may occur. The Pharisee, by contrast, refuses to acknowledge his sins, and is therefore not justified -- his works lead to condemnation, precisely in the manner Jesus described in Matthew 12.
I’m afraid that the rest of your post reads like a liberal Christian textbook. The problem your having is that you are taking isolated texts of Scripture and putting together some conclusion without considering the over-arching story.
Ahhh, the sweet scent of unadulterated irony.... Here you are engaging in a Scripture contest in which you've just attempted to explain away the clear meaning of two very clear passages; and you're allied with a group of "Reformed" folks who are deeply engaged in an exercise in selective use of Scripture, and you actually accuse me of doing it?
And just to be very clear: the over-arching story of the Bible is quite obviously that salvation is a combined effort. God does the really heavy lifting, but we nevertheless have a meaningful role in the process. If nothing else, look to this: From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 4:17) God is sovereign, and we are responsible.
Not according to your definition where I supposedly give a counter-example. I merely rebutted your interpretation of the given texts.
And they can be read much more plainly and plausibly in the sense of affirming that what we do actually matters come the Judgment Day. You're left with the unenviable task of trying to explain why Jesus' words don't actually mean what they plainly do mean. And this is the central fallacy of the "Reformed" position, as it's being touted on this thread. It requires your interpretation to make it mean something different from what it says. It is no longer Scripture, but rather your interpretation of it, that is the most important thing.
It's really not all that unenviable because what you ascertain is the plain meaning is only a reflection of your life situation, or horizon. It does not necessarily reflect what the author was intending to say let alone what the Holy Spirit was saying through the author. You take a few sentences in isolation without any surrounding context of the nearest verses, nor do you consider that the author may have a central theme around which the meaning of the verses could be effected, instead you just add your own presuppositions to the text and call it the plain meaning. That's why you have difficulty with the counter-examples. When two supposedly plain meaning passages apparantly conflict you find no way to resolve the difficulty.
What you've just described is "a work," in the context of this conversation. It's a positive and conscious act of submission that we must perform in order that justification may occur. The Pharisee, by contrast, refuses to acknowledge his sins, and is therefore not justified -- his works lead to condemnation, precisely in the manner Jesus described in Matthew 12. What you've just described is "a work," in the context of this conversation. It's a positive and conscious act of submission that we must perform in order that justification may occur. The Pharisee, by contrast, refuses to acknowledge his sins, and is therefore not justified -- his works lead to condemnation, precisely in the manner Jesus described in Matthew 12.
No, what I'm describing is an instrumental cause. For example, a carpenter uses a hammer to build a house. The house is built by the carpenter through which he uses a hammer, the tool. The work is actually done by the carpenter through the tool. The hammer cannot build the house without the carpenter. Faith is not the actual cause of our salvation its just merely the tool through which Christ works and without Christ's work the tool, faith, is not initiated.
And just to be very clear: the over-arching story of the Bible is quite obviously that salvation is a combined effort. God does the really heavy lifting, but we nevertheless have a meaningful role in the process.
I tell you what, we'll each give a narrative of the Bible that we think supports each of our major Bible theme and then we can critique each others position. Sound good?
The key to the story is that Abraham could have said no.
What evidence do you have for that? Was it his actions that was the cause or was it the instrument, his faith, that God loved? (I think I know what Paul would say.)
That is the antithesis of "the story of the Bible."
It is God who first gives eyes to see and ears to hear and a new heart with which to believe. It is God alone who rebirths the fallen sinner and gives him the ability to repent and believe. All men are fallen and none seek His face unless and until God gives that man His Holy Spirit to make him into a new creature who has been covered by the blood of Christ.
Without God's gift of grace through faith which washes our sins by His regeneration and renews our minds in order to believe and be saved, we are all lost.
Read Ephesians 1. It's all there.
"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" -- 2 Timothy 2:25
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." -- Acts 13:48
"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." -- Romans 9:16
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" -- Titus 3:5 "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee" -- Psalm 65:4
You're just not stepping back far enough. Yes, all men are responsible for obeying God. But the only men who will be able to please God are those whom God has first given grace through faith to know the truth and believe.
All of God.
No man is restrained from seeking God except by his own fallen nature. But only those who have been born again by God alone will even want to come to Him. And all those who ask, will receive. But they ask by the will and purpose and predestining plan of God which He ordained from before the foundation of the world for His glory.
It's not an open story. It's already finished.
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" -- Isaiah 46:10