Recall, for your edification, whom Jesus referred to as 'let the dead go bury the dead'. Those whom the Son has saved, are alive in Christ, not dead in their tresspasses and sins. This isn't batting practice, son, it is your eternal destiny at stake. You will not gain salvation after all that you can do. He is the Savior, your efforts will never earn so great a gift as His Life accounted for you.
You might find this assertion from the mormon an interesting insight into their mindset.
II Cor 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. [Even you can see this is referring to false apostles!]
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. [Those are dead spirited beings being referred to. Read the passages again and see of what your word search can teach to you by reading further before and after the texts the search highlights.]
As far as the garce/works "debate" this is what I find so interesting. Your church is like a tone deaf musician, you can play the notes but can't make the music.
It is not by works we are saved, it is by our works we are known to be saved. Grace saves us period:
Ephesians 2:7-10
7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
That seems pretty clear to me.
Because of our acceptance of God's gift of grace we do good works, not as a requirement for entrance into the kingdom, but because we want to share the joy and love. The Holy Spirit fills our souls and our love comes through in our actions. Yes, we will be known by our works, know as ones who truly accepted the gift so freely given among all of God's people.
James says it best...
James 2:14-18
14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
If you don’t like it, write your own Bible
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DUH...
That’s what this thread is about...
The false prophet Joseph Smith didnt like God’s requirement of righteousness to live a Godly life...
He wanted an excjuse to keep on committing adultery and cheating on Emma, his only legal wife..
and so he wrote his own porn, err I mean thingy...
I cant say Bible, there’s only ever going to be one of those...
The Old Testament and the New Testament...
Jonah 3:10
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
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Stop taking Scripture out of context...
This comes from never having read The Bible for yourself...
Rocket Science would be a breeze for you, compared to tossing out scriptures after 40 years of ignoring the Word of God..
The WORKS were REPENTANCE......
For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
The whole passage of Scripture...
Jon 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Jon 3:5 ¶ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
Jon 3:6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
Jon 3:7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
Jon 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
Jon 3:9 Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Jon 3:10 ¶ And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
Revelation 20:12 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Well, when people want to be judged by their works instead of depending on the grace and mercy of God, then they shouldn't be surprised when God gives them what they want.
Besides, when they reject Christ, there's nothing left for the judgment to be made on. It's Christ or the Law. If you reject Christ, the Law is the only other option.
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
If you add anything to the work of Christ on the cross, you're saying that the death of Christ is not good enough to save you. If your works are needed in addition because they're good enough and Christ's death isn't, then your works should be good enough by themselves and that's what you're depending on; not Christ's death.
Way to spit in the face of Christ and tell Him He didn't do enough for you; that you can do better. I don't think so.