Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Petrosius
Ephesians 2:8-10

Comments in parenthesis mine.

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; [God's grace, His goodness, allows to us to be saved throughr faith. And that faith is in Christ. It is God Who has made this provision available to us]

and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

[Again Paul is clearly teaching there is nothing we can do to earn or merit our salvation. It is God Who gives this to us. It is free to us.]

9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

[Paul continues to make it clear here there are no deeds good enough for salvation. This is pointing back to faith and that faith is in Christ.

IF it is not a result of works. IF it is not a result of anything we can do then it comes down to faith as Paul noted in the beginning of these verses]

10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.[A believer in Christ will produce fruit. But note: this comes about as a result of salvation; it is not the cause of salvation. You can do a million good deeds but without faith in Christ you will not be saved.]

********

IF read in context the NT is clear. We come to Christ through faith/believing in Him and only Him.

Because of that we produce fruit, good works to use Paul's description but no matter how much or how little fruit we produce it does not result in our salvation.

290 posted on 09/12/2019 6:36:05 PM PDT by ealgeone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 258 | View Replies ]


To: ealgeone
God's grace, His goodness, allows to us to be saved throughr faith. And that faith is in Christ. It is God Who has made this provision available to us

Agreed.

Again Paul is clearly teaching there is nothing we can do to earn or merit our salvation. It is God Who gives this to us. It is free to us.

Agreed.

Paul continues to make it clear here there are no deeds good enough for salvation. This is pointing back to faith and that faith is in Christ.

Agreed.

IF it is not a result of works. IF it is not a result of anything we can do then it comes down to faith as Paul noted in the beginning of these verses.

Agreed.

A believer in Christ will produce fruit.

Disagree. A believer should produce fruit by the grace of God but often fails to do so by his own choice.

You can do a million good deeds but without faith in Christ you will not be saved.

Agreed. But why do you even bring this up? Catholic no more believe in by works alone than they do by faith alone. They both must be present.

304 posted on 09/12/2019 6:53:58 PM PDT by Petrosius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 290 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson