Yes, Faith. Some say faith without works is dead. Others say I'll show you my faith by my works. Could it be they are both saying the same thing, if we can for a moment consider the possibility that faith and works are synonymous? By works I refer to the activity that one engages in, mental, spiritual, physical, (no doubt all three) that propels one toward the KNOWLEDGE and prepares one to receive that knowledge.
Upon receiving the knowledge, we find our belief was true, and faith (the works one does, the 'labors' investment) was justified.
For isn't our goal to RECEIVE the personal knowledge of the Author and Finisher of our faith in the same qualitative way as Peter, John the Baptist, Paul, the rest of the apostles, and the post-resurrection church?
Analogy: On payday we receive what we've been working for all week, believing our employer will render to us the fruits of our labors. Once receiving our paycheck, yes, we can say our labor investment (faith) was justified for now we KNOW the promise to pay was a true promise for we are now the possessor of (we have the KNOWLEDGE of) our reward.
So, obviously, if we need rent money, we must go to work to earn it. If we are sick, we must go to the doctor to be made whole. Faith could be another word meaning 'walking the proper path' to get to the doctor's house. For some of us, it's realy hard labor. (Heh!)
Thanks for the FAITH word, ckilmer. Looking at it from this angle helps, and may fill up a few pot holes in the path. And thanks again for your informative reply.
And a post script: Grace? Yes, God is gracious. Thus far we've had the time dispensation (another aspect of Grace) to become fully pursuaded in our own minds that the knowledge of Jesus Christ and He who sent Him is attainable while we are still here.
And further, Grace is the gift of God who stopped time (in a sense) perhaps in the same way time stops temporarily when we are in the 'grace period' when we stop paying our insurance premiums. The policy continues in force anyway -- until that dispensation ends.
it looks to me like you are talking about the process of sanctification.
a statue cannot carve itself. The master craftsman has to do the job.
Just so we cannot save ourselves. The best we can do is bring ourselves into the presence of the Lord and have him do the work on us. Our part, and it is no easy one--is to get into the presence of the Lord. It is Jesus who enables even the greatest of sinners to get into the presence of the Lord. This is the reason that Jesus is the great and gracious gift from the Lord. The hard truth here is that we can only love God because he first loved us. The calvinist catechism in this respect is we are saved "by grace (of God) through faith (in christ)"