And you continue to claim that salvation is achieved by intellectual effort and understanding.
(Don't like that response? It's as fair, and as charitable, and as accurate, as what you said to me ...)
I don't mind that response at all. It's your belief and you're entitled to it. It does not offend me.
And I'm not trying to be "uncharitable." I give you Scripture and my understanding of it. You give me your understanding of it. That's how discussions work.
As far as salvation being "achieved by intellectual effort and understanding," I can see why a Roman Catholic would think that. You rely on church hierarchy to interpret Scripture and to declare Biblical truths.
As a Protestant, I rely on Scripture and the preaching of the word of God, and on the inerrant leading of the Holy Spirit to all righteousness.
We differ.
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." -- 2 Timothy 3:16-17"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." -- 1 Corinthians 1:20-22,24,30-31
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." -- 1 Corinthians 2:4-7.13"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." -- Colossians 2:6-8
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." -- Colossians 3:16
The other day I was struck by the beauty of a certain passage from Scripture to which my husband replied, "Yes, and that proves that it's true."
God is no dummy. He is accurate and certain and specific and precise in all that He does.
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." -- Isaiah 55:11