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***The 2 passages are not contradictory, as you seem to imply. ***

Here is how it was explained to me by a CoC preacher forty two years ago.

Paul says Faith = justification.

James says Works = justification.
Therefore

Faith + works = justification!

Yet Paul says justification is WITHOUT WORKS.

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he had whereof to to glory, but not before God.

But WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE? Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

NOW to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace but of DEBT.

But to him that worketh not, but BELIEVE on him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Rom 4:7 [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Rom 4:8 Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

And then this..

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I’ll say it again in caps!

CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.

Well, you've done a fine job of pointing out that we are created to do go works after we are saved, but that is not part of being saved. It is the RESPONSE to being saved. Correct.

You did not answer my straight forward question however: How do reconcile 'working out your salvation with fear and trembling' with 'For by Grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast.'

Let me be clear here. The CoC position is NOT that anyone ever EARNS salvation, which you are seemingly attributing to the CoC. If the 'preacher' you ascribe this heresy to was actually was teaching this, he must not have read his Bible much. (Which, BTW, is the hallmark of the CoC - the Bible is the ONLY authority.)

Another point: the CoC congregations are all independent of one another. Are you an authority because you were briefly associated with one congregation 42 years ago?

As has been pointed out earlier in the thread, there can be several congregations in a single town that have each come to different conclusions about a subject but are each "Fully convinced in their own minds" after a careful study of God's Word.

So, Ruy, I don't care what some crackpot said 42 years ago. I'm asking YOU the question. How can God's infallible Word (You DO believe in inspiration, don't you?) say we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling AND say that we can't be boastful about being saved because we had nothing to do with it?

HMMN?