How do you think you guys can discuss or critique the bible when you don't even know what the bible says??? Luther decided good works are useless for salvation??? Where did Luther get that idea??? Do you even have a clue??? [Iscool]
How ironic Iscool:
The apostle Paul also made it clear to the Galatians that they could nullify grace. Consider these three passages he wrote to them:
Galatians 2:21:
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
Galatians 3:1-3: 1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Galatians 5:4: You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [Example of grace nullification]
The apostle Paul also told the Romans – 11:5-6: 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then IT CANNOT BE BASED ON WORKS; IF IT WERE, GRACE WOULD NO LONGER BE GRACE.
Simply put: Grace is an unearned, undeserved, unmerited gift!
#1 8 For it is BY GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH—and this is NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT God— 9 NOT by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
#2 Works nullify grace! ...at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it CANNOT be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:5-6; cf. Gal. 2:15-16 -- justified by faith in Christ; not works of the law)
#3 We didn't qualify for eternal life; No, He qualified us: ...giving joyful thanks to the Father, who HAS qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Col. 1:12) [Do you see the PAST tense there -- "HAS qualified you" -- too many seem to neglect too much of God's past tense actions & lean too heavily ONLY on either a present or future tense focus].
#4 Even considering future tense...what does Paul say? ...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6)
Amen to that...These are the words of God passed on to us thru Paul...They mean nothing to Catholics, Mormons, Izlamaniacs, etc...
“...if by grace, then it cannot be based on works...”
No human can be saved by their own works - Catholics realize this - no Catholic thinks they can save themselves by works without God’s grace.
However, salvation can be lost - the notion that once saved always saved is what is actually at issue here. People do turn away from God by their works and can lose their salvation. 2 Peter 2:21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandement which was delivered to them...”
Keeping the commandments and doing what scripture tells us to do IS a work (are works) by it’s (their) very nature. Scripture shows that if a person (or nation) doesn’t do what God as reaveled by scripture tells them to do, they can be lost. In the OT, Israel constantly turns away from God and is lost in the end with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. They believed in God - then disobeyed - disobeying is a WORK.