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DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY WORKS Eph 2:9
Bible study notes | 1993 | R. B. Thieme, Jr.

Posted on 06/15/2015 2:49:32 AM PDT by Cvengr

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY WORKS

Eph 2:8-10

(8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

(9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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

  1. Definition.
    1. Salvation by works is a false doctrine which rejects God's grace policy in the provision of eternal salvation for the human race.
    2. Salvation by works rejects the total helplessness of mankind under real spiritual death. Real spiritual death not only means separation from God at birth and total depravity, but it also means helplessness to do anything about our status quo.
    3. Salvation by works makes the distinction between Christianity and religion.
      1. In Christianity, mankind is eternally saved through the work of God. God the Father planned it, God the Son executed it on the cross, and God the Holy Spirit reveals it.
      2. However in religion, man seeks to gain the approbation of God through some category of human works, self-sacrifice, personality, or energy of the flesh. Christianity is not a religion. In Christianity, God does the work and man is the beneficiary apart from any merit or any works.
    4. There are at least seven categories of salvation by works rejected by the Word of God, as in Eph 2:9, "It is not by works."



TOPICS: Apologetics; Evangelical Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: lordship; salvation; works
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To: ADSUM
IF?

Don't you know Scripture?

EVERY knee will bow...


Yup; Mary; too!!

161 posted on 06/16/2015 3:50:17 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

“Ye shall call those who lord it over you, Father.”


162 posted on 06/16/2015 3:51:16 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Springfield Reformer
They’re our badminton team, right? :)

HERETIC!

(...and probably RACIST; too!!!)

163 posted on 06/16/2015 3:52:47 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: imardmd1

Well said. Thank you for expounding on that.


164 posted on 06/16/2015 3:52:49 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Mark17

Of COURSE!

Who expects any ice; EVER!!!; in Tampa?


165 posted on 06/16/2015 3:53:38 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ADSUM
Faith alone, like sola scripture is just made up by a made up religion.

And Mary's sinlessness is a proven FACT!

166 posted on 06/16/2015 3:54:30 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: imardmd1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,

WHAT?

I don't have to wait until JUDGMENT to find out?

167 posted on 06/16/2015 3:55:55 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mark17; ADSUM

A police officer sees a drunken man intently searching the ground near a lamppost and asks him the goal of his quest. The inebriate replies that he is looking for his car keys, and the officer helps for a few minutes without success then he asks whether the man is certain that he dropped the keys near the lamppost.

“No,” is the reply, “I lost the keys somewhere across the street.” “Why look here?” asks the surprised and irritated officer. “The light is much better here,” the intoxicated man responds.


168 posted on 06/16/2015 3:57:48 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Mark17

We are new creatures in Christ.

There is no indelible mark on my soul that anyone ever put there and even if they did, or think they did, it can be erased by the cleansing blood of Jesus.


169 posted on 06/16/2015 4:04:17 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: ADSUM

And the Truth is found just where?

Scripture?

Or the Catholic church?


170 posted on 06/16/2015 4:05:40 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: ADSUM
So where in the Bible does it state by “faith alone”?

In Romans and Ephesians.

Guess what? It is not there.

Guess what? It IS.

Salvation by grace by believing

John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Acts 16:27-31 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Romans 3:20-30 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Romans 4:1-25 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 10:9-13 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 2:15-21 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 3:1-29 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Ephesians 2:1-10And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Not of works so that no one should boast. Claiming works are required gives man something to boast about before God and makes God indebted to him, that God owes him something.

And there's nothing man can do to make God OWE him anything.

171 posted on 06/16/2015 4:10:38 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: ADSUM

Hi!

Your heresy charge made me laugh.

That’s when you lost the debate. Instead of making an empty and meaningless charge, defend your faith! If you can’t defend what you believe with more than feeling, speculation, and changing traditions; if you can’t defend your faith with God’s Word, then CHANGE WHAT YOU BELIEVE!

Now, address these points instead of changing the subject:

1. The Sacrifice of Jesus Can Not Be Repeated. And there’s No NEED to Repeat It. Hebrews 7:26,27; 9:24-28 The Catholic church offers the sacrifice of Jesus on a weekly basis through the Mass. The Bible says that the sacrifice of Christ was: Hebrews 9:11-15 – Once for all. Hebrews 9:26 – Once to remove sin. 9:28 – Offered once. 10:10 Once for all. 10:11-12 One sacrifice for sins. 10:14 – One offering 10:15-20 – No longer any need for a sacrificial offering. Why do the Catholics continue to offer to God that which He calls unnecessary?

2. Jesus Could Not Offer a Sacrifice as Priest on Earth before He Died. Hebrews 7:12-14, 9:15,16; Col. 2:14

3. The Doctrine of the Mass Contradicts the Nature of True Miracles. John 2:1-11 (”Mmmm - That’s some GOOD wine!”)

4. Eating Jesus’ Literal Flesh and Blood Would Constitute Blood Drinking and Cannibalism. Leviticus 17:6-14; Acts 15:29

5. There Is No Special Priesthood to Offer a Sacrifice Today. 1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:6; Hebrews 13:15

6. Jesus Himself Identified the Cup to Be “Fruit of the Vine” After He Said It Was His Blood. Matthew 26:29; Paul reiterates the point. 1 Corinthians 11:23-28

7. The Communion with Jesus’ Body and Blood Is Spiritual in Nature. 1 Corinthians 10:16, 18, and 20
Jesus tells us that he is speaking metaphorically. Jesus often spoke in metaphorical language. He called the religious leaders “blind guides” (Mt. 23:16), he called Herod a “fox” (Lk. 13:32), and he called himself a “door” (Jn. 10:7) and a “vine” (Jn. 15:1). None of these symbols should are considered to be literal. Likewise, in this passage, we know that Jesus was speaking metaphorically, because he later says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (Jn. 6:63).

8. “Eucharist” means what it says: “Thanks!”


172 posted on 06/16/2015 4:18:27 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
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To: ADSUM

You can scream all you want about cultist demands for submission but I follow Christ not Catholicism. I study scripture not cultist Catechisms. God commanded that blood not be eaten. Even under the new covenant the apostles continued that when they met in Jerusalem. Still Catholics think that the apostles sent letters to the churches to not eat blood then went around encouraging them to eat blood. The duplicity is amazing. Or should we say double tongued?


173 posted on 06/16/2015 4:18:48 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: ravenwolf; Cvengr
Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Want to compare the number of verses that say it's faith rather than works to the ones that the Catholic Church uses to say otherwise?

174 posted on 06/16/2015 4:28:49 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: ADSUM; Cvengr
>>So where in the Bible does it state by “faith alone”?<<

Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Faith without works.

175 posted on 06/16/2015 4:34:06 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: metmom
>>What’s important to Christians is whether the charge can be made of being against the teaching of Scripture, not the teaching of some denomination.<<

With Catholics the "church" supersedes scripture.

176 posted on 06/16/2015 4:38:02 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: ADSUM; MHGinTN
>>You keep repeating yourself and ignore the words and actions of Jesus.<<

Jesus words were "the words I speak they are spirit, the flesh profits nothing". Yet Catholics insist it's the flesh.

177 posted on 06/16/2015 4:40:44 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: ADSUM; MHGinTN
>>I will still go with the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH. Jesus said he would be with us until the end of time.<<

Please show where Jesus ever called His ekklesia that.

178 posted on 06/16/2015 4:42:27 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: CynicalBear
_._. ._. .. _._. _._ . _ ...
179 posted on 06/16/2015 5:06:55 AM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
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To: CynicalBear

Want to compare the number of verses that say it’s faith rather than works to the ones that the Catholic Church uses to say otherwise?


No, because I don`t know what scriptures the Catholics use for that purpose.

But I know what Jesus said about it and one scripture by him is worth more than all of them said by any one else to supposedly contradict what he said.

Mathew 25
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.


180 posted on 06/16/2015 6:13:26 AM PDT by ravenwolf (t)
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