RE: [TruthTalk] Faith and Works

[Slade Henson]

Do you have the chutzpa to endure when He “tries your works by fire?” How about when he “tests your heart?” Do you have the faith to stand and be counted as one who endures? What “power” is it that allows you to stand? Is it not the faith given to us by the Spirit of the Holy One of Yisrael? Again, let me reiterate that God doesn’t need to see that we have the faith because He already knows. It is US who need the assurance that the faith we posses will stand the fire. If it crumbles and dies, the faith we had was not authentic and it was not faith given by the Spirit — it, in fact, was illusory; it was stubble.   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Judy Taylor Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2004 10:21 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [TruthTalk] Faith and Works   I don't believe God tests faith per se.  He says in the scriptures that he will test the heart to see if we love Him  (Deut 13:3) and that our works will be tried by fire - only the real will make it, wood, hay, and stubble always burns.  judyt works not but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly" and James says "faith if it has not works is dead, being alone; Jas 2:24 You see how by works a man is justified and not by faith only?"  Both use Abraham for an example so how are these seemingly opposite positions reconciled?   It is important to understand what God the Holy Spirit (rather than traditions) means when He uses these terms - because scripture must be interpreted in the light of other scripture... Works in Strongs is 2041 ergon from ergo: act, deed, doing, labor, work.  So what is a "dead" work?  Hebrews 6:1 and Hebrews 9:14 tells us that they need to be repented of up front, right at the beginning, so that we are able to serve the "living God" with a clean conscience. by acting in faith like Father Abraham whose faith was counted to him for righteousness long before the law of Moses or the Cross of Jesus Christ.   Abraham was justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son - but God apparently knew his faith was the saving kind long before this. What makes the difference?  Everyone has faith in something.  Both fear and faith are spiritual, both project into the future and both demand to be fulfilled so there will be some (works) or corresponding actions.  What makes the difference is where our faith rests.  People who believed the prophets of doom who spoke about Y2K had some corresponding actions - they stored up food, batteries etc..  Abraham who believed God, went to Mt. Moriah willing to sacrifice the child of promise because his faith rested in the fact that God was able to raise him up again.   We recently discussed 1 Peter 1:20 on TT.  I would like to point out here that God never deals with a committee.  He always spoke to individuals and this is true for Job, Joseph, Noah, Jonah Abraham and Moses; none of whom had anyone to check it out with.  These men were led by the Spirit of God as we are supposed to be in Christ.  Sometimes I wonder if we are in danger of worshipping the Jewish culture rather than the God of the Promise made to Abraham.  Gentiles are not second class citizens folk. Abraham was a Chaldean, Enoch was not a Jew, Job was not a Jew and Noah was not a Jew.  Jesus died for all men and the Holy Spirit speaks ALL languages ... The Word of God is not bound.   SO FAITH WITHOUT THE RIGHT CORRESPONDING ACTION IS DEAD OR WORTHLESS.   Grace and Peace, Judy