JD, now you’re off on your own
tangent again. Too bad the good stuff couldn’t last. Izzy
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005
8:01 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] What
exactly is faith apart from obedience to [moral and cere...
In a message dated 4/6/2005 10:44:44 PM Pacific Daylight
Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
DAVEH: Phil 2:12.............???
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Where does it say that you work your way into heaven?
Jd
Lots of people would agree with your use of Philip 2:12,13. For me, I
believe that reconciliation has ALREADY OCCURRED ( Col 1:17-19), that our
"justification" has been supplied on our behalf (that
would mean that we do not work for it), and that our
"righteous" is in Christ (again, supplied to us) because of the
Great Assumption -- His "assuming" all sin (our
sin) in the body of His death.
Couple the above with a study of Romans 4 (especially Paul's thinking
that justification is not of works, that such (our working for our
salvation) would place God in the position of indebtedness to us and, for that
reason, justification MUST be a free gift.
You might read Eph 2:4-10 in this regard. It is probably the most
detailded accounting of "salvation" by grace through faith and not of
works.
I do not ignore the "works" passages. Philip 2:12,13 and James
2 arre problematic to the above disucssion but there are informed
solutions to this apparent "problem" of faith v
works. People of God can disagree on this issue.
The "first church" was chucked full of works
salvationists. It is what we do with our differences that is
important (as well) ----------- whether we practice a
separation from the larger community of faith (something that Christ prayed
against in His last words - John 17) or we can incorporate and prove our
love for the brethren (I Jo 2, 3).
JD
