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Believing is a Work God Requires of His Children |
Are
you saved by grace through faith in Christ?
Then
you are saved through works!!!
Believing
is work! Christ Himself said so!
Why
do so many carelessly contradict Him?
The act of believing in Jesus Christ is MOST CERTAINLY a work. Jesus Christ HIMSELF told men to do this work!
John
6
¶ 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on
him whom he hath sent.
The men inquired: ''what shall WE DO, THAT WE MIGHT WORK the works of God?" Christ replied: The work that God wanted them to do is: 'that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' They were interested in WORKING the WORKS (PLURAL) of God, i.e. the WORKS that God requires of His children. [His children are those elect whom God has effectually called out of their native state of sin and condemnation to grace and salvation)
Christ points them to the FIRST and CHIEF work God requires of them. Christ said, 'First things first... believe on Him whom God has sent.' Please don't contradict Christ and speak blasphemy that believing in Christ is not work! Christ said it is a work God requires His children to work!
The
Lord God said, "This is my beloved Son: hear him" - it is a command
to DO something, i.e. to believe Him! And ONLY God's children, i.e. regenerated
elect, are able to do that work!
Even
so, the popular slogan 'justification by faith alone through grace alone' -
commonly understood is an oxymoron. Justification is not by faith, i.e. man's
work of believing in Christ Jesus. Justification is by the faith of Christ,
i.e. Christ's faithfulness in discharging His work of redemption.
Apostle John said,
"And this is his
commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment." 1John 3:23.
"Believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ" is a divine command; rendering obedience to a divine command is work.
Apostle Paul states it so plainly in Romans: the righteousness needed for the justification of a condemned criminal is the righteousness provided by God Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. It is stated as plain as noonday sun here:
Romans
3:
21
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets;
22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus:
He who ears to hear, let him hear!
Justification is FREELY by God's grace, NOT by your faith;
Justification is THROUGH the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; BY the faithfulness of Christ in His redemptive work.
Justification is not through your faith;
BUT justification is evidenced by faith in Jesus Christ; even so, breath evidences life.
Your faith in Jesus Christ DEMONSTRATES that you have been FREELY justified by God's grace (the MANNER of your justification) based on the redemption that is in Jesus Christ (the GROUND of your justification).
You
are saved by grace through the faith of Christ!
You
are not saved by grace through your faith in Christ!
The former is the gospel; the latter is a lie of the devil!
