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Q. Before a man is saved by grace, is he capable of faith? A. No, before a man is saved by grace, he is dead in trespasses and sins. Q. Then how can "by grace through faith" be through the faith of the one still dead in trespasses and sins? Q. Then, by grace through whose and what faith? |
July 18,
2013 at 10:50 AM ·
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith..."
Eph 2
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.
This is
a very popular passage. Many have repeated part of it ad nauseam to promote,
ignorantly and unintentionally, DEMONIC doctrines. Demonic doctrines - strong
word indeed... and it is needed because the gospel truth is at stake. Christ
Jesus is marginalized and man centralized!!
1Ti 4:1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils...
Apostle
Paul did warn of this harsh reality!
"Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD..."
sing
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith..."
The
first demonic doctrine this grand declaration is abused and perverted to
promote: "for by grace are ye saved through faith, THAT IS, THROUGH your
act of believing in Jesus Christ."
The
preposition "through" means
a) the
ground or reason by which something is or is not done
1) by
reason of
2) on
account of
3) because
of/for this reason
4)
therefore
Now ask yourself... are you saved by grace on account of YOUR act of believing in Jesus Christ? Really? If not, then stop believing a doctrine of the devil!
The noun "faith" means
2)
fidelity, faithfulness
a) the character of one who can be relied on.
Now ask
yourself... through whose fidelity or faithfulness or character is relied upon
for your salvation by God? Yours, or someone else? If someone else, Who?
sing
"and that not of yourselves..."
"and that not of yourselves..."
The
second demonic doctrine this negating declaration is abused and perverted to
promote: the pronoun "that" (in the neuter) refers back to
"faith" (in the feminine).
Now,
false humility is a ready companion of demonic doctrines. Very many are sincere enough to admit... 'oh yes, it is through my act of believing, but my ability
to believe is a gift of God.' Such false humility! But it is the all-important
you who make use of the gift that saved you, isn't it? Your believing made all the difference! You
did the work of believing... and you are saved by God through your work of
believing... a demonic doctrine!
And believing is WORK!!! See John 6:28-29!
But the pronoun "that" refers back to the salvation which is "by grace through faith."
That
salvation is NOT of yourselves... negation!
That
salvation is the gift of God ... affirmation!
sing
"it is the gift of God."
The
third demonic doctrine this affirmative declaration is abused and perverted to
promote: the pronoun "it" (in the neuter) refers back to
"faith" (in the feminine) even though the noun gift is in the neuter.
It refers back to the salvation which is "by grace through faith."
That
salvation is the gift!
We all
know, a gift is something that comes from WITHOUT, given to us by someone.
Salvation is a gift from God, and it is a gift without any condition... it is
given freely, by grace... with no condition whatsoever, not even the act of
believing. "By grace" declares the MANNER that salvation through
Jesus Christ is bestowed - freely, without any condition, for the intended
recipients are wholly and utterly incapable of meeting the littlest iota of
condition!
The grace of faith which enables a man to believe is a fruit worked WITHIN a child
of God (already saved by free grace). In this context, faith is most definitely
NOT the gift spoken of!!! To believe so is to believe in a demonic doctrine...
replacing the gift of God with something you do!
"That
we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive..."
Jorge
That is also another hard saying to Calvinians, the "THAT' and "IT" pure doctrine of grace.
That is also another hard saying to Calvinians, the "THAT' and "IT" pure doctrine of grace.
sing
"it
is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast."
This completely repudiates the demonic doctrine that "through faith" means through the believing act of men.
It is
not of works, NOT even the works of believing. Christ
Himself declared that believing in Him is a work required by God of His
children.
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
inquirers want to DO... DO... DO... that they might WORK... WORK... WORK... the
works of God, i.e. the work of righteousness that God requires; NOT the works
that God does. The inquirers were no such blasphemous fools. (This needs to be
stated because MANY refusing to accept the simple truth that believing is a
WORK, they need to twist and perverse the simple and plain meaning of "the
works of God" to mean the works that God does.
Jesus
replied directly to the honest inquiry thus: the work of God, i.e. they
inquired about the WORKS of God, the works that God requires of them, so Christ
pointed out to the chief work... the missing WORK (singular) in them, the work they have NOT done, even the WORK of believing in Christ.
Yes,
believing in Christ is a work God requires of His CHILDREN.
BOTH...
BOTH ... BOTH works and faith ARE EVIDENCES and EFFECTS of eternal salvation
already bestowed by free grace, and both are needed for a child of God (become
one by free grace ALONE) for his temporal salvation, his well-being here on
earth.
Jorge
"THAT" (faith) not of yourself ... 'IT" (faith)is the gift of God.
"THAT" (faith) not of yourself ... 'IT" (faith)is the gift of God.
sing
"THAT"
(a neuter pronoun referring to the salvation by grace) not of yourself . . . .
. "IT" (a neuter pronoun referring to the salvation by grace, which)
is the gift of God.
A basic
rule of grammar: the noun and pronoun must match in gender and number.
The devil is quite happy to put a feminine head to a masculine body, or vice versa,
and causes all manner of evils.
Joey
Christ
is the gift of God, He gave His only begotten Son. Through faith OF Christ, He
saved us. That is why He said, it is finished! He is the Faithful in Revelation,
and that not ourselves.
sing
Jorge inquired: So you mean sir, 'that" is referring to saved by grace not to the word faith"?
========
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God."
The one
thing (noun) spoken of is this: saved by grace through faith.
The
pronouns refer back to that noun.
The
pronouns "that" and "it" both refer to the noun
"salvation."
-
"that" not of yourself is NEGATION,
-
"it" is the gift of God is AFFIRMATION of the same.
Jorge
Faith is
also a noun', the word salvation is not there, saved by grace through faith; and
(that) saved by grace? or (that) faith is not of yourself, well no contradict
sing
Faith is
indeed a noun; it is a FEMININE noun.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4102&t=KJV
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4102&t=KJV
So, if
the pronoun "it" refers back to the feminine noun "faith" I
would expect the pronoun to be of the same gender... a feminine pronoun.
Any Greeks scholar out there may prove me wrong. Just do some Greek-ology and your will win!
The word
"salvation" (which is a feminine noun) is INDEED not there in Eph
2:8, but the CHIEF THING about is being "saved by grace through faith"
is the SUBJECT from verse 1-7!
sing
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith..."
The
first demonic doctrine this grand declaration is abused and perverted to
promote: "for by grace are ye saved through faith, THAT IS, THROUGH your
act of believing in Jesus Christ."
===========
Now,
let's go through Eph 2:1-7... and convince yourself that that faith cannot
possibly be a reference to your act of believing in Christ.
2:1 ¶
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins
- where
do you find faith in those dead in trespasses and sins?
- Ok,
you piously claim God gives it to you as a gift! Fine.
- How
does a man dead in trespasses and sins utilize such a good spiritual gift as
the means of his salvation by God?
- Try
giving a life-giving concoction to a dead man, and ask him to utilize such
great life-giving gift to get life!!! Try it, please. Go, convince yourself!
2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience:
- In
time past, THAT IS, when you were not saved by God yet, what was your spiritual
state?
- Ye
walked according to the course of the world!
- Ye
walked according to the prince of the power of the air!
- Ye
walked according to the spirit that works disobedience, rebellion, and enmity
against God!
- So,
you claim that God gave the gift of faith to such, and such happily utilize the
gift, and was saved through utilizing that God-given means!!!
- What
make you think men in such a state would even want to accept such a gift, and
much less utilizing that gift?
2:3
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others.
- More
description of our nature in time past, before we were saved by God freely.
- We had
our conversation in the lusts of our flesh...
- We
were fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind...
- We
were by nature the children of wrath...
- We
were EVEN as others... those still dead in trespasses and sins, with all its
effects!
- God
giving the gift of faith to such, so that they can utilize it and get saved?
Better cast some goodly pearls to the swine! There's more hope of the swine
accepting it, and utilizing them to adorn themselves!
2:4 ¶
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us...
-
Ahhhhh, that grand and majestic and glorious DIVINE but... to contrast the
impotent and powerless state of man and the great love wherewith He loved SUCH
despicable and horrid sinners!
- The
greatness of that love consists NOT in the greatness of the number of those
love, even though God so loved vast multitudes! even if He had loved just one
sinner, He would have loved so greatly.
- The
greatness of His love consists in loving the horrid and despicable sinners who
hate and rebel against Him!
- Take a
look here: http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/.../john-316-how...
- The greatness of His love consists not in His giving the gift of faith to the
sinners dead in trespasses and sins so that they may utilize such a great gift
as the instrument of their salvation!!!
2:5 Even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye
are saved;)
- This
completely repudiated the SILLY idea that God gives the wonderful gift of faith
to those dead in trespasses and sins so that they may utilize it to get
themselves saved by God's free grace!
- The
Lord God knows doing that would be a cruel mockery and insult to the dead in
trespasses and sins. The infinitely wise God does not WASTE moves, i.e. giving the gift
of faith to the dead and expecting them to utilize the gift to get themselves
saved by God's grace!!!
- This
passage declares the essence and heart of being saved by grace: He quickened
us, who were dead in trespasses and sins, completely unable to bring ourselves
to him, even supposing that He had indeed given us the gift of faith.
- He
quickened us together with Christ. He bestowed us eternal salvation based on
the person and works of Jesus Christ.
- He
quickened us THROUGH the faith of Jesus Christ... as Paul would repeat later in
verse 8!
The Lord
God does not make stupid moves!
Misguided
preachers do, and blasphemously attribute their stupidity to their all-wise
God!
stupid |ˈst(y)oōpid|, adjective (-pider, -pidest)
lacking
intelligence or common sense. (OED)
Cindy
Amen to
this.
sing
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith..."
=======
Learn
the truth, if you will.
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith OF Jesus Christ" is the truth.
"For
by grace are ye saved through your faith in Jesus Christ" is a lie!
Let me
put it very mildly: to switch the focus from Christ to man was, is, and always
will be SATANIC. To substitute the faith of Jesus Christ with the faith of man in Jesus Christ is just that... nothing more and nothing less.
The plain and basic truth, salvation by grace through the faith of Jesus Christ, is
repeated throughout the Scriptures... if you have the reliable Scriptures with
you, to begin with!
Romans 3:
20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
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: --- KJV
Do you
see: by faith OF Jesus Christ, and not by faith IN Jesus Christ?
A
contrast is made between a man's works of the law and the faith of Jesus Christ
as the ground of justification before God. The contrast deals with the same
kind - both speak of righteousness - either the righteousness through man's own
works of perfectly obeying the law of God, or the righteousness through
Christ's faithfulness of perfect obedience of the same law. The latter is the righteousness of
God's own provision!
The
'faith OF - OF - OF Christ' speaks of His faithfulness in His work as the
Redeemer and Saviour of His people through His perfect and complete obedience
to the entire law of God.
For
further details, take a look here:
sing
Gal 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But
if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found
sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. --- KJV
Justification
of life, declaring the condemned dead righteous and not guilty, and forgiving
him all his sins, requires perfect righteousness!
Righteousness
comes by obedience to the law... either by man's own perfect obedience or by
the perfect obedience of a substitute. By man's own obedience, there is only
condemnation.
The
righteousness by God's own provision is by the perfect obedience of Jesus
Christ... THAT IS 'by faith of Jesus Christ'.
This
phrase 'by faith of Jesus Christ' refers to His faithfulness in rendering
perfect obedience to the law in order to secure the righteousness necessary for
the justification of His people. That is the context.
God bestows eternal salvation freely (i.e. by grace) is THROUGH the faith of Jesus
Christ, i.e. His faithfulness in rendering perfect obedience to the law in
order to secure the righteousness necessary for the justification of His
people.
Take a
look here:
sing
Gal 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. --- KJV
=========
Apostle
Paul lived by the faith OF OF OF the son of God!
Apostle
Paul lived NOT by his faith IN IN IN the son of God.
If you
can't discern the vast difference between the two, you have not the basic
requirement to rightly divide the word of truth!
That's
what perverted translations tell you! The faith of the son of God is replaced
and substituted with your faith in Christ!!! See what happened!
sing
Gal 3:
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. --- KJV
=======
What is
the basis or ground of the promise?
Is it
the faith OF Jesus Christ, or is it your faith IN Jesus Christ?
Try
reading the passage with the latter in mind?
Do you
see the stupidity of the idea? Listen to this:
"But
the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus
Christ might be given to them that believe (i.e. have faith in Jesus
Christ)."
This
folly turns a precious Scriptures into a cheap meaningless platitude and
shibboleth!!!
sing
Eph 3: 8
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to
make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus
Christ:
10 To
the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might
be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In
whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. --- KJV
Note
verse 12!
In Jesus
Christ we have boldness and access with confidence!!!
May I
inquire: what is the basis of your having boldness and access with confidence
in Christ - is it by your faith in Jesus Christ, or is it by the faith of
Christ Jesus?
Apostle
Paul affirmed the latter! Too many liars affirm the former... their faith in
Jesus Christ! They actually use Bible translations that promote and license
such lie! (They have confidence in their faith; they have faith in their faith!
New KJ
reads:
"...
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith IN him."
Ole KJ
reads:
"...
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."
Verdict:
two different gospels!!!
sing
Phi 3:9
¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith: (KJV)
=======
Do you
have the righteousness that will make you accepted in the court of heaven? You
know well enough that you do not have your own righteousness - you failed to
obey the law of God, much less perfectly.
If you
do, is that righteousness through the faith of Christ, or is it through your
faith in Christ? How does your faith in Christ generate righteousness for you!
Righteousness REQUIRES obedience to the law!!!
If you
do, is that righteousness which is of your faith in Christ, or is it of God
(God's provision) by faith of Jesus Christ?
The
righteousness which is of God by faith - by whose faith? Christ's faith, or
your faith in Him? I hope
your answer to the question will comfort you and give you assurance!!!
New KJ
reads:
"...
but that which is through faith in Christ..." - ya, YOUR faith in Christ,
that is!
Ole KJ
reads:
"...
but that which is through THE faith of Christ..." - ya, the fidelity of Christ.
sing
Good
night! Now, I can sleep soundly with the faith of Christ firmly fixed in my
heart and mind! All are well.... through the faithfulness of Christ!]
(Peter Missing left some comment but deleted them)
sing
*Missing,
how far does what principle go? And what covenant are you speaking about?
Please elaborate so that I can understand your thoughts. Thanks.
sing
Let's
continue...
Eph 2:7
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by
grace are ye saved through faith;
See the
connection...
The
riches of His grace in His kindness towards us THROUGH Christ Jesus.
For by
His grace are ye saved THROUGH faith...
The SAME
things - the riches of God's grace in His kindness us, and the grace of God by
which we are saved - are spoken of!
And they
are through the SAME means - through Jesus Christ, through His fidelity and
faithfulness.
But the
liars make them different... the same thing is through DIFFERENT means: through
both Jesus Christ and their own faith in Jesus Christ.
That's no longer grace alone but grace PLUS work.
That's no longer grace alone but grace PLUS work.
sing
Eph 2:9
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.--- KJV.
Do you
notice - "not OF works... we are His workmanship... UNTO good
works"?
"Not
OF good works" because of the impossibility of good works when we were
dead in trespasses and sins. There were lots of dead works!
"We
ARE His workmanship" because He CREATED us in Jesus Christ in His work of
quickening us when we were dead in trespasses and sins.
"Unto
good works" because He has created us in Jesus Christ for His own glory
UNTO that end... enabling us to perform the good works, like believing in
Christ!
Believing
is an effect of salvation freely bestowed to us when we were dead, not the
means to secure the salvation by God's grace.
"Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven."
To
elaborate further on something so obvious would be an insult to your
intelligence!
=========
May our blessed and merciful Lord grant you understanding. Amen.
=========
May our blessed and merciful Lord grant you understanding. Amen.
