IFB and Works Following Faith

I think this is a pretty common teaching in IFB churches. In fact, I believe it is a Biblical teaching. Just read the book of James! My only caution is that, as my grandfather taught, works are not proof that a person is a believer, only evidence. So we should not judge anyone as lost or saved by looking at their works.

If we had seen David commit adultery and murder, or Peter deny Christ, or Paul carry out a Jewish vow though the Holy Spirit told him not to, we might think they were unbelievers, but they were saved. Again, remember the parable of the wheat and tares. The very reason tares (unbelievers) were problematic is that they looked exactly like wheat (believers). So a lost person can produce works that make them look saved.

Fundamentalist sanctification has been from the start the Keswick model, for the most part. Ernest Sandeen details how this happened in his history, The Roots of Fundamentalism (pp. 178-181). In that teaching, positional sanctification, based on the atonement of Christ, means that we have all we need to live the Christian life: the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God. In order to life a life of daily revival--good works, if you will--is to be filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. Books I would recommend on sanctification include Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Howard Taylor; The Calvary Road, by Roy Hession; and various books by John R. Rice on the Christian life.

 

Would that be the ole "let go and let God" method?

 

Depends on what you mean by that.

 

We would just need to fully yield to the Holy Spirit and have Him live out the life of Jesus in and thru us!

 

Yes, that is Keswick sanctification theology, put simply.

 

Here?:

10 And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And coming to us, and taking Paul`s girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Acts 21

If so, then I've thought the same thing, but then there's this:

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. Acts 23

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And this:

21 Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. Acts 19

I now think the Holy Spirit was warning Paul what to expect at Jerusalem instead of telling him not to go.

 

Exactly

Demonstrating that even when we blow it, Jesus is still with us, "even to the end of the world."

 

Sorry, I edited my post while you were replying. What about Acts 19:21?

"I now think the Holy Spirit was warning Paul what to expect at Jerusalem instead of telling him not to go. "

 

The verse doesn't say "Holy Spirit." The KJV has "spirit" in lower case, and I agree with that. He purposed in his own spirit, not by the Holy Spirit.

Also, in the Greek, the verb "purposed" is middle voice, meaning that "he himself purposed."

 

So what's here that makes you decide this was a command not to go? Seems it could simply be a foretelling of things in store:

"Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."

 

Acts 21:4, "And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem."

 

There exists a disagreement by ttanslaters and interpreters as to "the spirit" there being "his spirit" or "the Spirit."

 

Enuff said.

 

This entire area of theology is perplexing. I believe our love for God is much more important than our outward actions. David being the prime example. Then we have the Pharisees and Saducees who did everything outwardly right but were not found pleasing to God.

 

Who knows? When we look at David and Saul we see that heart condition is vastly more important than actions.

 

It's somewhat ambiguous--translator's choice.

Many languages, like Japanese and Chinese, have no capital letters or articles, so then it's up to the reader's interpretation.