Featured Jesus called "believe", and, therefore, "faith"", a "work".

Romans 4:4-5, ". . . Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. . . ."

 

You butcher this text so that it fits your philosophy.
Rom 4:4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

The text is clear but for the Calvinist it proves their theology is wrong so they have to twist or add words in an attempt to have it fit. That is called eisegesis [an interpretation of scripture that expresses the interpreter's own bias rather than the meaning of the text.]

Even Calvin disagrees with your forced interpretation
This is a very important sentence, in which he expresses the substance and nature both of faith and of righteousness. He indeed clearly shews that faith brings us righteousness, not because it is a meritorious act, but because it obtains for us the favor of God. Calvin's Complete Commentary Rom 4:5

So we can have a clearer picture of Rom 4:4-5 we should look at Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Alan are you going to say Abraham did works so that God owed him salvation?

If Abraham was justified, because he embraced, by faith, the bountiful mercy of God, it follows, that he had nothing to glory in; for he brought nothing of his own, except a confession of his misery, which is a solicitation for mercy. He, indeed, takes it as granted, that the righteousness of faith is the refuge, and, as it were, the asylum of the sinner, who is destitute of works. Calvin's Complete Commentary Rom 4:3

You then try to use John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." to bolster your view but once again Calvin disagrees with you.

They had spoken of works Christ reminds them of one work, that is, faith; by which he means that all that men undertake without faith is vain and useless, but that faith alone is sufficient, because this alone does God require from us, that we believe For there is here an implied contrast between faith and the works and efforts of men; as if he had said, Men toil to no purpose, when they endeavor to please God without faith, because, by running, as it were, out of the course, they do not advance towards the goal. This is a remarkable passage, showing that, though men torment themselves wretchedly throughout their whole life, still they lose their pains, if they have not faith in Christ as the rule of their life.
But we may think it strange that God approves of nothing but faith alone; for the love of our neighbor ought not to be despised, and the other exercises of religion do not lose their place and honor. So then, though faith may hold the highest rank, still other works are not superfluous. The reply is easy; for faith does not exclude either the love of our neighbor or any other good work, because it contains them all within itself. Faith is called the only work of God, because by means of it we possess Christ, and thus become the sons of God, so that he governs us by his Spirit. Calvin's Complete Commentary Joh 6:29

 

LOL, the Calvinists constantly claim a work, singular is "works" plural. Since no one is justified by works, faith must be given to the lost in order to avoid a salvation by "works." This utter fiction is posted again and again, and never with any actual biblical support.

1) Scripture does not say Abraham was made righteous by having his faith credited to him as righteousness.

I should repeat #1 about 100 times, because it is the basic and obvious truth no Calvinist can comprehend, let alone refute.

 

Faith is never given to the spiritually dead, while they are dead. Faith is always given to the person whom God has chosen to make alive, while they were dead, and give the gift of faith that caused them to believe.
This isn't a "Calvinist" teaching, it's a God teaching, in the Bible.

 

And yet another misunderstanding of scripture on display. Austin you are consistent anyway.

 

I proved you wrong in the other thread. I have no need to repeat anything to you.

 

Austin all you did is prove that you do not trust scripture. It was not even a good try on your part.

 

Faith is not given, but God does draw (attract) spiritually dead individuals, which provides their basis for their trust in and devotion to God and His Christ.

2 Thessalonians says God chooses individuals for salvation (which including making them alive together with Christ) through or by utilizing faith in the truth. Thus faith is not given but our faith may be credited or not to us as righteousness. Romans 4:23-25

Calvinism is not God teaching but is man-made doctrine.

 

So, in your theology, faith is not a gift?
Is faith also not authored by Jesus?

To the Bold: No, Paul does not tell the Thessalonians what you claim. That is your Vanology, attempting to assert what God does not assert.

I couldn't care less about Calvinism. I do care about what God teaches, and it is clear that God does not teach Vanology.

 

Once again the false teachers try to claim God's word says Jesus is not the author and perfecter of the faith. Utter nonsense.
Next, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 is claimed not to say God chooses individuals through faith in the truth for salvation. Just read it folks, just read.

Then read Romans 4:23-25, and ask if God bestows blessings such as justification based on crediting a person's faith as righteousness. The "gift of faith" supposedly instilled by "irresistible grace" is a fiction, but God crediting a person's faith as righteousness is a fact.

 

Where do I make that claim, Van?
Faith does not exist without Jesus authoring it and finishing it.

Indeed, your claim about me is utter nonsense.

[/QUOTE]Next, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 is claimed not to say God chooses individuals through faith in the truth for salvation. Just read it folks, just read.[/QUOTE]
Let's look:
*2 Thessalonians 2:11-14*
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is talking about the coming of the Lord and the saints who will be gathered to Christ. To those who are not chosen, God sends a delusion because the did not believe (see Romans 1).

Next we see that the first thing God did was choose the saints to be first fruits (understand how the Levites became the first born of Israel by God's choosing).
Next we see the Holy Spirit setting them apart (sanctifying them) and causing them to believe the truth.

It was to this that the Holy Spirit called those whom God has chosen.
Note that the sanctification and belief are not by human effort.

Let's read:
*Romans 4:13-25*
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

We notice in this passage that our justification came because of the promise of God. He fulfills that promise through faith and it is through that faith that God counts us righteous.
Now, recall that Jesus is the author and finisher of this faith, so God gets all glory and praise for having given us faith as His gracious gift.

Here Van is apparently calling Ephesians 2:4-9 fiction.
*Ephesians 2:4-9*
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Jesus is the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2) and He is the gracious giver of faith upon God making us alive with Christ.

This is fact, but apparently Van imagines it is fiction.

 

First they question whether Jesus is the author of faith, then they claim they did not question that Jesus is the author of faith.

Does 2 Thessalonians say God chose for salvation through faith in the truth, a conditional election? Yes. Do the false teachers deny this truth? Yes

Does choosing through faith in the truth mean causing them to believe? Of course not. But that is the utter nonsense the false teachers push.

Did anyone say God choosing individuals through sanctification and faith in the truth meant human effort? Nope but that is another strawman hoisted by the disinformation pusher.

Does Romans 4:23-25 say God gives individuals faith or God credits the faith of individuals? God credits the faith of individuals as righteousness. Those that believe. Not those given faith by irresistible grace.

Did Van call Ephesians 2:4-9 a fiction? Nope so yet another strawman argument.

What did Van say? "The "gift of faith" supposedly instilled by "irresistible grace" is a fiction, but God crediting a person's faith as righteousness is a fact."

Romans 4:23-25
Now not for his sake only was it written that it [faith] was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it [our faith] will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.

Note that those who believe in Him are the ones whose faith is credited.

 

LOL, the Calvinists constantly claim a work, singular is "works" plural. Since no one is justified by works, faith must be given to the lost in order to avoid a salvation by "works." This utter fiction is posted again and again, and never with any actual biblical support.

1) Scripture does not say Abraham was made righteous by having his faith credited to him as righteousness.

2) Scripture says Abraham's faith was credited as righteousness to Abraham!

I should repeat #1& 2 about 100 times, because it is the basic and obvious truth no Calvinist can comprehend, let alone refute.

Bottom line we are chosen through faith, but our uncredited faith did not merit election, thus faith is not works meriting God's grace. See Romans 4:16

 

No, we are not chosen through faith.
We were chosen by grace, before the world began. We didn't physically exist then, yet God chose us. Therefore, faith has nothing to do with us being chosen.