Trusting Jesus = Justification

This is very true. Yet the question remains, why are some found righteous and others are not?

Does it have to do with how they lived their lives while here on earth?

 

Rejecting or accepting, those are still just actions.

I know those who perscribe to the 'just Jesus' view don't like to admit that, but it is true.

 

Rejecting or accepting are not "actions" or "Acts", they are conditions of faith. One can reject without even knowing it, by simply not accepting.

These, accepting or rejecting, are not "works" that man can do, there is no effort expended in believing or not believing. Believing is accepting, not believing is rejecting.

I could tell you God is Purple. Now what effort do you expend to accept or reject that thought that I expressed? Not one erg of labor is expended. You either believe it or you do not believe it.

Faith in Jesus Christ begins with hearing of Him. Once you hear of Him as in, "God is purple" you either believe what you hear or you do not believe what you hear. Faith itself is belief held over time, sustained from its inception. That is, continuous believing from the moment you first heard and believed.

Faith requires no expenditure of effort, however faith retains its health through nourishment, which is repetitive feeding on the object of faith. Nourishment is "hearing the Word" including all new hearing.

Faith can end after the nourishment ceases in the same manner that our bodies die when we stop injesting nourishment. It starves to death!

Sorry about the previous post, I pressed the "GO" button before I was ready.

 

As I said, some don't want to admit this.

Even so, I do agree that this act is necessary. There are alot of other actions that are the result of this act, but those are acts too.

 

As I said, some don't want to admit this.

Even so, I do agree that this act is necessary. There are alot of other actions that are the result of this act, but those are acts too. </font>[/QUOTE]No action on our part is necessary. God alone saves us. We are saved by faith given to us by the Holy Spirit not on account of a faith that we have earned through the merit of the "decision."

Justification is a judicial act not a process. God has rendered his verdict. On the basis of the active and passive obedience of his incarnate Son offered up vicariously for us, God tells us that we are righteous. And, through faith, we lay hold of the righteousness of Christ that justifies the guilty man.

 

You must throw out alot of scripture in order to come to this conclusion.

Obedience is an action. You contradict yourself.

 

You must throw out alot of scripture in order to come to this conclusion.

Obedience is an action. You contradict yourself. </font>[/QUOTE]No action on our part is required. The scriptural basis for justification by faith alone is provided in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession as referenced in my August 20th post.

 

The why is self control a sign of the spirit?

By the way, obedience is still an action.

As I said, in order to hold this view, one must throw out alot of scripture. One scripture does not deny another. All it does is show that God is beyond our understanding.

The Bible is clear that our salvation is linked to our actions. See Galatians 5.

 

Faith alone huh?

How about repentance?

Does faith without repentance save?

If not, then so much for "faith alone".

 

The why is self control a sign of the spirit?

By the way, obedience is still an action.

As I said, in order to hold this view, one must throw out alot of scripture. One scripture does not deny another. All it does is show that God is beyond our understanding.

The Bible is clear that our salvation is linked to our actions. See Galatians 5. </font>[/QUOTE]The obedience of another is not an "act" that we ourselves do. Believing the other "acted" is what occurs in us and is not an "act" but rather a condition that changes our faith that resulted in us from the "act" of the other. He did it, believe it or not!

Our "actions" are the result of our faith condition. That is, we do in accordance with what we believe in! The belief we have is not the "act", but just as our belief influences what we do, what we do influences what we believe. Likewise, what others do also influences what we believe. I would never have driven a car if I did not see others driving cars. If they can do it, I can do it. I would never have run off a cliff with nothing but a framework of tubes and fabric called a "hang-glider" if I had not first witnessed others doing it and believed in my own heart that I too could do that. What a thrill it is to soar free from all but the glider and the wind. Much of my behavior now relates back to that first time when I acted on my belief that I too could do that.
Believing and Not-believing are not "actions", no effort involve in either.

 

Faith alone huh?

How about repentance?

Does faith without repentance save?

If not, then so much for "faith alone". </font>[/QUOTE]How can there be faith without sorrow for sins?

 

I'm not OSAS so I really can't answer that question.

Those who hold to OSAS seem to believe that unrepented sin after the one time saving expression of faith makes no difference.

So if you can have faith without repentance after being saved, why can you not have faith without repentance when you get yourself saved?

 

I'm not OSAS so I really can't answer that question.

Those who hold to OSAS seem to believe that unrepented sin after the one time saving expression of faith makes no difference.

So if you can have faith without repentance after being saved, why can you not have faith without repentance when you get yourself saved? </font>[/QUOTE]I'm not OSAS either. But Christ has promised full absolution to all who repent and trust in His merits alone.

 

Well then, according to the above: faith and contrition are two seperate things.

I will rephrase my question.

If you have faith but no contrition are you saved?

If not, then no faith alone.

 

Well then, according to the above: faith and contrition are two seperate things.

I will rephrase my question.

If you have faith but no contrition are you saved?

If not, then no faith alone. </font>[/QUOTE]How can there be faith without sorrow for sins?

 

Easy, you just have faith that Jesus will forgive your sins and that's that.

 

Easy, you just have faith that Jesus will forgive your sins and that's that. </font>[/QUOTE] Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Cor. 7:9,10