Quote:
Originally Posted by jerry
This ends the debate, if you accept the Bible:
Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
....Abraham, David, and all OT believers were saved by faith, by grace - not by the works of the Law.
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The passage above refers to Abraham in Genesis 15.
Now here are some passage some may REFUSE to believe:
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? can faith save him?
17 Even so f
aith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that
faith without works is dead?
21 Was not A
braham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and
by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that
by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also.
The problem is solved, not by hyperdispensationalizing, but by rightly dividing the word of truth.
James is written to the TWELVE tribes, but not to the ONE BODY (to whom writes Paul).
James said that faith alone cannot "save" nor make one "justified", if there is no works; Paul says a man can be "justified by faith" alone.
Paul writes to the Church and used Genesis 15 to show that it is POSSIBLE to have imputed righteousness as well as justification by faith alone without works in this age.
But James writes to the Twelve Tribes and says faith has to be "perfected" (completed) by works to "save" a man and make him "justified" BEFORE GOD as was Abraham. (There was no other men present when Abraham offered Isaac BEFORE GOD.)
Using this approach, there was NO adding, NO subtracting, NO twisting, NO hyperdispensationalizing. Just RIGHTLY DIVIDING.
