Jude 2

Faith vs Works
Much has been said concerning the relationship between faith and works as far as our salvation goes. I would like your input about faith and works. Can you have one with out the other? Is faith all that we need. Remember Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

I believe they go hand and hand. By faith only? I think if we have faith as a grain of an mustard seed they can say to this mountain be thy removed to the sea. Is not that works? So even if we have the lest of faith one you still have works to bear witness.

Then at the end we will stand before God as give account of our works.
Revelation 20:12

oletimer wrote:Faith vs Works
Much has been said concerning the relationship between faith and works as far as our salvation goes. I would like your input about faith and works. Can you have one with out the other? Is faith all that we need. Remember Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Salvation is not wrought by works, it is by faith (which is itself a gift from God). Works, however, are the evidence of that faith. If one is saved, the works are going to be present.

Tracy wrote:

oletimer wrote:Faith vs Works
Much has been said concerning the relationship between faith and works as far as our salvation goes. I would like your input about faith and works. Can you have one with out the other? Is faith all that we need. Remember Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Salvation is not wrought by works, it is by faith (which is itself a gift from God). Works, however, are the evidence of that faith. If one is saved, the works are going to be present.

Well said.

Tracy wrote:

oletimer wrote:Faith vs Works
Much has been said concerning the relationship between faith and works as far as our salvation goes. I would like your input about faith and works. Can you have one with out the other? Is faith all that we need. Remember Ephesians 2:9 "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Salvation is not wrought by works, it is by faith (which is itself a gift from God). Works, however, are the evidence of that faith. If one is saved, the works are going to be present.

Absolutely. And to ADD to it.. let's hold up Jesus as an example of not being in a hurry, anxious, or rush to generate good works. It was just whom he was as a SON ( paternal not performance ) and His Father was WELL PLEASED before he had done anything as it related to his ministry. We now have that same spirit of sonship in us and will behave also accordingly. Established in whom we are to enjoy true liberty, as it is fitting for sons and heirs.

I liken this to the person who won't work but says he has a job.

"Where do you work?"

"Oh, at So-and So."

"You're awfully clean to be working there. Must be an administrator?"

"No, they've got me outside. It's hot. [It's cold.] My boss is a real pain. And, they're not paying me enough."

"So, what work do you do?"

"I'm a hill mover."

"What's that?"

"A hill mover moves hills."

"How?"

"Buddy, when it's hot out there, you'll see how."

"What do you use to do it and where are you going with it?"

"Well, people order the stuff that the hills are made of and they use them to make their own hills or other stuff. As much money as they make at that company, you'd think they'd pay me more. I've been there 2 years, man. I've got kids to feed. I'm looking for another job."

"Don't you have a job now?"

"You don't get it, man."

"I think I do. You have a job, but you don't make any work happen and you said you want more money but you haven't said how you're going to make more work happen."

Show me your work and I'll show you what job you've got. Show me your work, and I'll see what faith you've got.

I've said this to an employee: "You don't have a job. What you have is work to do. The work you actually do is the job you actually 'have'. You may outwork that job. If so, you're rare, and we'll either find something that you can work at that helps us and we'll pay you accordingly, or you'll discover that we don't have what you need and you'll work somewhere else that can. What we provide you is an opportunity to work. That's the 'job'. If you don't work up to the opportunity, you don't have anything -- not even an opportunity for very long."

Seems to me that faith is very much like that. Faith is God's opportunity for us to obey. We have it because He gives it to us. (Faith is the gift of God says Eph. 2:8.) Like opportunity -- we either seize upon it with obedience and work or we don't. It is the place with God in which we can actually do the will of God. No one can see that we "have" it unless we're doing it.