We do earn brownie points for good works,
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6 [NIV])
Every Believer Must Do Good Works and Proclaim the Gospel, Some Are Called to Teach
- Thread starter cgaviria
- Start date
We do earn brownie points for good works,
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6 [NIV])
To gain life, as opposed to gaining death from evil works. Doing works is necessary as a part of our salvation, to where if you do not do good works, your faith alone will not save you. So yes, you must indeed do good works, whoever thinks otherwise has deceived himself and is in for quite a big surprise in the day of judgment.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Are you not aware that it is by faith and faith alone whereby a person passes from death to life (Jn.5:24, 20:30-31)?
Indeed. amen
No, it is through faith that salvation comes FIRST, that you then MUST YIELD GOOD FRUIT AFTER YOU BELIEVE. If for one minute you think your walk with the Lord stops at simply believing, to where you do not have to do good works after believing, you have fooled yourself,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:14-26 [ESV])
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (Jn.5:24).
You overlooked what James wrote before that:
"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (Jas.1:18).
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
You are not born again because you do not believe the gospel of the grace of God:
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God...And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" (1 Pet.1:23,25).
You refuse to come to the light and here is one reason why many refuse the light:
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (Jn.3:18-21).
I know that's what you legalists believe. Grace is Love. You don't understand this simple principle.
drbrumley
Well-known member
Let us reason together, and see if you're smart, or if you're stupid. If a believer sees a man starving on the street, to where you can even see his rib cages, and the starving man asks the believer money for food, is the believer sinning if he refuses to give him money, yes or no?
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Nice job of trying to change the subject! Evidently the words of the Lord Jesus at John 5:24 have no place in your heart!
I said
lol I think they forget that even Abraham had to prove his faith with works when he offed up Isaac on the altar. The father of faith had to have works.
James 2:20-21
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
(NKJ)
Answer the question, or I will assume that I have cornered you into an obvious conclusion that you yourself don't want to admit.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
You are the one who is cornered because you just run and hide from what the Lord Jesus said at John 5:24. Besides that, Paul and those who were with him tells us exactly what it takes to be saved and "works" have no place in their answer:
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:30-31).
I'm not running and hiding, I am putting into practice what he taught,
…and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22 [NLT])
…and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21 [NLT])
…and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:33 [NIV])
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
(Luke 19:8-9 [NIV])
Whereas you are denying the necessity of giving to the poor, foolishly thinking that your mere faith will save you without works,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:14-26 [ESV])
Which is why you won't even answer the question I just asked, because deep down you very well know it is sin not to give to the poor, for the Law itself also commands it,
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. (Deuteronomy 15:7-9 [ESV])