Is believing/faith a work ?

[Nanja]

Any act of obedience to Gods command is a work, a good work. Believing on Christ is a commandment of God, so therefore a good work 1 Jn 3:23

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Acts 16:31

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The word believe here is the greek word pisteuō and in this instance its an imperative which means:

The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mk.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers.

So believing here would be a good work performed by the Jailor if he obeyed the imperative !

And if his act of obeying this command caused God to save him, then he was saved because of a god work he performed !

Absolutely ! If a person claims one gets saved by his own act of obedience to any command whatsoever, that's tantamount to teaching Righteousness by the Law, making Christ's death meaningless.

So the Gospel command to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, a Fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22, is exclusively directed to the regenerate [Spiritually Alive] to be obeyed: But not offered to all without exception, as taught by those who promote a false gospel of works the Apostle Paul warned about Gal. 1:8.

 

[beloved57]

accomplished by the mind , gotta it

accomplish
1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:
2. to complete

accomplished
1. completed; done; effected:




nothing there that can accomplish a work


so thinking not working



:nono: mental activity can accomplish nothing



again the definition you provided says accomplished

"any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind"

hatred needs to be carried out or performed to be manifested

Denial

 

[way 2 go]

Looking forward to it. Most folk want to discuss everything but the OP points!

Denial

 

[beloved57]

Mans religion will tell you that Salvation/Justification is a recompense for mans act of believing or faith. Thats Salvation by works. They're telling us that Justification before God is premise on mans action or deed of faith/believing and not Christ alone in His Person and Work!

 

[Nanja]

Mans religion will tell you that Salvation/Justification is a recompense for mans act of believing or faith. Thats Salvation by works. They're telling us that Justification before God is premise on mans action or deed of faith/believing and not Christ alone in His Person and Work!

Right on Brother !

If a person takes credit for his own believing or faith in Christ, as an act of obedience of theirs, no matter how subtle the degree, that's salvation by works. For Faith is the evidence of Salvation/Justification Gal. 5:22, and not the cause of it.

 

[beloved57]

Yes Faith is a work, its the act/deed of the man or women who has been #1 Made Righteous by the sole obedience of Jesus Christ Rom 5:19 and #2 who has been born again by the Spirit of God, for Faith is the fruit/work of the Spirit Gal 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

The word fruit karpos means:

(a) fruit, generally vegetable, sometimes animal, (b) met: fruit, deed, action, result, (c) profit, gain.

In fact the word also signifies:

Metaphorically, that which originates or comes

from something; an effect, result;
a. equivalent to ἔργον, work, act, deed:

 

[way 2 go]

If we agree with the overall definition of work according to the greek word for work ergon:

See strongs # 2041:

1. business, employment, that which any one is occupied
   1. that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
2. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
   
   

Yes Faith is a work,

your highlighted definition
"any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind"


accomplish
1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:
2. to complete

accomplished
1. completed; done; effected:

by the definition you highlighted faith is not a work

 

[beloved57]

You dont understand the word work. I laid it out for you.

your highlighted definition
"any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind"


accomplish
1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:
2. to complete

accomplished
1. completed; done; effected:

by the definition you highlighted faith is not a work

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

 

[Squeaky]

I see this same silly argument over and over. It was Gods grace that saved you. In His grace (unsolicited mercy) No works were done to get Him to come up with a new way of pleasing Him. God came up with it all on His own. That new way or opportunity is by sending Jesus with the law of Christ. And in that law we have to work out our salvation through obedience to Jesus and the law of Christ.

[Eph 2:8

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God,

[Phl 2:12
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

 

[Nanja]

Yes Faith is a work, its the act/deed of the man or women who has been #1 Made Righteous by the sole obedience of Jesus Christ Rom 5:19 and #2 who has been born again by the Spirit of God, for Faith is the fruit/work of the Spirit Gal 5:22

22 [FONT="]But [B][U]the fruit[/U] of the Spirit is[/B] love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,[B] faith[/B],

The word fruit [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#001320][FONT=Trebuchet]karpos means:

[COLOR=#0066AA][FONT=Arial] [/FONT][/COLOR](a) fruit, generally vegetable, sometimes animal, (b) met: fruit,[B] deed, action,[/B] result, (c) profit, gain.

In fact the word also signifies:

Metaphorically, that which originates or comes

from something; an effect, result;
[COLOR=#552200][I]a.[/I][/COLOR][B] equivalent to [COLOR=#9F4000][FONT=Cardo]ἔργον[/FONT][/COLOR], work, act, deed:[/B]
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]


[COLOR="#006400"]Perfectly Stated !

The Faith / Believing that is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22 is good work a person does once he has received New Birth passively. He does this good work of Believing to the saving of his soul Heb. 10:39 as a result of being made Righteous by the obedience of Christ on his behalf Rom. 5:19.

Now those who have not been Born of the Spirit, the work of believing they perform is fruitless with regard to salvation, for those in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8:8.

 

[way 2 go]

Perfectly Stated !

The Faith / Believing that is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22 is good work a person does once he has received New Birth passively. He does this good work of Believing to the saving of his soul Heb. 10:39 as a result of being made Righteous by the obedience of Christ on his behalf Rom. 5:19.

Now those who have not been Born of the Spirit, the work of believing they perform is fruitless with regard to salvation, for those in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8:8.

so perfectly stated it fails the OP's criteria

work=
"any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind"


accomplish
1. to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:
2. to complete

by definition faith is not a work

 

[Nanja]

by definition faith is not a work

Sure it is. Faith / Believing is a work of the mind.

Unless a person has been Born of the Spirit of God and Given Faith Gal 5:22; John 3:27 he cannot please God Rom. 8:8.


Eph. 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works [ergon], lest any man should boast.



G2041: ergon

1. business, employment, that which any one is occupied

a. that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking

2. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasized in opp. to that which is less than work

 

[beloved57]

Sure it is. Faith / Believing is a work of the mind.

Unless a person has been Born of the Spirit of God and Given Faith Gal 5:22; John 3:27 he cannot please God Rom. 8:8.


Eph. 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works [ergon], lest any man should boast.



G2041: ergon

1. business, employment, that which any one is occupied

a. that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking

2. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasized in opp. to that which is less than work

Amen. Also faith, believing is an act, deed or a thing done, which by definition is a work !

Paul told the jailor after he asked the question " what must i do to be saved"?

And Paul responded with this imperative "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

This certainly implies that believing on the Lord is something done, which by definition is a work !

 

[Nanja]

Amen. Also faith, believing is an act, deed or a thing done, which by definition is a work !

Paul told the jailor after he asked the question " what must i do to be saved"?

And Paul responded with this imperative "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

This certainly implies that believing on the Lord is something done, which by definition is a work !

Yes indeed; a work done by one God has made Spiritually Alive; a work that pleases Him Rom. 8:9.

 

[beloved57]

Yes indeed; a work done by one God has made Spiritually Alive; a work that pleases Him Rom. 8:9.

Exactly Eph 2:10

 

[Bright Raven]

Exactly Eph 2:10

Ephesians 2:8-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)
8 For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

As you can see you have misinterpreted the entire passage. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works. We are saved to do good works.

 

[Nanja]

Exactly Eph 2:10

Yep, also Titus 2:14.

 

[Squeaky]

Yep, also Titus 2:14.

I said
Anyone who says they know Jesus is a liar if they don't have works. The works are in keeping His commandments.

[1Jo 2:4
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 

[Nanja]

I said
Anyone who says they know Jesus is a liar if they don't have works. The works are in keeping His commandments.

[1Jo 2:4
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

God's Elect keep all God's commands perfectly through Christ's obedience on their behalf.

Rom. 5:19
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 

[beloved57]

works equals merit !

Rom 4:4

⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward [eternal inheritance or life] not reckoned of grace, but of debt.


Understand that Eternal Life, Salvation is an Inheritance, Paul when writing to the Galatians in chpt 3 writes Gal 3:18

¹⁸ For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Its an eternal inheritance Heb 9:15

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Its a heavenly inheritance 1 Pet 1:4

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Now if we receive this Salvation, Eternal Life, or Eternal inheritance because of a condition we performed, like faith, or repentance, then whatever that condition is constitutes a quality or qualification within us, which is a basis for merit which is:

something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.

That act or condition one performs to get eternal life/inheritance becomes a meritorious act or condition, and there's no way around it ! One may say that faith and or repentance are acts we must to get eternal life, but they are not meritorious , are deceived, because thats exactly what they are !