Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassidy
Let me propose and answer for both you and me: All holiness, all expressions of Christ, all display of the virtues of Christ, our attachment to Christ and our abiding in Him, all fruit of the Spirit, is not accomplished by self-effort, is not a result of naturally-born human virtue nor self-determination, is not found in good works of the flesh. Rather, only Christ can express Christ, only the life of Christ lived through the redeemed man can issue in the fruit of the Spirit, express the virtues of Christ, and issue in a holy living that is pleasing to God. It is the righteous who have life (zoe) and live by faith. We are righteous because of Him for without Him there is none righteous, no not one! If you agree with this then there is little to no disagreement between us on the fundamentals of the Bible teaching on this matter. Do you agree? I think you do.
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Then there are all the verses which seem to say our self-effort is good for something. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." etc.
It's not either/or, it's both/and. God works, but he expects our working as well.
The idea that we "just eat" or "just get in the dispensing" and make no effort to do good works is not biblical. It's that kind of thinking that produced the elder who wouldn't help his sick wife with the dishes because he wasn't sure doing so would be "in life."
I believe this is OBW's and TJ's point.