Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
What you stated there is really a false gospel of works. It does not surprise me that you believe that because you hold the book of James to the same level as Paul's. Yes we accept the entire bible but we also have to rightly divide it (2 Tim 2:15).
"nor are we told we are saved by believing":
Galatians 3:2 "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? "
So you see as Galatians 3:2 says we are saved when we "hear with faith". Nothing more than that really.
Also John 3:16, thief on the cross, Acts 16:31, Romans 10, 1 John 3:23, John 6:29.
The only "work" shown in Romans 10 is calling on the Lord, or prayer. That could be considered a confession with the mouth, I think.
It does not add baptism, or doing good works etc. What you described is basically the Catholic doctrine of salvation by faith+works. But it's a slippery slope from there, Christ alone is the only reason we are saved and never our own works.
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Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
You quote Gal 3:2, but this talks about receiving the Spirit, not salvation. Find me a verse in the New Testament where the apostles say we are saved solely by believing.
Rom 10:9because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: 13for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Believing in the heart results in righteousness and justification, not salvation. It is with the mouth that confession is made unto salvation.
Phil 1:18 What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. 19 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
The word salvation in the New Testament does not merely refer to justification by faith. When you assume that it does you trivialize the apostle's fellowship.
Phil 2:12 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
And you must ignore verses like this. Your simplistic view is like operating on a person with a butter knife. Your mistake is that you equate "justification by faith" with "salvation". Clearly Paul and James and Jesus had a much higher goal in mind for salvation.
In your version of salvation there is no need for endurance. But that is not Jesus' version:
Matt 10:22 but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
In your version you cannot explain how someone can be "cut off". You can't explain how people in the church in Sardis could have their names "blotted out of the book of life". You can't explain how the false prophet can be in the Lake of Fire before the Great White Throne judgement.
Rom 11:22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
This is why you have to have a "2nd class apostle" and parts of the NT that are suspect, etc. Because you can't explain them with your simplistic approach. Everything that doesn't fit your mold you merely throw away as unimportant.
1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.
This is the real reason Witness Lee did not continue with the apostle's fellowship. Deification, MOTA, loyalty pledges and Ground of the Church manifest that he is not of the apostles.
James 1:25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
The Lord's only command to us is to "love our neighbor as ourself" and you write off the Lord's commandment as "the false gospel of works". Jesus life and ministry manifested what He meant by "love your neighbor as yourself".