As stated earlier, I believe in Justification by Faith, but its important to understand what that is, and what it's not, lest ye be carried away with the error of the wicked.
Now, what Faith is not [in Justification] will be considered.
Faith is not that which causes God to Justify His people. Justification is a pure act of the grace of God, without any motive [free grace] in the ones being justified, therefore it is written:
Eph 1:7
7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Rom 3:24
24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
The elect of God had [ though not yet experientially] Justification, redemption, and forgiveness of sins, all these before they were ever converted to Christ, and while they were yet dead in trespasses and sins; thats why its according to the riches of His grace.
Now these spiritual blessings and benefits would not be of Grace, but of works, if our Faith was the cause of our Justification. I say this because Faith is a work or act of ours. Faith is an act of the heart or mind, and technically, if we go by the definition of a work , a act of the mind qualifies.
Lets look at the word works in Eph 2:9
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
It is the greek word:
ergon:
any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
Mind and Heart are the same i.e Acts 8:37
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart [soul or mind], thou mayest
also ergon means:
an act, deed, thing done
doing as in Rom 2:7
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Faith is well doing, continuing in Faith Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith
So if one believes they are Justified by faith in that the act of faith is what caused God to Justify them, then they believe in Justification by works, or well doing.
Salvation or Justification is not of works Eph 2:8-9, not in any sense of the word. 3
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