Is believing/faith a work ?

[brightfame52]

Many have objected to the reality that Faith/Believing is a work because they read in scripture where faith is contrasted to works like 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, lest any man should boast.

Rom 4:5

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Yes Faith/Believing are contrasted with works, and the reason for that, Faith and or Believing are not of ourselves, but are Gifts of Gods Grace to a person, its only when we hijack that which finds it originating source from the Grace of God, and say, no my faith or believing originated from me and my nature, my freewill, then thats when the contrast no longer exists, then Faith and believing become your acts of the flesh, and that makes them your works.

To say one is Justified by Grace Rom 3:24

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

and one is Justified by Faith Rom 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Its saying the same thing if we keep in mind that Faith originates from Grace, and not of ourselves. If we believe that our Faith/Believing is because of the operation of Gods Grace, His Spirit, that its the Work of God in us being manifested Jn 6:29

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

2 Thess 2:13

3 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Sanctification of the Spirit is describing the work of God the Spirit, and what follows is belief of the truth or faith. The word belief here is the noun pistis and translated faith 239 times in the NT

And what is the Truth that the work of the Spirit leads to ? Its the Gospel, notice vs 14

14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice that word whereunto, its the prep eis which means towards, into, (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.);

The point and result of the sanctification of the Spirit was to result in the belief of the truth of the Gospel.

This passage shows that #1 Believing the truth is a work of God the Spirit confirming Jn 6:29 and #2 that regeneration is before and unto Faith in the Gospel.

But if we deny this, and insist that faith/believing is of ourselves, then you fall into the snare of Salvation/Justification being by your works.

 

[brightfame52]

If our believing/faith is inherent, then its our work, our action to believe in God/Jesus Christ for all Salvation, but if its not naturally inherent, and it be the work and operation of the Spirit of God in us, also the effectual working of Gods grace, then its not of ourselves, but the Gift of God, then the proper contrast of Faith vs works is manifested.

Christ is the author of our Faith/Believing by giving us His Spirit 1 Pet 1:21

21 Who by him[Christ] do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Eph 1:19

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power,

Paul attributes his believing and the believers at Ephesus to the mighty working of Gods power, the same power that was exerted when He raised up Jesus from the dead.

So believing, having Faith and Hope in God in the matters of Salvation is Gods work for us and in us.

But if we insist that our believing and faith is of ourselves, then we make these things our work ! 29

 

[brightfame52]

Is Faith/believing a work ? Yes, but in its proper context its a work done through grace,the grace of the Spirit following new birth or new creation. Its written Eph 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Now believing Faith is one of those good works God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Acts 13:48

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

So believing follows the workmanship of God, being created in Christ Jesus unto good works, versus because of good works. Thats why works and faith in scripture can be contrasted, since believing is not of ourselves as natural men, but as new creatures in Christ. Its only when we claim faith/believing as coming from the natural man that the contrast is no longer valid!

 

[Doug Brents]

If you can't tell, bright, NO ONE cares about the nonsense you are blathering on about. We have disproved you nonsense, and are not going to continue to try to lead you into the Truth. When you are ready to accept sound teaching, we can rejoin the conversation.

 

[brightfame52]

If we say that we are Justified before God or saved by Him because of our act of Faith or believing, then we are saying God saved or justifies us because of our works. Its a work because its acting obedience to a command just as much as its a command to love, notice 1 Jn 3:23

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.

To obey a command, injunction is a work ! 30

 

[brightfame52]

When we misconstrue Faith/Believing to be that which is a condition performed by man in order to get God to save us, then we invalidate it being opposed to works/law, and unwittingly make it a law. The principle of law works is this, when we deem it necessary to do something to gain the approval of God, and it not done, its to our eternal peril, that's the principle of law works at work in our mind, because the law work principle requires man to do something for eternal life, or Gods acceptance and approval, or favor. Moses wrote of the law principal Rom 10:5

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

So it matters not what we make the condition to be, if the nonperformance of it be to our eternal peril, or the performing of it be to the gaining of Gods blessing and approval, we put ourselves under and confirm ourselves under law, and hence become obligated to keep the whole law for our final salvation, having forsaken the way of grace. 32