Is believing/faith a work ?

[dwight92070]

Okay. But if you are saved through your faith it is a reason to boast. The faith in Eph 2:8 is not of ourselves, it's of Grace

So what you are saying is that man is not accountable for ANY decision he makes - because God makes that decision for him. But that contradicts the whole of Scripture. "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Joshua 24:15 So who makes that decision? God or us? Yes, faith is a gift, but man is responsible and accountable for either exercising his faith in Jesus or not. If he chooses to exercise his faith in Jesus, the Bible says that is not a work.

As has been said many times before, a gift cannot be earned, or it is not a gift, but someone must choose to receive it, or it will do them no good whatsoever. Choosing to believe in Christ and receive His free gift of salvation is not a work, according to the Bible. There's nothing to boast about when we're about to drown and we grab onto a lifebuoy to save ourselves. "Save yourselves from this evil generation." Acts 2:40 How do we save ourselves? By receiving the gift of salvation offered to us. We have a responsibility to "grab onto" the free gift of salvation that Christ offers. In fact, He holds us accountable for either receiving His gift or rejecting it. The Bible is clear that receiving it is not a work. Biblically, a work is something physical that is done. A change of heart, i.e. repentance and believing in Jesus, is spiritual, not physical.

 

[brightfame52]

So what you are saying is that man is not accountable for ANY decision he makes - because God makes that decision for him

No I didn't say that, read my comments again

 

[brightfame52]

Is the act of Faith a Work ? Yes it is, and here's some reasons why

1. Because we are commanded to believe (as we are) to love one another, as he gave us commandment, 1 John 3:23.

2. To obey a command, is a work; but to believe, is to obey a command, 1 John 3:23, 24. Faith is an obeying of the will of God; therefore it's a work, and a good work.

3. It's a work, because we are reproved for the smallness of our faith: Christ said, "O ye of little faith," Matt. 6:30, "why are ye fearful? wherefore do ye doubt, O ye of little faith," Matt. 8:26. If faith were not acted by us (although the power is of God) why are we reproved for not believing?

4. It's a work, because the Saints are exhorted to exercise faith: "Let us draw near with full assurance of faith," Heb. 10:22. We are not exhorted to nothing but to that which is our duty, as it is to do a good work, as believing is.

5. It's a work, because to believe is a work of all the faculties of the soul, viz.: memory, conscience, affections, principally the understanding and will, Rom. 10:9,10.

6. To receive a thing is an act of the whole man; but to believe in Christ is to receive Him: 1 John 1:12. Therefore, to believe in Christ is a work.

7. Because unbelief is a work of darkness; therefore to believe is a work of righteousness, Tit. 3:5.

8. Because, to a good work faith is required, therefore, it partakes of the nature of a good work, and so is a part of every good work. (Heb. 11:4)

9. It's a work, because we are said to do it: If thou believest, I do believe, Acts 8:37. To believe is the action of the heart, viz.: will: With the heart man believeth. He does it as truly as he confesseth with his mouth, Rom. 10:9, 10.

10. If to confess Christ be a duty and a work (though by grace we do both), then is the act of believing a work also, and a work that we do, and is one of those works of righteousness that we have done, Tit. 3:5 with Isa. 64:6. https://www.pristinegrace.org/media.php?id=798
See believing on Christ is a command, something which is done in obedience. Paul answered the Phillipian Jailor when he asked what shall he DO to be saved, and Paul answered Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16:30-31

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

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

Now interestingly enough the word believe here the verb pisteuō and its in the imperative mood which means:

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.https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/act/16/31/t_conc_1034031

Yes believing in Jesus Christ is a work done by the one obeying the imperative to believe on Him. So if we say that God saved or Christ saved us from the penalty of our sins because we believed on Christ, and God responded to our obedience and saved us from our sins, then we are in essence saying we are saved by our work of believing. Reference is made to samuel richardson, his work " Justification by Christ alone" for many of these points. 20

 

[FreeInChrist]

Is the act of Faith a Work ? Yes it is, and here's some reasons why

1. Because we are commanded to believe (as we are) to love one another, as he gave us commandment, 1 John 3:23.

2. To obey a command, is a work; but to believe, is to obey a command, 1 John 3:23, 24. Faith is an obeying of the will of God; therefore it's a work, and a good work.

3. It's a work, because we are reproved for the smallness of our faith: Christ said, "O ye of little faith," Matt. 6:30, "why are ye fearful? wherefore do ye doubt, O ye of little faith," Matt. 8:26. If faith were not acted by us (although the power is of God) why are we reproved for not believing?

4. It's a work, because the Saints are exhorted to exercise faith: "Let us draw near with full assurance of faith," Heb. 10:22. We are not exhorted to nothing but to that which is our duty, as it is to do a good work, as believing is.

5. It's a work, because to believe is a work of all the faculties of the soul, viz.: memory, conscience, affections, principally the understanding and will, Rom. 10:9,10.

6. To receive a thing is an act of the whole man; but to believe in Christ is to receive Him: 1 John 1:12. Therefore, to believe in Christ is a work.

7. Because unbelief is a work of darkness; therefore to believe is a work of righteousness, Tit. 3:5.

8. Because, to a good work faith is required, therefore, it partakes of the nature of a good work, and so is a part of every good work. (Heb. 11:4)

9. It's a work, because we are said to do it: If thou believest, I do believe, Acts 8:37. To believe is the action of the heart, viz.: will: With the heart man believeth. He does it as truly as he confesseth with his mouth, Rom. 10:9, 10.

10. If to confess Christ be a duty and a work (though by grace we do both), then is the act of believing a work also, and a work that we do, and is one of those works of righteousness that we have done, Tit. 3:5 with Isa. 64:6. https://www.pristinegrace.org/media.php?id=798
See believing on Christ is a command, something which is done in obedience. Paul answered the Phillipian Jailor when he asked what shall he DO to be saved, and Paul answered Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16:30-31

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

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

Now interestingly enough the word believe here the verb pisteuō and its in the imperative mood which means:

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.https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/act/16/31/t_conc_1034031

Yes believing in Jesus Christ is a work done by the one obeying the imperative to believe on Him. So if we say that God saved or Christ saved us from the penalty of our sins because we believed on Christ, and God responded to our obedience and saved us from our sins, then we are in essence saying we are saved by our work of believing. Reference is made to samuel richardson, his work " Justification by Christ alone" for many of these points. 20

I Baptism a work?

 

[atpollard]

Is Baptism a work?

To some it is and to others it is not.

• There are those (denominations) that teach "Baptism" is essential to salvation (God cannot/will not save without it) and "Baptism is the means by which God cleanses us from sin. Without Baptism, one remains in their sin. Therefore, for those that hold this belief, their actions (human baptism) is an essential, commanded act that a sinner must undertake to be saved [That sure sounds a LOT like a work of the OT Law to me].
• There are others (denominations), like Baptists, that teach that God does the saving [Even if it is through FREE WILL acceptance and OUR FAITH - like General Baptists believe] and the "baptism" (getting wet) is purely symbolic of a change that has already taken place.

So the same act is a WORK for some and a NOT WORK for others.
Does the action MAKE you saved and are YOU responsible for the action? (That is the question to ask of ANY action.)

 

[dwight92070]

Is the act of Faith a Work ? Yes it is, and here's some reasons why

1. Because we are commanded to believe (as we are) to love one another, as he gave us commandment, 1 John 3:23.

2. To obey a command, is a work; but to believe, is to obey a command, 1 John 3:23, 24. Faith is an obeying of the will of God; therefore it's a work, and a good work.

3. It's a work, because we are reproved for the smallness of our faith: Christ said, "O ye of little faith," Matt. 6:30, "why are ye fearful? wherefore do ye doubt, O ye of little faith," Matt. 8:26. If faith were not acted by us (although the power is of God) why are we reproved for not believing?

4. It's a work, because the Saints are exhorted to exercise faith: "Let us draw near with full assurance of faith," Heb. 10:22. We are not exhorted to nothing but to that which is our duty, as it is to do a good work, as believing is.

5. It's a work, because to believe is a work of all the faculties of the soul, viz.: memory, conscience, affections, principally the understanding and will, Rom. 10:9,10.

6. To receive a thing is an act of the whole man; but to believe in Christ is to receive Him: 1 John 1:12. Therefore, to believe in Christ is a work.

7. Because unbelief is a work of darkness; therefore to believe is a work of righteousness, Tit. 3:5.

8. Because, to a good work faith is required, therefore, it partakes of the nature of a good work, and so is a part of every good work. (Heb. 11:4)

9. It's a work, because we are said to do it: If thou believest, I do believe, Acts 8:37. To believe is the action of the heart, viz.: will: With the heart man believeth. He does it as truly as he confesseth with his mouth, Rom. 10:9, 10.

10. If to confess Christ be a duty and a work (though by grace we do both), then is the act of believing a work also, and a work that we do, and is one of those works of righteousness that we have done, Tit. 3:5 with Isa. 64:6. https://www.pristinegrace.org/media.php?id=798
See believing on Christ is a command, something which is done in obedience. Paul answered the Phillipian Jailor when he asked what shall he DO to be saved, and Paul answered Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16:30-31

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

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

Now interestingly enough the word believe here the verb pisteuō and its in the imperative mood which means:

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.https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/act/16/31/t_conc_1034031

Yes believing in Jesus Christ is a work done by the one obeying the imperative to believe on Him. So if we say that God saved or Christ saved us from the penalty of our sins because we believed on Christ, and God responded to our obedience and saved us from our sins, then we are in essence saying we are saved by our work of believing. Reference is made to samuel richardson, his work " Justification by Christ alone" for many of these points. 20

No, obeying a command is not always a work. Jesus commanded all to repent and believe the gospel. Neither of those are works. They are spiritual changes from the status quo, in the heart.
We're reproved for not changing our hearts - i.e. not repenting and not believing.
Yes, we are exhorted to believe in our hearts.
All the faculties of the soul that you mention are not physical, they are spiritual - so no work is involved.
No, to receive an immaterial, spiritual gift like salvation requires no physical work. Salvation does lead to good works afterwards though.
Unbelief requires no physical work. If is simply a refusal of one's spirit to believe.
No work is a prerequisite to having faith. "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as reighteousness." Romans 4:5

We can "do it", i.e. repent and believe without any physical work. In fact that is required to even be saved.
No, repenting and believing is not a physical work - it's a spiritual work.

 

[brightfame52]

No, obeying a command is not always a work. Jesus commanded all to repent and believe the gospel. Neither of those are works

Yes they are works

 

[brightfame52]

No, repenting and believing is not a physical work - it's a spiritual work.

Spiritual work is done by Spiritual people, saved Regenerated people Eph 2:10. So repenting and believing is commanded only of the spiritual Regenerated people. Now repenting and believing by the unregenerate is works of the flesh.

 

[dwight92070]

Spiritual work is done by Spiritual people, saved Regenerated people Eph 2:10. So repenting and believing is commanded only of the spiritual Regenerated people. Now repenting and believing by the unregenerate is works of the flesh.

You make up things as you go along. No, Spiritual people can also do nonspiritual work, the last time I checked. Do they make breakfast? Do they wash their car?
No, Spiritual regenerated people have already repented and believed, so they do not need to be commanded to be saved again.
No, repenting and believing by the unregenerate makes them regenerate and born again.

Your willful rejection of the truth is why you make up false doctrine as you go along.

 

[brightfame52]

You make up things as you go along

No I don't

 

[FreeInChrist]

You make up things as you go along. No, Spiritual people can also do nonspiritual work, the last time I checked. Do they make breakfast? Do they wash their car?
No, Spiritual regenerated people have already repented and believed, so they do not need to be commanded to be saved again.
No, repenting and believing by the unregenerate makes them regenerate and born again.

Your willful rejection of the truth is why you make up false doctrine as you go along.

Ah, but @dwight92070 ... many times it is so entertaining.

 

[brightfame52]

The word “believe” in the Greek text is “pisteuo” which is a verb denoting a work. If a person could believe in Christ before they are born again by the Spirit, it would mean they have done a work and that would mean they have worked for their salvation which is totally against what the scriptures teach. Ephesians 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. 22

 

[Doug Brents]

The word “believe” in the Greek text is “pisteuo” which is a verb denoting a work. If a person could believe in Christ before they are born again by the Spirit, it would mean they have done a work and that would mean they have worked for their salvation which is totally against what the scriptures teach. Ephesians 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. 22

This post indicates your complete lack of understanding of salvation, and especially Eph 2:8-9. It is clear all through the NT that faith/belief/pisteuo is required before salvation can be received from God. Without pisteuo it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Faith leads to (meaning it must come before) salvation.