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

 

[brightfame52]

The proper understanding of Faith not being a work condition that man performs in order to get God to save them, it is to understand that Faith to believe is all of grace, and not of us, and hence eliminates in grounds for boasting, as I believed and you didn't, and so, God saved me and not you because I believed in Christ, and you didn't.

Now everyone is familiar with 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.

This passage clearly shows that Faith in the realm of Salvation isnt of us , its included, comprehended in Grace Salvation, a Gift of God.

Understand here Paul is saying comprehensively #1 Grace is a Gift, #2 Salvation is a Gift #3 Faith is a Gift, so where is boasting ? If all these phases are of Grace, where is room for boasting?

Notice Rom 3:27

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Now what is the Law of Faith that excludes works ? Its the Law of Grace. The scripture consistently shows this contrast Rom 11:6

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

This is True because Faith is the product not of mans freewill, but of Grace Rom 4:16

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

It cant be any plainer that Faith here is the product of Grace,

The word by as in by grace in Vs 16 is kata and it means according to, so faith is according to Grace, so Grace is the principle of operation that produces Faith, hence the of Faith versus the law of works in Rom 3:27

So thats the way and only way that Faith is in contrast to works, when its understood to be the product of supernatural grace. So in that regards, there is no room for boasting, not even in our faith or believing in Jesus Christ. Remember even the believing is by grace Acts 18:27

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through/because of grace:

 

[brightfame52]

Believing is a work because its something we do Rom 10:9

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Believe here is in the active voice which:

Represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action. e.g., in the sentence, "Jesus returned to Capernaum" Jesus performs the action.

Again a work by definition, the greek word ergon:

1. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
2. an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work

Also To believe is a work of mental ability of the mind and ; the understanding, and the will, conscience and affections. Paul wrote of receiving the Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2:10

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

So If I say Im saved because I believed, God saved me because I performed that action, that's Salvation by my works, even if we count it as a work of righteousness, what does Titus 3:5 say

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 32

 

[brightfame52]

Faith becomes a work, a meritorious work at that whenever its taught that Christ died for everyone, yet nobody is actually saved by that, His death merely made getting saved available or possible, but when someone adds their work of Faith or believing, that made them saved !

These will say though Christs death was a payment for sin, yet nobody is actually saved by it ! 34