Faith or works or both?

[The_Leap_Of_Faith]

Should we follow the commandments of Christ or just believe that He died for us?

 

[Dave M]

when we are transformed by the holly spirit of God, and we are saved by grace, we WANT to follow the commandments of Christ, if you dont WANT to follow the commandments of Christ and are living in sin the bible tells us we are not born again

 

[The_Leap_Of_Faith]

Does the fact that we want to follow the commandments of Christ prove that we love Jesus?

 

[Dave M]

Does the fact that we want to follow the commandments of Christ prove that we love Jesus?

John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

 

[Bendito]

Does the fact that we want to follow the commandments of Christ prove that we love Jesus?

One single solitary verse.....
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands;

Conversely.....If you won't keep His commandments....you don't love Him?

The Word 'commandments' easily translates as "WORD"

 

[KingJ]

Should we follow the commandments of Christ or just believe that He died for us?

Nobody can ''beleive'' unless God reveals.

1 Cor 12:3 'Nobody can call Jesus Lord, except by the Holy Spirit'
Matt 16:16-17 'Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven'.

God only gives us a measure of faith to believe Jesus is Lord if we truly repent and lay our lives down for Him.

Psalm 51:17 'A contrite and broken heart and spirit God will not despise'
Matt 16:24 'deny yourself, carry your cross and follow me'
Jer 17:9-11 'God judges the depths of our hearts and minds'

True repentance is only possible if ''we'' hate what is evil.

Rom 12:9 Genuine love is to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.

People do not believe in Jesus as they reject the light / they are wicked and love the darkness. That is the verdict.

John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

 

[KingJ]

Does the fact that we want to follow the commandments of Christ prove that we love Jesus?

Yes. But understand that the first commandment is to love God above all else.

IE We must be able to lay our lives down for Him as He has done for us.

This is why those who die for Jesus in the coming tribulation will go straight to heaven Rev 2:10.

 

[Born Again 2004]

The Bible states that God loved us first. We don't fully comprehend it but, he also chose us first. Additionally, it states that he gave us all a measure of faith. I believe this faith he gives, is to all Christians and not to non-believers. So, faith comes first and then works follows, proving to others ,if they see it, that we share this faith. I would say that these works are defined by God and not man.... it is a spiritual thing, not a man thing. I would, also say, that the reading and hearing the word is a work, a work that the Bibles states is how our faith grows. So, I see Faith and Works go hand in hand!

 

[Curtis]

Faith is a spirit. (2 Cor 4:13) The spirit of faith comes when it hears the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) We are told to "sow" to the spirit. (Gal 6:8)
Faith without works is dead (inoperative) (James 2:26) Sowing to the spirit of faith gives faith a work to perform.

Faith without works is the same thing as a building contractor who builds buildings but has not been given a task to build anything.

 

[B-A-C]

Jas 2:14; What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
Jas 2:17; Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Jas 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Jas 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Can "not" doing works prevent us from being saved?

Matt 25:24; "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
Matt 25:25; 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
Matt 25:26; "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
Matt 25:27; 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
Matt 25:28; 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
Matt 25:29; "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It seems God expects His servants to use what He gives them.

Luke 13:6; And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
Luke 13:7; "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'
Luke 13:8; "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

God will help us, water us, fertilize us, give us talents.... but eventually He will come back looking for increase.
Those who have nothing to show will be told "throw that wicked and lazy servant out" (to the outer darkness). The trees that refuse to bear fruit will be cut down.

 

[Sue D.]

Placing our faith in Christ comes First. Then will come our heart's desire To obey God's Word.

Our 'good works' will Not save us. The shed blood of Christ has taken care of Everything for our salvation. We need to acknowledge our personal need For salvation -- accept God's gift Of salvation made possible by Jesus Christ's death, burial and bodily resurrection And Then we will Want to do God's will in our lives. We might not like some of the guidelines God has given us in His Word, but they won't cease to be there just because we don't like them. For instance, if a person has been on the verge of divorcing his / her spouse and then accepts Christ as Savior, that person will be convicted to change their plans. The person who's had a friend / on the side / will be convicted that That activity is Wrong and will need to end that side friendship. There was a situation years ago where a man decided to leave his wife -- they both went to the same Big church. They both stayed in the church and sat on opposite sides of the auditorium. The husband brought his girlfriend to church with him. The girlfriend accepted Christ and realized it was wrong to be with the guy and she left him.

There Is the verse that says -- by their fruits we shall know them. When a person accepts Christ as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit comes immediately to indwell them. Those fruits of the indwelling Of will be observed by others. Their attitudes - actions.

 

[KingJ]

Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

God will help us, water us, fertilize us, give us talents.... but eventually He will come back looking for increase.
Those who have nothing to show will be told "throw that wicked and lazy servant out" (to the outer darkness). The trees that refuse to bear fruit will be cut down.

Joy, a Christian who lays their life down will be thrown out if for a season they do not ''perform''. You are speaking to a parable that has nothing to do with Christianity. It is speaking to a worker not a family member. A Jew perhaps, not a Christian. A Christian can read this and grasp why Jesus would say that. It speaks to Him wanting true dedication. Which is what Christianity is all about. Don't mix law and grace BAC.

 

[Born Again 2004]

Placing our faith in Christ comes First. Then will come our heart's desire To obey God's Word.

Our 'good works' will Not save us. The shed blood of Christ has taken care of Everything for our salvation. We need to acknowledge our personal need For salvation -- accept God's gift Of salvation made possible by Jesus Christ's death, burial and bodily resurrection And Then we will Want to do God's will in our lives. We might not like some of the guidelines God has given us in His Word, but they won't cease to be there just because we don't like them. For instance, if a person has been on the verge of divorcing his / her spouse and then accepts Christ as Savior, that person will be convicted to change their plans. The person who's had a friend / on the side / will be convicted that That activity is Wrong and will need to end that side friendship. There was a situation years ago where a man decided to leave his wife -- they both went to the same Big church. They both stayed in the church and sat on opposite sides of the auditorium. The husband brought his girlfriend to church with him. The girlfriend accepted Christ and realized it was wrong to be with the guy and she left him.

There Is the verse that says -- by their fruits we shall know them. When a person accepts Christ as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit comes immediately to indwell them. Those fruits of the indwelling Of will be observed by others. Their attitudes - actions.

True but fruits are determined by God not by man!

 

[KingJ]

Placing our faith in Christ comes First. Then will come our heart's desire To obey God's Word.

Do you have scripture for this?

How do you 'place' your faith in Christ? How does that come before a hearts desire to obey? Not sure if you wrote your thoughts down right.

 

[Sue D.]

True but fruits are determined by God not by man!

Maybe you're referring to spiritual gifts given by God at the time of salvation -- different than fruits of the spirit.

 

[Sue D.]

Do you have scripture for this?

How do you 'place' your faith in Christ? How does that come before a hearts desire to obey? Not sure if you wrote your thoughts down right.

People 'place their faith' in lots of things other than in Christ / the sufficiency of the cross. Does a person 'place their faith' in church membership or another religious belief system? There is no other name given under heaven by which a person is saved. That's paraphrased Scripture.

I put my faith in the fact that the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross and that He rose again from the dead is all that's needed for my salvation to take place. I believe it in my heart and then confession made unto salvation. That's found in Romans 10.

And, yes, my thoughts Are written down correctly.

 

[Born Again 2004]

Maybe you're referring to spiritual gifts given by God at the time of salvation -- different than fruits of the spirit.

Hmm, you see it your way from the word maybe I see it different. The Spirit and God are the same and all good gifts from God.

 

[B-A-C]

Joy, a Christian who lays their life down will be thrown out if for a season they do not ''perform''. You are speaking to a parable that has nothing to do with Christianity.

It has nothing to do with Christianity, except it was Christ who those parables. It has everything to do with Christianity.
"Joy" -- You think being a Christian is about your Joy?

Why would anyone think that something Jesus said has nothing to do with Christianity?

 

[B-A-C]

Our 'good works' will Not save us. The shed blood of Christ has taken care of Everything for our salvation.

To "get" us saved initially... yes. To "keep" us saved. No. The "no works required" is a doctrine of demons.

 

[KingJ]

People 'place their faith' in lots of things other than in Christ / the sufficiency of the cross. Does a person 'place their faith' in church membership or another religious belief system? There is no other name given under heaven by which a person is saved. That's paraphrased Scripture.

I put my faith in the fact that the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross and that He rose again from the dead is all that's needed for my salvation to take place. I believe it in my heart and then confession made unto salvation. That's found in Romans 10.

And, yes, my thoughts Are written down correctly.

Thanks for explaining.