Quote:
Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa
So you can lose your soul through works? Is that correct?
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The Bible clearly teaches that there are "works of darkness", "works of the flesh", "wicked works", etc. that have their roots in the devil himself.
1John 3:8 says,
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
My observation of Scripture is that "works" as mentioned above will result in the person doing them being lost. It is for this reason that we are told to
"...cast off the works of darkness..." (Rom.13:12)
However, it seems that
while works of darkness will condemn a person to a lost eternity, good works in themselves will not result in eternal life. Our good works identify who we are and constitute the justification
of our faith.
Jesus said in
John 5:36,
"But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me."
Again in
John 10:25, "
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me."
No where in Scripture do I remember it said that works would save us. Contrariwise Paul said to Timothy,
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"(2Tim.1:9)
In
Titus 3:5 we read, "
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;"
So, even when the works that one does are
righteous works they cannot save him. We have to distinguish in Scripture the difference between
"acts of obedience" done in response to the Spirit's promptings and
"works", which
do earn us rewards, but
not salvation.
While works
cannot save us, we
are called
unto good works because these good works prove the genuineness of our faith.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph.2:8-10)
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