Proof That Having Faith Causes Good Works To Naturally Appear In Someone
The following shows that having faith causes someone to act righteously in a natural manner.
Please note the scripture below:
Romans 9
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
33 As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
Paul indicated that Gentiles who were saved did not directly pursue righteousness, but attained it anyway. Now the question is, doesn’t righteousness include righteous behavior? Therefore if the Gentiles in the above scripture did not directly pursue righteousness, but acted righteously anyway, doesn’t that mean they acted righteously in a natural fashion?
Please also look at the following scriptures:
Galatians 5
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Romans 2
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
In Galatians 5:4, Paul warned the Galatians that if they directly pursued righteousness after having faith, they would lose their salvation. Paul however said in Romans 2:13 that it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. The only way these two scriptures can exist and not contradict one another, is that when someone has faith correctly, and does not directly pursue righteousness, this leads to righteous behavior appearing in that person in a natural fashion. This fact is borne out in the following scripture:
Romans 3
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The righteousness by faith from God that does not involve the direct pursuit of righteousness, is testified or outlined in the law. In other words, when someone has faith, even though he does not directly pursue righteousness, he behaves in a righteous manner consistent with the law.
2 Peter 1:3-4 indicates that those who have faith have been given God's divine nature. It is because of this divine nature residing inside of us, that we are able to do good works in a natural manner.
Acting righteously in a natural manner, includes acting righteously unconsciously, and acting righteously consciously – but in a natural (vs. forced) fashion.
Please note the scripture below:
Romans 9
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
33 As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
Paul indicated that Gentiles who were saved did not directly pursue righteousness, but attained it anyway. Now the question is, doesn’t righteousness include righteous behavior? Therefore if the Gentiles in the above scripture did not directly pursue righteousness, but acted righteously anyway, doesn’t that mean they acted righteously in a natural fashion?
Please also look at the following scriptures:
Galatians 5
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Romans 2
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
In Galatians 5:4, Paul warned the Galatians that if they directly pursued righteousness after having faith, they would lose their salvation. Paul however said in Romans 2:13 that it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. The only way these two scriptures can exist and not contradict one another, is that when someone has faith correctly, and does not directly pursue righteousness, this leads to righteous behavior appearing in that person in a natural fashion. This fact is borne out in the following scripture:
Romans 3
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The righteousness by faith from God that does not involve the direct pursuit of righteousness, is testified or outlined in the law. In other words, when someone has faith, even though he does not directly pursue righteousness, he behaves in a righteous manner consistent with the law.
2 Peter 1:3-4 indicates that those who have faith have been given God's divine nature. It is because of this divine nature residing inside of us, that we are able to do good works in a natural manner.
Acting righteously in a natural manner, includes acting righteously unconsciously, and acting righteously consciously – but in a natural (vs. forced) fashion.
posted by P. Douglas | 4:17 PM
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