Stile writes:
quote:
My point is that it's more honourable to let yourself be judged by whoever will do the judging than to jump out beforehand and request salvation from whoever can grant such.
And there are parts of the New Testament that say exactly that. The first part of Matthew 6 is all about not making a spectacle of your faith, that those who do are not seeking god's reward but the glory of man.
Of course, that contradicts Matthew 5 which says that you need to let your light shine before men, but contradictory phrases are par for the course.
Your asking the question of whether or not you follow Paul or James: Is salvation through faith or works? Paul says that it is faith. After, that's the only way he can justify himself given the horrible works he carried out: He saved himself because he had a change of heart.
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
2:9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
But James' claim is that faith without works is dead.
James 2:18: Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:20: But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Now, James didn't say faith was of no concern, but it is clear that the point is that believing is not enough. The way you prove that faith is by doing. "Courage of your convictions" and all that.
Rrhain
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