BELIEVING IN CHRIST IS NOT THE SAME AS WORKS!

Believe it or not, there are "so called theologians" today, that teach that God saves a person, and then, gives the individual faith to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins!  Did you get that?  Faith follows salvation, rather than salvation resulting from faith in Christ!  Their argument is based upon two false assumptions:  the lost are dead in their trespasses and sins, and as dead men, they are unable to believe the Gospel; also, they believe that a person's faith must be considered works!  Notice in these verses, that salvation follows, or results from believing in the finished work of Christ on our behalf!  Christ did all the "work" necessary to save mankind, and it is our faith in His work that results in salvation!  Read these carefully:

Romans 3:24-28 - "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness:  that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  Where is boasting then?  It is excluded.  By what Law?  Of works?  Nay:  but by the Law of Faith.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law."

Romans 4:2-5 - "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.  For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Galatians 2:16 - "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law:  for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "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."

Titus 3:4-7 - "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 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; Who was shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

 

Salvation is a gift that simply needs to be opened by faith!