For the Faculty Staff Christian Fellowship

Transcription

1 For the Faculty Staff Christian Fellowship November 14, 2017 Gilbert Smith At close of last week s meeting, James asked if I would be willing to start us off next week. I am pleased to do so. We had a lively discussion last week, on a number of interrelated topics. I have listed many of them below with some comments which may be useful for further study or discussion. To initiate our discussion today, I will make some brief comments on the topic of Faith Alone. I do not intend to make a full presentation or attempt to cover the other topics. This might be helpful in guiding our discussions. 1. Last week Sola Scriptura was a principle topic. A good summary is that we put the authority of Scripture above tradition, creeds, councils, catechisms, or great men of the past. It would probably be helpful to keep that principle in mind, by appealing to specific scriptures. 2. We should listen very carefully, asking questions for clarification. 3. We are not trying to win a debate we are seeking to know and live the truth. 4. While we discuss the theology of a topic, we should also consider its practical outcome. 5. I ve used the following step-by-step approach, asking myself or others: a. What do you believe about...? b. What do you mean when you say...? c. What Scriptures would you use to support that view? d. Does that passage of Scripture actually support that interpretation? Is it just as compatible with another interpretation? e. Are there additional Scriptures that relate to this topic? Can we sort them out to get a comprehensive understanding of Scripture s teaching? OBJECT LESSON SAVED BY FAITH ALONE James and Paul When we wrapped up last week, I believe we had gotten to the discussion question, How do we reconcile Paul s faith not works message, with James 2:24. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. My understanding of the two men s writings is as follows: 1. First, we should note that James 2:24 is the ONLY place in Scripture that uses the term faith alone and that use is preceded by the term NOT. Our rule of Sola Scriptura should at least give us pause before declaring sola fide without further clarification. 1

2 2. We should also note that in Ephesians 2:8 Paul does not say that we have been saved by faith, but that we have been saved by grace through faith. 3. In summary, James says that faith that goes no further than believing things ABOUT God and Jesus, is dead faith, and that kind of faith does not save anyone. Paul also speaks of living by faith, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God Gal.2:20. This is an active living faith, daily trusting God, looking to Him for guidance and strength. This is NOT the dead faith that James derided. They both taught that we are to live by faith that is living, that we exercise daily. FURTHER EXPOUNDED 4. James teaches that if your faith is not doing something, it is dead and does not save. In Jas.2:19, he says the demons believe, but it does them no good. They believe all the things ABOUT God and Jesus to be true, but they do not live accordingly. Then he proceeds to use Abraham as an example of one who LIVED by faith, a living faith. He [trusted God] by offering up Isaac is son on the altar. Jas. 2:21. Abraham s faith was not dead faith. He offers Rahab as another example of one who had a living faith. She acted by hiding the spies. 5. Paul, also, requires that your faith be living that it be working in your life. In Hebrews ch. 11, he gives example after example of people DOING things, by FAITH. In the same way James did, Paul uses Abraham as an example of faith by offering up his son, Heb.11:17 In 1 Cor Paul warns that if you continue to live unrighteously you will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. How does he expect us to live righteously? By faith. By trusting God and His promises. The righteous shall live by faith. A living faith. Paul expects us to DO things by faith. E.g. 1 Corinthians 16:22, If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha. Should someone expect to be received into Heaven who does not do this? Does not love the Lord? Remarkably some teach that since salvation by faith alone means you don t have to DO anything including love the Lord. PERFECTION Someone commented last week that no one can be perfect in this world. There are scriptures that would seem to indicate otherwise. E.g. Matt.5:48. However, when we use the term perfect, we usually mean something other than what Scripture means. I ve attached a word study that may be instructive. See Clarke on Mt.5.48.pdf FAITH/SALVATION AS A GIFT Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. I believe that the gift of this verse is salvation. Please see accompanying word study Eph.2.8 Salvation a Gift.pdf On the other hand, here is a verse that refers to faith as a gift. 1 Corinthians 12:8-9 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to 2

3 another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, Is faith something you can have without doing it? That is, if we are not trusting God, do we have faith? If God gives saving faith, does that mean that everyone He gives it to WILL become a believer? If so, why doesn t He simply give it to everyone since He is not willing that any should perish? WHAT IS SALVATION? IS IT A PROCESS? I do NOT believe that salvation is a simply a declaration by God regarding our current and future state. God does declare that he will treat us as righteous, even though we are not. He does this so that we might be persuaded to walk with Him by faith. If there is no walk, it is as Paul said, in vain. by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 1 Cor. 15:2 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 Cor. 6:1 I do NOT believe that good works earn salvation, nor do they merit our salvation. I DO believe that walking with God, trusting Him, being strengthened by His Spirit, knowing Him, being obedient to His will, loving Him, is ITSELF salvation deliverance from the domain of darkness and the power of the evil one, freedom, life. It begins when we begin trusting in His gracious offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is His grace, His favor, His power, His working in us and through us that brings new life. The Scriptures speak of a process of being saved. 1Co_1:18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 2Co_2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; IMPUTATION OF CHRIST S RIGHTEOUSNESS [A Christian] is righteous and holy by an alien or foreign holiness... that is, he is righteous by the mercy and grace of God. R.C. Sproul Faith Alone. From last week s readings. What does he mean by this? Is Christian righteousness something that is given to us? Something that we have? Is it unrelated to what we actually DO? Does it mean that God does not have any regard for our actual behavior when we come to the judgment? Will we all come to that place, at that time, as either unjustified or justified sinners as R.C. Sproul believes that we will? (See last weeks material.) If that is our understanding of Christian righteousness, how then are we to understand John s statement, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous 1 Jn.3:7, along with many related statements in his 3

4 letter; or, Paul s multiple earnest warnings, e.g. Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. See also 1 Cor.6:9-10, Eph.5:3-6, Gal.5:19-21, Ez.ch.18. STOPPING SINNING? I get resistance when I say, You don t have to continue sinning. But, I m actually being more temperate than John who says, We know that no one who is born of God sins... 1 Jn.5:18 Is our inner most being corrupt? How do we apply Ezekiel 36:25-27 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED In commenting on the Reformation, which brought about a course correction, Ken Funk suggested we consider whether another course correction is due. In a word, I believe that we are. Today s message, under whatever banner, is often one of an empty faith ; about believing the truth of some doctrines with no consequent change of life; indeed, the message is not calculated to change our behavior, but to get us into Heaven when we die. James called it dead faith. Many great men of faith through the ages have warned against teaching. BELIEVING AND DOING This is an extension of the Faith and Works topic above. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Paul says that there are certain things that if do them, we have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God, and if we don t do some other things we will be lost. Gilbert Smith gilbert.smith@gmail.com studies.gilbertofcorvallis.com 4

5 Eph. 2.8 salvation a gift Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; NASB77 Albert Barnes (Calvinist commentator.) And that not of yourselves - That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered that - του το touto - is in the neuter gender, and the word faith - πι στις pistis - is in the feminine. The word that, therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to the salvation by grace of which he had been speaking. This is the interpretation of the passage which is the most obvious, and which is now generally conceded to be the true one; see Bloomfield. Many critics, however, as Doddridge, Beza, Piscator, and Chrysostom, maintain that the word that (του το touto) refers to faith (πι στις pistis); and Doddridge maintains that such a use is common in the New Testament. As a matter of grammar this opinion is certainly doubtful, if not untenable; but as a matter of theology it is a question of very little importance. Whether this passage proves it or not, it is certainly true that faith is the gift of God. It exists in the mind only when the Holy Spirit produces it there, and is, in common with every other Christian excellence, to be traced to his agency on the heart. This opinion, however, does not militate at all with the doctrine that man himself believes. It is not God that believes for him, for that is impossible. It is his own mind that actually believes, or that exercises faith; see the notes at Rom_4:3. In the same manner repentance is to be traced to God. It is one of the fruits of the operation of the Holy Spirit on the soul. But the Holy Spirit does not repent for us. It is our own mind that repents; our own heart that feels; our own eyes that weep - and without this there can he no true repentance. No one can repent for another; and God neither can nor ought to repent; for us. He has done no wrong, and if repentance is ever exercised, therefore, it must be exercised by our own minds. So of faith. God cannot believe for us. We must believe, or we shall be damned. Still this does not conflict at all with the opinion, that if we exercise faith, the inclination to do it is to be traced to the agency of God on the heart. I would not contend, therefore, about the grammatical construction of this passage, with respect to the point of the theology contained in it; still it accords better with the obvious grammatical construction, and with the design of the passage to understand the word that as referring not to faith only, but to salvation by grace. So Calvin understands it, and so it is understood by Storr, Locke, Clarke, Koppe, Grotius, and others. It is the gift of God - Salvation by grace is his gift. It is not of merit; it is wholly by favor. Adam Clarke (Arminian commentator) For by grace are ye saved, through faith - As ye are now brought into a state of salvation, your sins being all blotted out, and you made partakers of the Holy Spirit; and, having a hope full of immortality, you must not attribute this to any

6 works or merit of yours; for when this Gospel reached you, you were all found dead in trespasses and dead in sins; therefore it was God s free mercy to you, manifested through Christ, in whom ye were commanded to believe; and, having believed by the power of the Holy Spirit, ye received, and were sealed by, the Holy Spirit of promise; so that this salvation is in no sense of yourselves, but is the free gift of God; and not of any kind of works; so that no man can boast as having wrought out his own salvation, or even contributed any thing towards it. By grace arc ye saved, through faith in Christ. This is a true doctrine, and continues to be essential to the salvation of man to the end of the world. But whether are we to understand, faith or salvation as being the gift of God? This question is answered by the Greek text: τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υ μων Θεου το δωρον, ουκ εξ εργων ι να μη τις καυχησηται By this grace ye are saved through faith; and This (τουτο, this salvation) not of you; it is the gift of God, not of works: so that no one can boast. The relative τουτο, this, which is in the neuter gender, cannot stand for πιστις, faith, which is the feminine; but it has the whole sentence that goes before for its antecedent. But it may be asked: Is not faith the gift of God? Yes, as to the grace by which it is produced; but the grace or power to believe, and the act of believing, are two different things. Without the grace or power to believe no man ever did or can believe; but with that power the act of faith is a man s own. God never believes for any man, no more than he repents for him: the penitent, through this grace enabling him, believes for himself: nor does he believe necessarily, or impulsively when he has that power; the power to believe may be present long before it is exercised, else, why the solemn warnings with which we meet every where in the word of God, and threatenings against those who do not believe? Is not this a proof that such persons have the power but do not use it? They believe not, and therefore are not established. This, therefore, is the true state of the case: God gives the power, man uses the power thus given, and brings glory to God: without the power no man can believe; with it, any man may. Robertson s Word Studies Through faith (dia pisteo s). This phrase he adds in repeating what he said in Eph_2:5 to make it plainer. Grace is God s part, faith ours. And that (kai touto). Neuter, not feminine taute, and so refers not to pistis (feminine) or to charis (feminine also), but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part. Paul shows that salvation does not have its source (ex humo n, out of you) in men, but from God. Besides, it is God s gift (do ron) and not the result of our work. Vincent s Word Studies For by grace, etc. This may truly be called exceeding riches of grace, for ye are saved by grace. Grace has the article, the grace of God, in Eph_2:5, Eph_2:7.

7 And that Not faith, but the salvation. Of God Emphatic. Of God is it the gift.

8 Matthew 5:48 Adam Clarke Be ye therefore perfect - as your Father - God himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the perfection which he recommends to his children. The words are very emphatic, εσεσθε ουν υμεις τελειοι, Ye shall be therefore perfect - ye shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is Mercy, and whose nature is love. God has many imitators of his power, independence, justice, etc., but few of his love, condescension, and kindness. He calls himself Love, to teach us that in this consists that perfection, the attainment of which he has made both our duty and privilege: for these words of our Lord include both a command and a promise. Can we be fully saved from sin in this world? is an important question, to which this text gives a satisfactory answer: Ye shall be perfect, as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect. - As in his infinite nature there is no sin, nothing but goodness and love, so in your finite nature there shall dwell no sin, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus shall make you free from the law of sin and death, Rom_8:2. God shall live in, fill, and rule your hearts; and, in what He fills and influences, neither Satan nor sin can have any part. If men, slighting their own mercies, cry out, This is impossible! - whom does this arguing reprove - God, who, on this ground, has given a command, the fulfillment of which is impossible. But who can bring a clean out of an unclean thing? God Almighty - and, however inveterate the disease of sin may be, the grace of the Lord Jesus can fully cure it; and who will say, that he who laid down his life for our souls will not use his power completely to effect that salvation which he has died to procure. But where is the person thus saved? Wherever he is found who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbor as himself; and, for the honor of Christianity and its Author, may we not hope there are many such in the Church of God, not known indeed by any profession of this kind which they make, but by a surer testimony, that of uniformly holy tempers, piety to God, and beneficence to man? RWP Perfect (teleioi). The word comes from telos, end, goal, limit. Here it is the goal set before us, the absolute standard of our Heavenly Father. The word is used also for relative perfection as of adults compared with children. Young s literal translation Matthew 5:48 ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.

9 Strong Mat 5:48 Be G2071 ye G5210 therefore G3767 perfect, G5046 even as G5618 your G5216 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven G3772 is G2076 perfect. G5046 KJV Mat 5:48 "ThereforeG3767 you are to be perfectg5046, as your heavenlyg3770 FatherG3962 is perfectg5046. NASB τε λειος teleios tel'-i-os From G5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness: - of full age, man, perfect. RMAC Mat 5:48 εσεσθεg1510 V-FDI-2P ουνg3767 CONJ υμειςg4771 P-2NP τελειοιg5046 A-NPM ωσπερg5618 ADV οg3588 T-NSM πατηρg3962 N-NSM υμωνg4771 P-2GP οg3588 T-NSM ενg1722 PREP τοιςg3588 T-DPM ουρανοιςg3772 N-DPM τελειοςg5046 A-NSM εστινg1510 V-PAI-3S

10 εσεσθε G2071 V-FXI- 2P εἰμί will be ουν G3767 CONJ οὖν certainly υμεις G5210 P-2NP σύ you τελειοι G5046 A-NPM τέλειος complete ως G5613 ADV ὡς which how να ωσπερ G5618 ADV ὥσπερ just as τσβ ο G358 8 T- NSM ὁ the πατηρ G3962 N-NSM πατήρ a father υμων G5216 P-2GP σύ of you εσεσθε G2071 V-FXI- 2P εἰμί will be ουν G3767 CONJ οὖν certainly υμεις G5210 P-2NP σύ you τελειοι G5046 A-NPM τέλειος complete ως G5613 ADV ὡς which how να ωσπερ G5618 ADV ὥσπερ just as τσβ ο G358 8 T- NSM ὁ the πατηρ G3962 N-NSM πατήρ a father υμων G5216 P-2GP σύ of you ο G358 8 T- NSM ὁ the ουρανιος G3770 A-NSM οὐράνιος celestial να εν G172 2 PREP ἔν in τσβ τοις G358 8 T-DPM ὁ the τσβ ουρανοις G3772 N-DPM οὐρανός the sky τσβ τελειο G5046 A-NSM τέλειο comple V-FDI-2P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Future Voice: middle Deponent Mood: Indicative Person: second [you+] Number: Plural Note that the verb eimi is in the indicative mode, hence You will be, not you should be (imperative).