"THERE ARE WORKS THAT SAVE! BY STEVE FINNELL
Are there works that are essential to
salvation? Yes, absolutely, the work of believing and the work of water
baptism are essential for salvation.
BELIEVING
John 6:27-29 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal. 28 Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him who He sent."
Believing is a work that saves. Believing is essential to salvation.
WATER BAPTISM
Colossians 2:12-13 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with
Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.
God does the work when we submit to believers baptism in water. Yes, water baptism is God's work not man's work.
1 Peter 3:20-21 ...safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you ---not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience---through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God does the work in water baptism. Man does no work at all.
Man is saved by works. Man's work is to believe in Jesus the Christ.
God's work is in water baptism when He forgives believers of their sins.
Jesus made it very clear when He said "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved..."(Mark 16:16)
Being obedient to God by believing and submitting to water baptism is not earning salvation. It is not a meritorious work.
THE WORKS THAT DO NOT SAVE
1. The works of the Law of Moses.
2. The works of good deeds.
3. The works of keeping man-made traditions.
4. The works of righteous acts." --Steve Finnell of "A Christian View"
HOSS'S REFUTATION:
Finnell's first problem is that he said that believing was a work. That is not true.
The Bible plainly states that believing is the exact opposite of working!
Romans 4:4-5 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.
Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly states that faith is the opposite works!
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.
Romans 3:27 plainly states that the law of works is the opposite of the law of faith. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
Romans 10:4-5 says that the righteousness of the law was by DOING things while the end of the law was by BELIEVING on Christ. Obviously a contrast between works and faith. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."
However, Steve Finnell of "A Christian View" has told me that believing is a work. Why did he tell me that? Because of John 6:29, "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Why did the Lord say that the "work" of God was that ye "believe"? Obviously this contradicts the rest of the Bible, which plainly said that believing was not working. The answer to this problems lies in the CONTEXT of the passage.
John 6:
[28] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Jesus was simply answering the unbelieving Jews with their own terminology! Jesus didn't coin the phrase "This is the work of God, that ye believe", He was just answering the question with the same terminology, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
Believing is NOT a work (Rom. 3:27, 4:4-5, 10:4-5, Eph. 2:8-9).
Water baptism is a work (Matthew 3:8, 15)
We are not saved by works, we are saved by grace (Eph. 1:7, 1:13, 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7, 2 Tim. 1:9, Acts 13:38-39, Gal. 2:16-3:28, Rom. 4:4-5). You cannot be saved by grace and works (Rom. 11:6).
BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED (ACTS 16:31)
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
John 1:29 "....Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The next thing Finnell did was teach that Colossians 2:12 was about water baptism. There is no "water" in Colosians 2, there is no water mentioned in the entire book of Colossians. Colossians 2:12 is about baptism into Christ as taught in Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:26-28, Ephesians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-18, etc. This baptism is said to be "by one Spirit" "through the faith of the operation of God", not by man's works.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
(1 Cor. 12:13)
"But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." (1 Cor. 12:18)
"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Col. 2:11-12)
Next Steve Finnell said something incredibly unintelligent, "God does the work in water baptism. Man does no work at all." Really? Does God pick you up and dunk you in the water and pull you back up while you do nothing? Finnell clearly has a mental illness to even make such a statement. If "man does no work at all", then why does the Bible make the following statements?
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance"
" And were baptized of him in Jordan"
" Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."
"they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water"
The Bible makes it clear that in water baptism, MAN is the one doing the work. Water baptism is something people went to MAN to do (Matt. 3:14), not God.
Next Finnell said "Man is saved by works". Really?
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.
And also Romans 3:19-27, 4:1-5:1, 8:8, 10:1-13, 11:6, Titus 3:4-7, 2 Timothy 1:9, Galatians 2:16-20, 3:1-28, Philippians 3:9, etc.
Steve Finnell then made several other untrue statements, but the last one I will look at it is this:
"THE WORKS THAT DO NOT SAVE
--Eli Caldwell
Finnell's first problem is that he said that believing was a work. That is not true.
The Bible plainly states that believing is the exact opposite of working!
Romans 4:4-5 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.
Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly states that faith is the opposite works!
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.
Romans 3:27 plainly states that the law of works is the opposite of the law of faith. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
Romans 10:4-5 says that the righteousness of the law was by DOING things while the end of the law was by BELIEVING on Christ. Obviously a contrast between works and faith. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."
However, Steve Finnell of "A Christian View" has told me that believing is a work. Why did he tell me that? Because of John 6:29, "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Why did the Lord say that the "work" of God was that ye "believe"? Obviously this contradicts the rest of the Bible, which plainly said that believing was not working. The answer to this problems lies in the CONTEXT of the passage.
John 6:
[28] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Jesus was simply answering the unbelieving Jews with their own terminology! Jesus didn't coin the phrase "This is the work of God, that ye believe", He was just answering the question with the same terminology, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
Believing is NOT a work (Rom. 3:27, 4:4-5, 10:4-5, Eph. 2:8-9).
Water baptism is a work (Matthew 3:8, 15)
We are not saved by works, we are saved by grace (Eph. 1:7, 1:13, 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7, 2 Tim. 1:9, Acts 13:38-39, Gal. 2:16-3:28, Rom. 4:4-5). You cannot be saved by grace and works (Rom. 11:6).
BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED (ACTS 16:31)
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
John 1:29 "....Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The next thing Finnell did was teach that Colossians 2:12 was about water baptism. There is no "water" in Colosians 2, there is no water mentioned in the entire book of Colossians. Colossians 2:12 is about baptism into Christ as taught in Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:26-28, Ephesians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-18, etc. This baptism is said to be "by one Spirit" "through the faith of the operation of God", not by man's works.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
(1 Cor. 12:13)
"But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." (1 Cor. 12:18)
"In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Col. 2:11-12)
Next Steve Finnell said something incredibly unintelligent, "God does the work in water baptism. Man does no work at all." Really? Does God pick you up and dunk you in the water and pull you back up while you do nothing? Finnell clearly has a mental illness to even make such a statement. If "man does no work at all", then why does the Bible make the following statements?
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance"
" And were baptized of him in Jordan"
" Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."
"they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water"
The Bible makes it clear that in water baptism, MAN is the one doing the work. Water baptism is something people went to MAN to do (Matt. 3:14), not God.
Next Finnell said "Man is saved by works". Really?
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.
And also Romans 3:19-27, 4:1-5:1, 8:8, 10:1-13, 11:6, Titus 3:4-7, 2 Timothy 1:9, Galatians 2:16-20, 3:1-28, Philippians 3:9, etc.
Steve Finnell then made several other untrue statements, but the last one I will look at it is this:
"THE WORKS THAT DO NOT SAVE
1. The works of the Law of Moses.
2. The works of good deeds.
3. The works of keeping man-made traditions.
4. The works of righteous acts." --Steve Finnell of "A Christian View"
#1 is not true, works of the Law did save under the Law Dispensation (Rom. 2:13, 10:5). Under Grace salvation is "no more of works" (Rom. 6:14, 11:6), requiring that it had been previously.
#2 is a strange statement. Steve Finnell just go through saying that works do save, but now he is saying that good deeds do not save. He is contradicting himself.
#3 I agree
#4 Well then water baptism does not save, because under the Gospel of the Kingdom water baptism was a righteous acts (Matt. 3:15 "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." Matt. 21:32 "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness...")
#1 is not true, works of the Law did save under the Law Dispensation (Rom. 2:13, 10:5). Under Grace salvation is "no more of works" (Rom. 6:14, 11:6), requiring that it had been previously.
#2 is a strange statement. Steve Finnell just go through saying that works do save, but now he is saying that good deeds do not save. He is contradicting himself.
#3 I agree
#4 Well then water baptism does not save, because under the Gospel of the Kingdom water baptism was a righteous acts (Matt. 3:15 "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." Matt. 21:32 "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness...")
--Eli Caldwell
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