Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Sabbath (Jim, Selby, etc. Message-ID: Date: 2 Jun 91 05:22:20 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 41 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , jquilty@comp.vuw.ac.nz (James William Quilty) writes: > . . . . . . > You exhibit an attitude of "saved by faith but kept by works". In times past I have sited a few different versions of what I call The Two Sides of the Ten Dollar Bill: Both sides ask a question and offer an answer. The first side: Q: What must I do to be saved? A: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. The other side: Q: Now that I know Him and love Him, what would He have me to do. A: "If you love Me keep My Commandments. There are plenty of texts to support both sides and both have their place. I'd be glad to look them up for you. Neither side can be ignored in the NT context. There are two ways to counterfeit the $10 bill, by offering the same answer to both questions. To insist that "Just Believe" is the answer when someone loves Him and is eager to serve Him is a fraud. To insist that keeping the law is a means of salvation is blatant legalism and also a counterfeit of the Gospel. So, I do not subscribe to "saved by faith but kept by works". Rather that the works are the fruit of being grafted into the vine. If there is no fruit, then somehow the sap is not flowing. If the fruit is not genuine, then the fruit is simply stapled to the vine and not properly grafted in. And the only one who can do the grafting is Jesus. He is the one who stands knocking at my door eager to come in with broom and mop to work some more cleansing of this heart of sin. Only He is qualified. Dave (David E. Buxton)