That goes to show how deceptive is legalistic religiousity without "faith" ... Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him],
He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 5:30 The Pharisees and their scribes [seeing those with whom He was associating] began murmuring in discontent to His disciples, asking, “Why are you eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]?” 31 And Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 32 I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His righteousness].”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” 47 When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. (Faith of the Roman Centurian)
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God ...Word should be capitalized as in John 1:1= Christ Jesus ... John 1:14).
Not sure I follow your reasoning.
The new covenant had not yet been established. So heart faith was not available for the born again initiation. Jesus was still yet unperfected.
He as a man, born outside the carnal mind, needed to experience that duality of good vs evil within Himself, which He did in
the garden of Gethsemane. He had to experience all things that the human experienced. Heb 2:17
It was during that period of time when He took to Himself the sin of the world, and the carnal nature that came with it, He experienced
the same desire that Peter had for Him to not go to the cross. He had rebuked Peter for not savoring the things that be of God. Matt 16:23
It was at this time that the perfecting of His faith and love took place for He had never tasted of that duality as is apparent by the fact
He was now praying the Father to remove the cup(His crucifixion). It was in laying down His own will in favor of the Fathers will that His
faith in the Father and love of the Father was proven (perfected), while in the state of mans duality.
Previously it was "I delight to do thy will O God"
It is this faith and love we receive when we are born again. To perfect it to the same degree, so that if asked to lay it down we also
will be able to prove our faith and love. Paul, Peter, John, Matthew etc..... how many have gone down that road? Only He knows.
Faith does come by hearing the word(plan) of God. But one must hear the plan(word) before the faith of Jesus Christ will come
live in their hearts. Otherwise whats the point in giving that faith to anyone who doesn't know why they are given that kind of faith?
They have started, but what now? Do they understand that? Most do not.
The hearing of the plan is the betrothal of the hearer, the marriage timing is at the leisure of the grooms Father.
Thus "no man(human) can come to me except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him."
Consummation is the moment you are born of the Spirit to begin carrying out the plan(you heard) in your own life.
Empowered to become a son. Who preaches that these days? The doctrines do not allow that!!
And lets be clear here that repentance is A CHANGE OF MIND, not groveling in the dirt about how bad one has been, although we all
have probably done that. He came to change the minds of sinners. To what end? That they would not fear death and live righteously in accordance with love of the Father and our fellow man.
Will some be tried by death, Yes. By flame, sword, etc... Dan 11:35 Rev 6:11 To prove them to make them white, and to purge even unto
the end.
The perfecting of the received faith and love that comes from the abundance of Jesus Christ are the works that need be done.
Ye are saved by grace, not a work you do. But the perfecting of what was received is required to be conformed to the son.
Ok, continue to focus on one part of Scripture while ignoring the rest. along with ignoring the historic teachings of Christianity, reason, et al. Any right works (not works of the law) come from and are motivated by God. And yet they are necessary. Because we can avoid them, we can fail to do His will, we can fail to love, to put it another way. Scripture conditions salvation on those works of grace.
