Justification by Christ's blood and a justification by believing in Christ's blood, are clearly not the same. How can a faith in your ransom accomplish more than the payment of that ransom which sets you free?
I am once again in discussion with several Primitive (Hardshell) baptists who don't seem to grasp the distinction between faith being an "instrumental cause" of our justification, joining us to Christ and faith being a "meritorious cause" (i.e. producing faith in our own strength such that God justifies us because of it...thus making faith into a work).
They charge me with "works salvation" and say I do not believe in salvation "wholly" by grace because I speak of the ordinary means of the instrumentality of the Spirit working through the Word of God and that faith is what unites us to Christ. When I state, "Though faith is a gift, we believe...God does not believe for us"....they make me out to be a wholesale Arminian.
Any advice on how to deal with these? Anyone experienced with Primitive Baptists here?