Phrasiology: Does Faith Save/Justify You?

[Prufrock]

...but the work of the Preacher is to exposit and give explanation to what is meant by the phrases in the context of the whole. Paul didn't simply speak in aphorisms so we could cavil over how the phrase could be presented naked of its context.

 

[Peairtach]

There is a difference too between justification and salvation.

Justification is God's legally declaring us righteous. We will be no more justified in heaven than we are now.

Salvation includes also adoption, definitive and progressive sanctification (including foreordained good works), perfection and glorification at death, and resurrection at the end of time.

 

[KMK]

This goes to the point of why sound teaching by stable men and the charge to Pastors in 2 Tim 4 are so critical. We do not simply provide phrases in the English and permit people to draw their own conclusions but the work of the Preacher is to exposit and give explanation to what is meant by the phrases in the context of the whole. Paul didn't simply speak in aphorisms so we could cavil over how the phrase could be presented naked of its context.

One of the problems, for instance, in simply noting that "faith justifies" and giving no more explanation is the fact that many Christians affected by Arminian teaching believe just that: their faith justifies, full stop. It is inherent in Arminian theology for the Atonement to be deficient and requires the person's free will belief to make Christ's merit efficient since Christ has died for all in their scheme.

Faith, then, becomes not simply an instrument by which one clings to Another's righteousness but is looked to for its relative strength/weakness/continuance. Faithfulness, rather than faith, becomes the grounds for justification. Faith becomes a work.

People inherently understand that justification is going to have to require some sort of payment for sin. If they don't apprehend that faith simply lays hold of Christ's death and His righteousness then, like Arminianism, faith will be looked at as a form of righteous keeping of duty before God that merits His favor for its exercise.

Without exposition, 'faith' becomes 'decision' and, therefore, 'decision' saves.

 

[Der Pilger]

In the second statement faith is nominative and is the actor doing the saving.

Not true. The nominative case allows for this to be a possibility, but it does not necessarily mean that. In no way does the nominative case deny that it may be an instrument of some other actor.

That's the first time I've ever heard of the possibility of a word serving dual functions of subject and indirect object. How does the one word actually simultaneously serve both functions?