Not sure exactly what you're going for Pastor, but, perhaps there is something to the "positives" of the the Ten commandments that play into it? e.g.
1) You shall have no other Gods - I am the only God and I am your God
2) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God - My Name alone is your salvation, and I give it to you
3) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy - I am your rest alone, and I give it to you by My Word
4) Honor your father and your mother - My order of creation is sufficient alone, and I give it for your benefit
5) You shall not murder - I alone give life, and eternal life and I give it you
6) You shall not commit adultery - I alone am your faithful Husband, and I will not leave you
7) Property - I alone give gifts
8) Reputation - I alone give reputation
9/10) Daily Blessings - I alone sustain you
That God reveals Himself to us - that He gives us His Word and Spirit to grasp Him - all this is by grace alone - and to trust in what God gives (i.e. the positives from the 10C), that is faith alone.
Just some random thoughts that might help what you're wrestling with.
I think I get what you're trying to say. Faith alone of necessity, being exclusionary, means you must not look elsewhere, which is essentially a commandment. However faith is 100% a gift from God, and to give the imperative "Believe!", or "Don't look elsewhere!" takes people's eyes off of Christ (where faith puts them) and drives them back on themselves. Now they're looking to their own work of not looking elsewhere as the thing that saves them - reflexive faith, right? Those are my thoughts, for what they're worth.
Not sure exactly what you're going for Pastor, but, perhaps there is something to the "positives" of the the Ten commandments that play into it? e.g.
1) You shall have no other Gods - I am the only God and I am your God
2) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God - My Name alone is your salvation, and I give it to you
3) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy - I am your rest alone, and I give it to you by My Word
4) Honor your father and your mother - My order of creation is sufficient alone, and I give it for your benefit
5) You shall not murder - I alone give life, and eternal life and I give it you
6) You shall not commit adultery - I alone am your faithful Husband, and I will not leave you
7) Property - I alone give gifts
8) Reputation - I alone give reputation
9/10) Daily Blessings - I alone sustain you
That God reveals Himself to us - that He gives us His Word and Spirit to grasp Him - all this is by grace alone - and to trust in what God gives (i.e. the positives from the 10C), that is faith alone.
Just some random thoughts that might help what you're wrestling with.
Thanks for all you do!
Thank you for introducing me to The Petersens.
I think I get what you're trying to say. Faith alone of necessity, being exclusionary, means you must not look elsewhere, which is essentially a commandment. However faith is 100% a gift from God, and to give the imperative "Believe!", or "Don't look elsewhere!" takes people's eyes off of Christ (where faith puts them) and drives them back on themselves. Now they're looking to their own work of not looking elsewhere as the thing that saves them - reflexive faith, right? Those are my thoughts, for what they're worth.
How about for a couple of them :
Without Me there is no....
And you shall have no (Christian) faith unless I graciously gift it to you through My promise of sins completely forgiven for Christ's sake.