Not For Righteousness

Catholics and most Protestants accept that some grace goes before salvation. Even Calvin believed babies were changed in the womb so that they had a belief in God before birth.

Grace before salvation is very important to the salvation concept, not just grace at salvation. The purpose God saves is addressed. Yet many hard core "faith only" groups would rather get a fatal disease than admit "not of works" is speaking of God's choice to bless man in Christ and not speaking of the process he chose.

Almost all "not of works comments have a relation to God's choice before offering salvation.

One old Testament passage makes the point very clearly.

Deu 9:4  Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. 

Deu 9:5  Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Deu 9:6  Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.  

We see Grace giving victory without a view to their righteousness to instigate it. It was for God's own purpose that he supported them in war.

This is very different than saying works aren't in the process, it is speaking of the origin of God's purpose, they had to fight the battles which is a work. With God's help they won.

The purpose of God was not set into motion by works or righteousness it was set in motion by God's purpose before their births. Many of the "not of works" passages in the New Testament are used of purpose vs process. Some others contextually lean towards purpose.

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

Christ died for them and called them while they were still alienated in their minds.

Yet we see some corrupt translations saying "for thy righteousness" when the greek word dia is used, meaning "because of"

The King James being especially erroneous, even in Titus 3:5 the KJV changes Ek (from) to (by), and in Ephesians 2:8 traslations use "of" for Ek, which is more correct than "by".

KJV

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

APB

Tit 3:5  notG3756 fromG1537 worksG2041 G3588 inG1722 righteousnessG1343 whichG3739 we did,G4160 G1473 butG235 according toG2596 G3588 hisG1473 mercyG1656 he deliveredG4982 us,G1473 throughG1223 the bathG3067 of 

Protestant translators changed eis to "because" in Acts 2:38 and dia to "for" in Deut, and ek to "by" in Titus 3:5.

Certainly Ek is speaking of origin vs process. Dia is speaking of purpose or cause.

Why can't the KJV be consistent?

APB

Deu 9:5  NotG3780 because ofG1223 G3588 your righteousness,G1343 G1473 norG3761 because ofG1223 theG3588 sacrednessG3742 G3588 of your heartG2588 G1473 do youG1473 enterG1531 to inheritG2816 G3588 their land.G1093 G1473 ButG235 because ofG1223 theG3588 impietyG763 G3588 of these nationsG1484 G3778 the lord G2962 shall utterly destroyG1842 themG1473 fromG575 your presence,G4383 G1473 andG2532 thatG2443 he should establishG2476 theG3588 covenantG1242 whichG3739 the lord swore by an oathG3660 G2962 to G3588 your fathers --G3962 G1473 to G3588 Abraham,G* andG2532 to G3588 Isaac,G* .

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 

Works weren't the reason God offers salvation, but works are in the process.

Titus says "not from works" (origin), but "through" the bath (process)

Also the grammer in Ephesians 2:8-9 is important.

Grace is the first word in the series.

by Grace

you are saved

through faith

that not of yourselves

it is the gift of God

not of works

In Greek the first word is that which all the other phrases modify.

not of works is modifying Grace.

The grace causing election ad sacrafice and calling, graces used to bring salvation, did not originate from our works. 

The jews might argue, God allowed Christ to die for them because their past works made them a little more qualified, but Deut. 9 shows them as stiff-necked and urighteous souls.