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The question is, how does the faith counted for righteousness relate to the fruit of faith?
For 500 years, Mennonites have connected faith and its fruit in a way that makes the fruit of faith the foundation of faith, and for 500 years, Protestants have separated faith and its fruit in a way that makes the fruit of faith completely unrelated to faith.
The story of Abraham in Genesis 12-17 and Romans 4 demonstrates that Abraham’s faith was counted for righteousness prior to circumcision, which was the fruit of faith.
According to Paul, Abraham is the spiritual father of all Jews who trust God even though they are circumcised and all Gentiles who trust God without being circumcised (Romans 4:11-18).
While the fruit of faith is not the foundation of faith, the same faith that is counted for righteousness bears fruit. Cooperation with God’s grace (human effort) that is motivated by God’s grace is not opposed to God’s grace.