Salvation by faith alone?

[WileyCoyote]

Here is a post I did in the "Christian Apologetics" section. I think it is a good balance to the fierce "Salvation by faith or works" discussion going on in the church.

I think the whole "Salvation by faith, Salvation by works" debate is a fierce one. Martin Luther popularized the notion that salvation is by faith alone. No doubt Luther was disgusted with the Roman Catholic's view that you needed to do good works in order to obtain salvation. However, Luther swung to the other extreme and started preaching that salvation was by "faith alone". Now the believer is not at all responsible for his salvation. While I admire Luther's courage for going against the legalistic doctrine of the Catholic church, he was guilty of also preaching an extreme. Nowhere does the Bible say that salvation is by faith alone. In fact, the Bible contradicts this statement.

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)

So works is part of our justification? This is what the Bible clearly teaches. Notice the verse doesn't exclude faith. The Roman Catholics excluded faith and emphasized works. Luther excluded works and emphasized faith. Both views are wrong. It is a combination of faith and works that justifies a man.

Now I know that it seems like I'm teaching salvation by works, but I'm not. I'm just not excluding works. Let's look at a familiar passage that "salvation by faith alone" proponents like to quote:

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Wow, this passage seems to contradict what I just said. But we must not stop reading there. Stopping there would be considered contextomy because it isn't quoted in it's context.

"For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (v 10)

What? We were created to do good works? These are the kind of works James talks about in his passage. GOOD WORKS. These are not the same kinds of works Paul talks about. Let me prove it.

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." (Rom 3:28)

The "works" that Paul talks about is an observance of the law. It is trying to keep the law to earn your salvation. This is not the same as good works. Good works must accompany your faith or you don't have true faith. Good works are the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc etc. If you are not operating in these things, you don't have genuine faith.

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." (Galatians 5:6)

So according to that scripture, faith works how? Faith works by believing? Faith works by confession? NO. Faith works by LOVE. Without love, your faith won't work. And if your faith isn't working, how in the world can you claim to be justified by faith? Here is another passage that demonstrates this:

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." (1 John 3:14)

Ohhh, so the evidence that you passed from death to life is not the fact that you took the preacher's hand and repeated a prayer. It's not the fact that you asked Jesus into your heart. It's not the fact that you admitted you were a sinner in need of a savior. The true evidence that you have passed from death unto life is you LOVE THE BRETHREN. I know I'm saved because I love you. This is the true evidence. Many people would tell me that I'm preaching a works based salvation because I say that you have to love people in order to be saved. But this is purely biblical. Without love, your faith won't work and without your faith working, you CANNOT be justified. So you are saved by a combination of faith AND works. Good works, of course. Love works.

Do you agree? What are your thoughts?

 

[Tinkerbell33]

I don't think that faith and works are necessarily seperate, clearly good works come from good faith?

 

[Niels]

We are saved by faith alone, but where there is faith you will find the fruit of the Spirit.

 

[genXer]

With faith in Christ comes the spirit of God within you. With the spirit of God comes good works. Read James 2:14 thru 2:26.

 

[Inkachu]

Justification and salvation are two different things, Wiley, so the verse you quoted really doesn't apply, IMO. Most of the other verses you quote, apart from the one below, apply to our lives AFTER salvation; what we are to be and become once we've BEEN saved, not in order to obtain salvation.

"For by grace you have been saved...THROUGH FAITH, NOT OF WORKS..." That clears it up for me, anyway.

 

[Tinkerbell33]

If you have the works but not the faith then you won't be saved.
If you have the faith and not the works then you don't really have faith and are not saved.
If you have faith and the works then you will be saved.

Its all down to faith.

Is that biblical? I think so. Does anyone disagree?

 

[welshman]

Amen Ink...Praise the Lord that He doesn't ask us to "work" our way into heaven as we would all be stuffed To Him our "works" are as "filthy rags":o There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn our salvation or place in heaven...He gave His only Son to die on the cross for me so that if I receive Him I am "justified" before the Father..."just-if-I'd" never sinned! How amazing is that? I'll never be able to fully understand or grasp His grace towards me

Justification and salvation are two different things, Wiley, so the verse you quoted really doesn't apply, IMO. Most of the other verses you quote, apart from the one below, apply to our lives AFTER salvation; what we are to be and become once we've BEEN saved, not in order to obtain salvation.

"For by grace you have been saved...THROUGH FAITH, NOT OF WORKS..." That clears it up for me, anyway.

 

[Inkachu]

Amen Welsh..."stuffed" lol. Jesus provides our salvation completely apart from anything we can DO. It's totally, completely, 100% a matter of faith.

 

[K9_Trainer]

If you have the works but not the faith then you won't be saved.
If you have the faith and not the works then you don't really have faith and are not saved.
If you have faith and the works then you will be saved.

Its all down to faith.

Is that biblical? I think so. Does anyone disagree?

This!

All the acts of kindness in the world won't get you into heaven if you don't belive in Him and trust Him.
All the faith in the world won't get you into heaven if you go around and act like a jerk and treat people like dirt (not to mention if you do that, your faith is obviously insincere because the Lord calls us to love).
You need both.

 

[Cjwinnit]

"Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's Judgement; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit."

Or in more modern language:

"Although good works, which are the fruits of faith and follow on after justification, can never atone for our sins or face the strict justice of God's judgment, they are nevertheless pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and necessarily spring from a true and living faith. Thus a living faith is as plainly known by its good works as a tree is known by its fruit."

 

[WileyCoyote]

Thank everyone for their answers.

 

[Inkachu]

Sorry to those who keep insisting that works have to be a part of salvation; the Bible clearly says otherwise, IMO.

The thief on the cross didn't have TIME for any works; he simply believed.

 

[WileyCoyote]

Sorry to those who keep insisting that works have to be a part of salvation; the Bible clearly says otherwise, IMO.

I'm afraid not, Vicky.

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philipians 2:12)

 

[DarcyWillow]

I'm afraid not, Vicky.

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philipians 2:12)

Does one work out their muscles in order to get a body? Does one work out their intelligence in order to get a mind?

No. We are given a body and a mind, and must work them out in order to strengthen them and enjoy the benefits of them. In the same way, we are given salvation, and must work out our salvation in order to strengthen our relationship with God.

If I could get salvation by "working it out", then Christ's death on the cross would be meaningless

 

[Radagast]

I think Becky's four points put it quite well:

If you have the works but not the faith then you won't be saved.

"{We} know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

If you have the faith and not the works then you don't really have faith and are not saved.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:14-17)

If you have faith and the works then you will be saved.

"But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do... faith without deeds is useless" (James 2:18, 20b)

Its all down to faith.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

[.Mikha'el.]

Does one work out their muscles in order to get a body? Does one work out their intelligence in order to get a mind?

No. We are given a body and a mind, and must work them out in order to strengthen them and enjoy the benefits of them. In the same way, we are given salvation, and must work out our salvation in order to strengthen our relationship with God.

If I could get salvation by "working it out", then Christ's death on the cross would be meaningless

But at the same time, I have doubts that Christ will extend grace to those who may profess him to be Lord, but live in manner that is totally contrary to the example he set.

 

[DarcyWillow]

But at the same time, I have doubts that Christ will extend grace to those who may profess him to be Lord, but live in manner that is totally contrary to the example he set.

Don't just doubt it... Jesus said that he wouldn't accept those who only profess him with words. True salvation is from the heart, and will bear good fruits

If we have been gifted with Salvation than we will attempt to work it out. Some of us will succeed more than others (for example, Mother theresa obviously was the olympic champion of good works). One thing is for sure, no matter how hard we try to work it out we will never be as good as the standard- Jesus. That is why Jesus gives us a cloak of righteousness, so even when I make mistakes I am righteous before God. Not by my works, but by faith in Christ am I made righteous.

 

[Radagast]

... True salvation is from the heart, and will bear good fruits ...

If we have been gifted with Salvation than we will attempt to work it out. Some of us will succeed more than others ... That is why Jesus gives us a cloak of righteousness, so even when I make mistakes I am righteous before God. Not by my works, but by faith in Christ am I made righteous.

I agree with that way of putting it.

 

[WileyCoyote]

Does one work out their muscles in order to get a body? Does one work out their intelligence in order to get a mind?

No. We are given a body and a mind, and must work them out in order to strengthen them and enjoy the benefits of them. In the same way, we are given salvation, and must work out our salvation in order to strengthen our relationship with God.

If I could get salvation by "working it out", then Christ's death on the cross would be meaningless

This is exactly my point. Salvation is free. But keeping it is costly.

 

[Radagast]

This is exactly my point. Salvation is free. But keeping it is costly.

I can't agree to that, though. We don't work to keep our salvation -- we are saved by faith alone. But our works (or our feeble atempts at works) show that that faith is real.