Not By Faith Only Are we saved by faith alone? Many would say, “Yes,” but is that what the Bible actually teaches? Let’s see. On this subject, James asks, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (Jas. 2:14) As he goes on to prove, that kind of faith will save no one. Please understand that James does not minimize the importance of faith. The doctrine of salvation by faith is clearly taught in the New Testament (Rom. 5:1; 1 Jn. 5:1; Jn. 3:16; 3:36; etc.), but nowhere in the New Testament is the doctrine of salvation by faith ONLY taught. The faith that saves is of the type that expresses itself in obedience to the commandments of the Lord (cf. 1 Jn. 2:3-6); and it produces a blessing only when it does so. Hence why James said, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas. 2:17). Yet, someone may say, “But Paul said we are not saved by works.” Paul said “that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28); whereas James said, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jas. 2:24). Is this a contradiction? Certainly not. The difference is that Paul was referring to works that are EXCLUDED from God’s plan to save (e.g., meritorious works – Rom. 4:2-8; works of human achievement or devising – Tit. 3:5, Eph. 2:8-9; etc.) and James was referring to works that are INCLUDED in God’s plan to save (i.e., obeying, by faith, the commands of God – cf. Heb. 11:7,17-19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:35; etc.) They are that which perfects faith (Jas. 2:20-24). Please understand that even Paul taught the necessity of obedience to the commands of Christ (Rom. 6:17-18) in order to be saved (Phil. 2:12; Rom. 2:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:8). Those who hold to a “faith only” doctrine (who reject any works whatsoever) ought to also consider that Jesus said that faith itself is a work (Jn. 6:28-29). Faith by itself cannot be seen. Its existence is evidenced only through the works that it produces (Jas. 2:18). If all one had to do to be saved was have the mental acceptance of Christ then the demons could be saved (v. 19); yet that is not possible (cf. Matt. 8:28-29). I find it interesting that the only passage in the Bible that says, “faith only” (Jas. 2:24), is a passage that explicitly rejects the doctrine of salvation by faith only. In fact James said, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (v. 26) So then, friend, is your faith a saving faith?
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 08:54:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015