Are We Saved By FAITH ALONE? Recently, a visitor to our web site rather extensively reviewed the first affirmative argument in my debate on the necessity of baptism with Jason Peacock. Four times through his examination, the correspondent accused me of poor Bible hermeneutics. My position on Bible hermeneutics is very simple. I believe the Bible means what it says, and says what it means. When a verse links faith with salvation (ie. Mark 16:16), I believe that faith is necessary for salvation. Likewise, when a verse associates baptism with salvation (ie. also Mark 16:16), I believe that baptism is necessary for salvation. It appears that my accuser is using some new hermeneutic which allows him to conclude that the Bible doesnt really mean what it says. In his final remarks about my first affirmative essay, our visitor states: The overwhelming testimony of scripture is that FAITH alone is both a necessary and sufficient condition for salvation. (John 1:12; 3:15-18, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 7:38-39; 11:25,26; 20:31, Acts 10:43; 11:17; 13:39; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16; 3:22; 3:28-30; 4:2-6; 5:1; 9:31,32; Galatians 2:16; 3:2-9; 3:14; 3:24-26; 5:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; 1 John 5:11-13). Let us use the remainder of our article today to see whether these verses indeed teach faith alone. For lack of space, the text of the verses has not been included. Please be diligent in your study, and read this article with your Bible open to each text. ________________________________________ John 1:12 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) Certainly, the verse teaches that we must have faith (it is those who believe in His name and receive Him who have been given the right to become the children of God). Perhaps then, a valid question would be, how do we receive Him? Is it simply by faith alone (ie. no action on our part), or must we do something to receive Him? Jesus cautioned, He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoke will judge him in the last day. (Jn 12:48). Receiving the Lord requires that we hear, believe and receive His word (Ro 10:17). Of the Pharisees and lawyers who did not receive Johns baptism, it was said, they ...rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. (Lk 7:30). Have not those who today reject Jesus command to be baptized (Mk 16:16) not also rejected the will of God for themselves? ________________________________________ John 3:15-18, 36 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) Cut and paste verses from John 3. Had the guest went back one more verse, he would have witnessed a wonderful example of the faith in action, which brings salvation. Simply believing that a glance at the bronze serpent would save was not sufficient to save the people of Moses day (Num 21:7-9). Had they believed such, but failed to look, they would be as dead as those who did not believe at all. It was their obedience to the Lords command that resulted in salvation, not their faith alone. So it is with us also. That John 3 teaches that everlasting life is to those who believe is certainly not in dispute. However, does it teach faith alone? Again, had the visitor continued to read beyond verse 18, he would see ...he who does the truth comes to the light... (v 21). Jesus is not teaching faith alone, but action on the part of the one coming. As He said elsewhere, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Mt 7:21). ________________________________________ John 5:24 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) What does it mean to ...hear...and believe...? The apostle Paul gave his defense of the gospel before King Agrippa. Surely the king listened to the words spoken by Paul, and according to the apostles knowledge of Agrippa, he believed (Ac 26:25-27). Shall we therefore conclude that Agrippa had everlasting life? No, for he stated to Paul, You almost persuade me to become a Christian. He had heard, he even believed, but he would not become a child of God. ________________________________________ John 6:40, 47; 7:38-39; 11:25-26; 20:31 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in these texts) Indeed, it is Gods will that believers be raised to everlasting life in the time to come. However, as we have already noted from other texts in John, it is not the faith only belief which is spoken of by some, but the active, obedient faith which begets everlasting life. It is a faith that believes all the Lord has said, and responds appropriately. If these texts teach faith only, then Matthew 10:32 equally teaches confession only. Just because faith is mentioned in these texts (and nothing else) does not make then faith only proof texts. ________________________________________ Acts 10:43; 11:17 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in these texts) Speaking to Cornelius Peter said, ...whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. But speaking to the Jerusalem crowd, he stated, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins... (Ac 2:38). Is Peter contradicting himself? Or, perhaps the faith which Peter speaks of entails repentance and baptism? An active, obedient faith. Immediately, baptism was commanded by Peter (v 48). With regard to latter text, are we to understand that the apostles had not believed on the Lord until the Spirit came upon them in a Jerusalem house? Peter himself, in the context of another verse given by our correspondent stated, ...we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Jn 6:69). Were they a lost bunch the whole time they walked and served with Jesus? ________________________________________ Acts 13:39; 16:30-31 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) If this relationship of faith, repentance, baptism and remission of sins exists in the teaching of Peter, then likewise, we should expect to see it in the teachings of Paul (see v 38). To answer the jailors question, What must I do to be saved?, Paul said, Believe. The same question, asked of Peter by the Jerusalem crowd, received an answer which mentioned repentance and baptism, but not faith. Why the difference? The Jerusalem crowd already believed (that was the purpose of Peters sermon). But, though they believed, they were not yet saved. They needed to repent and be baptized. The jailor did not yet believe. They proceeded to teach him (v 32), after which he repented and was baptized (v 33). ________________________________________ Romans 1:16; 3:22, 28-30 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in these texts) Certainly, the gospel is Gods power to save all who believe, but Pauls statement does not single faith out as the sole necessity for salvation. That is the faith only advocates wishful thought. Neither in Pauls instruction from chapter 3 could one conclude that faith alone is responsible for salvation. A big deal is made about the deeds of the law — justification is by faith, not the deeds of the law. Amen! The law of Moses (which is the law Paul speaks of) saves no one. ________________________________________ Romans 4:2-6; 5:1; 9:31-32; Galatians 2:16; 3:2-9, 14 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in these texts) Luthers Catechism reads, We are justified and saved by faith alone, without works... The Westminster Confession of Faith declares, Faith is the only instrument is justification. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer affirms, ...that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine... We could go on and on from doctrines of men which explicitly state that we are justified by faith only. Notice what Paul says in Romans 5:1, ...having been justified by faith, we have peace with God... He does not establish faith as an exclusive instrument of justification. All the above, and those who believe faith only today must add to the inspired writers words. Three times in the New Testament, Genesis 15:6 is quoted (Ro 4:3, Gal 3:6 and Jms 2:23). Faith only supporters will use the first two as proof texts for their proposition, while avoiding the third like the plague. Let us note the context of each. In Galatians, to a group intent on returning to the law of Moses (3:1-5), Paul reveals that Abraham was justified by faith apart from the law. In Romans, he likewise excludes the law of Moses as a means of justification, and specifically the covenant of circumcision. He asked, Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. (v 9). Abraham had not yet received circumcision (Gen 17), when his faith was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen 15). So, are we to conclude that justification is by faith alone? That is not the point of either text, and would contradict James use of the same Genesis text. Paul, in both cases, has answered those bent on finding justification through the law of Moses. Abraham did not find justification in this way, nor will his seed. But notice how James speaks of Abraham, Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (2:21-24). Had Abraham not left Ur of the Chaldees (Gen 12:1-5), he would not have stood justified before the Lord. Had he not been willing to sacrifice Isaac, his son, he would not have stood justified before the Lord. His faith in God prompted him to action, and thus it was accounted to him for righteousness. Justification comes not by the works of the law (as the Jews would contend), but by faithful obedience to God, in whatever He commands. ________________________________________ Galatians 3:24-26; 5:5 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in these texts) In Galatians 3, Paul uses the word faith as a synonym for the gospel. Verse 23 reads, ...before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. The law is that which came through Moses, the faith is that which came through Christ. Justification, as mentioned above, could not be found in the law of Moses. The law revealed sin (v 19), and directed its followers to the Christ (v 24). Indeed, justification comes by faith (v 24), but again, Paul is contrasting faith with law, not faith alone versus faith and works. From the context of chapter 5, notice again, the desire of the Galatians to return to the law. Paul explicitly warns, You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (v 4). The hope which we have has naught to do with circumcision or uncircumcision, ...but faith working through love (v 6), and obedience to the truth (v 7). ________________________________________ Ephesians 2:8-9 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) First take note, Paul did not say in this text that we have been saved through faith alone. As much as some wish it did say such, it does not. Can we earn salvation by works? Absolutely not. Jesus said, ...when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. (Lk 17:10). There is no place for boasting when we have done what is our duty. Is it possible for salvation to be a gift, and yet for us to have to DO something to receive it? Sure. A father might decide to give his son a car as a gift. However, the son may have to unwrap the keys, get tags and insurance for the vehicle and maintain the vehicle. Do any of these works result in the son having earned the car? No, it is still a gift. And yet there are things which he must DO. ________________________________________ Philippians 3:9 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) The apostle wanted to be found by the Lord, not with self-righteousness, but ...the righteousness which is from God by faith... In context, the apostle compares his days as a Pharisee, and the righteousness which he perceived himself to have obtained by the strict adherence to the law which was customary for the Pharisees. This, he willing laid aside, that he might gain Christ. The text is not a matter of faith alone versus faith and works, but of self-righteousness versus righteousness which comes through faith in Christ. ________________________________________ 2 Timothy 3:15 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) It is through the things which Timothy had learned in the Holy Scriptures that he was made wise for salvation through faith. Not just the learning and failure to practice, for James warns, ...be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (Jms 1:22). It is that active, obedient faith which we have mentioned over and over, whereby Timothy received salvation through faith. ________________________________________ 1 John 5:11-13 (the phrase faith alone/faith only appears 0 times in this text) As was discussed in the writings of John from earlier, there is no argument on the necessity of faith. Only those who believe in Jesus have eternal life. This fact does not establish that it is by faith alone though. This is an unwarranted assumption by those who seek to support a faith only doctrine. ________________________________________ Again, the visitor to our site expressly said, The overwhelming testimony of scripture is that FAITH alone is both a necessary and sufficient condition for salvation. Not so. The Scripture certainly testifies to the necessity of faith, but not as the sufficient condition for salvation. Such a conclusion requires that one turn a blind eye to every text in the Bible which links anything but faith with our salvation. Such a cut and paste approach is surely poor hermeneutics, and should never be engaged by those who seek to faithfully serve the Lord.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 07:59:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015