|
Salvation is by faith alone.
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16:16
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already .... He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:18,
36
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
Acts 16:30-31
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God salvation to every one that believeth .... As it
is written, The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17
"By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Romans 3:20
"A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:28
"For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory?" Romans 4:2
"For the promise ... was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Romans
4:13
"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
"A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ." Galatians 2:16
"The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith." Galatians 3:11-12
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should
boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
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." Titus 3:5
Salvation is not by faith alone.
"For you render to each one according to his works." Psalm 62:12
"The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." Proverbs 10:16
"I the Lord ... give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:10
"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matthew 12:37
"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."
Matthew 16:27
"If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:17
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:41-46
"He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And
he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." Luke 10:26-28
"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection
of damnation." John 5:29
"Who 'will render to each one according to his deeds'. For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the
doers of the law will be justified." Romans 2:6, 13
"For we must all appear before the jugment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according
to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10
"Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will
be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:15
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12
"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" James 2:14
"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works? You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise,
was not Rabab the harlot also justified by works? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also." James 2:21-25
"The Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work." 1 Peter 1:17
“I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:23
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which
is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works.” Revelation 20:12-13
______________________________________________________
Solution:
This problem is so similar in nature to Question #3, that I am going to copy here what I said there(it really is the same
question):
The important distinction to make is that faith and works are both important in the relationship of a believer to God the
Father through Jesus Christ. Paul and James are speaking to two completely different groups: one that focused on works to
be saved, and the other who thought only a profession of faith was enough.
Paul was addressing believers who thought that by keeping the whole of the Judaic Law, they would earn their salvation. The
previous chapter, specifically Romans 3:27, clarifies the attitude of some of these believers when he reproves them:
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith."
Paul follows it with this conclusion:
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:28
This is the heart of the matter: a person's faith in God is ultimately what saves him/her, not the works themselves, or a
mentality only focused on works. Yet, James is saying that a true faith will have works flowing from it by God's transforming
power:
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ... Even so faith,
if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without
thy works, and I will shew you my faith by my works. ... Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith
only[i.e., works that stem from faith]." James 2:14, 17, 18, 24
In essence: due to the believer's relationship with Jesus Christ, they desire to do good works out of love to God, not by
a compulsion of fear of the Law(which was a problem with the group in Romans). As Jesus says of His future Heavenly Kingdom:
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40
Summarily, the faith by grace will save the person, but the works from a pure heart will be a natural outpouring of the Christian's
love.
|
