The Scriptures do not teach that we are saved by "faith alone". Yes, some "men" teach this today, and certainly, this is evidence that one can cherry-pick the Bible to make a case for just about anything. But the 16th century invention that a person's deeds (works) play absolutely no part salvation is not biblical.

To be sure, we are saved through faith, an unmerited grace from God, purchased for us by Christ's death on the cross. Romans 5:1-5, John 3:16, Galatians 3:11, all speak of the necessity of God's gift of faith. But neither these verses nor any other verses in Scripture teach that faith ALONE - utterly independent of good works - will save us once-and-for-all. Advocates for "once-saved-always-saved" commonly cite Romans 3:28, where St. Paul talks about our salvation "apart from works of Law", but they misunderstand: Paul is talking about "works of Law" - the old Hebrew Laws with their elaborate dietary, sacrificial and ritual purity rituals which the Pharisees got so hung up with at the time. In no way was he referring to good deeds in general. In fact, the words "faith alone" appear only one place in the entire Bible - it is James 2:24: "So you see that a man is justified by works and NOT by faith alone" (emphasis added).

Just for the exercise, one could actually make a better case that the Bible that we are saved through works only! For example, Jesus was asked directly about salvation in Matthew 19, verse 16: "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" Did Jesus correct him by saying "No, no, you've got it wrong; works don't count"? He did not! On the contrary, He emphasized works exclusively in this case: ". . . If you would enter life, keep the commandments", and even suggested a few more good works that the man could do; the matter of faith was not even addressed. In John 15, Jesus again emphasizes works, stating that part of his own flock (the vine are "believers") will be "cut off" should they not bear fruit. Works are linked directly to salvation again in 1Timothy 5:1-8, where Paul states that a believer who fails to provide for their relatives and family is "worse than an unbeliever", and has "disowned the faith". Romans 2:2, Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 12:14 and a host of others all clearly link salvation to works in some way.

Perhaps the most balanced verse found in the Scriptures is Galatians 5:6 in the phrase "faith working through love". Yes, faith is unmerited and a gift from God, but we must respond to that call by picking up our cross, turning away from sin and doing the will of the Father.

Now I know that it feels good to think that one's salvation is a done deal with God. I continue to hear pastors actually argue that to teach otherwise would cause unnecessary feelings of guilt and worry. But Christian pastors are charged with transmitting the Truth and not feel-good pop psych. Certainly the next step along this line of reasoning is to deny the existence of sin altogether.

Once-saved-always-saved? Faith-ONLY? Sorry, but this 500 year-old doctrine is a "teaching of man", and is not Biblical.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to contact me.

Birdstrike

belzor@psyber.com