Faith Alone
I believe that my faith in Jesus and what He did for me is sufficient for me to live eternally with Him. I fully understand that he desires that I do good works out of love for Him; but I also recognize that nothing I could do could gain me eternal life, nor could any of my works regain eternal salvation IF it were possible to lose it. I see this over and over in scripture, and to list them all here would be a huge task. I remember when I first recognized this belief that I spent a lot of time in Galatians and Romans. I will try to be thorough enough here to answer most questions before they are asked. I will show you a number verses that show us that our works have no place in bringing us eternal life.
Will we be rewarded for good works? Yes, but that reward will not be eternal life, as that is a free gift:
Okay, it doesn't use the words “faith alone”, but it does say very plainly that we are not saved by works, but through faith. Paul even made it clear that we can't even take credit for our saving faith; he says that it is a free gift from God. Next verse:
This last verse combines this subject with eternal security. If we have already been given eternal life, how can future works affect it?
The justification that brings life for all men was the result of ONE act of righteousness, and that was done by the only One who could.
I don't see how I can whittle it down, I have to include Romans 3:21 through all of Romans 4, it is all about justification by grace through faith. Bold print for emphasis.
How can everything be permissible if certain acts can keep us from heaven?
Where is the freedom in a religion that requires works? That is just trading one set of laws for another! Paul was speaking to Galatians about the Mosaic Law here, but his argument can be applied to the religious laws that man has said must be followed to gain eternal life. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
In verse 16, Christ tells us that “ whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. There is no work mentioned here, only belief. Yes, there are other verses that mention belief and baptism(or something else) will save you, but Jesus doesn't mention anything else being needed in this verse. Allow me to get silly to illustrate a point. Here are three statements: 1. Walking uphill is tiring. 2. Walking uphill carrying a pink umbrella is tiring. 3. Walking uphill while juggling is tiring. All three of these are true statements. If walking uphill without the pink umbrella or without juggling wasn't tiring, then the first statement would be false. If it said “ belief in Him is needed for eternal life”, then the door would be left open for other requirements, but that is not how Jesus says it. Jesus says: “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. Jesus doesn't lie, so nothing other than belief in Him is needed for eternal life. I know that “belief in Him” is more than just believing that He exists, it is trusting in Him for our salvation. That is why I have a problem with a “faith plus works” dogma, it seems to say that what He did and does for us isn't enough; but that we must trust in Him AND our own good works.
In verse 21, Jesus tells us why we do good works: that others may see what God can do, not to hold on to eternal life. Now let me address the verses normally used to back up a “faith plus works” doctrine:
Most of the book of John is encouraging the Christian Jews to do good works, and James leads into the verses above by condemning favoritism. I can easily imagine that James had come across those who had no outward appearance of being Christian, yet claimed salvation because of their faith in Christ. Many of us know people like that today. Yet James knew that “by their fruit you will recognize them”, which means that if you have a saving faith in Christ, you will do good works. The works do not earn you eternal life, but are the RESULT of gaining eternal life. To quote John Calvin: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone”
We do no know the circumstances at the time of James' writing. If you can imagine that he had been trying to win a soul that claimed to trust Christ without any outward sign of being Christian, then this passage reads much differently than it does if you read it looking to back up what you have been taught by others.
I have listened to some of those who quote James and say that works are required to gain eternal life, but I've never heard them explain the other verses I have brought up here. I would be interested in hearing them.
To sum up: I am not saying that good works do not gain you anything, I believe that you will be rewarded for following His will in this earthly life, but that reward will not be eternal life. I believe that a Christian, a person with saving faith in Christ, will do good works in this life as a result of his or her faith. Some say that the “faith plus works” vs. the “faith alone” argument is a petty one that shouldn't even be addressed, but I see the “faith plus works” debate as an insult toward the sacrifice that Christ made, saying that the cross, the blood of Christ, isn't sufficient to bring us eternal life.
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28,29
Will we be rewarded for good works? Yes, but that reward will not be eternal life, as that is a free gift:
- But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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 2:4-9
Okay, it doesn't use the words “faith alone”, but it does say very plainly that we are not saved by works, but through faith. Paul even made it clear that we can't even take credit for our saving faith; he says that it is a free gift from God. Next verse:
- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
- Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
This last verse combines this subject with eternal security. If we have already been given eternal life, how can future works affect it?
- Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The justification that brings life for all men was the result of ONE act of righteousness, and that was done by the only One who could.
I don't see how I can whittle it down, I have to include Romans 3:21 through all of Romans 4, it is all about justification by grace through faith. Bold print for emphasis.
- Romans 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just andthe one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
- Romans 4:1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." 9Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
- 1 Corinthians 10:23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
- 1 Corinthians 6:12"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.
How can everything be permissible if certain acts can keep us from heaven?
- Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Where is the freedom in a religion that requires works? That is just trading one set of laws for another! Paul was speaking to Galatians about the Mosaic Law here, but his argument can be applied to the religious laws that man has said must be followed to gain eternal life. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
- John 3:14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
In verse 16, Christ tells us that “ whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. There is no work mentioned here, only belief. Yes, there are other verses that mention belief and baptism(or something else) will save you, but Jesus doesn't mention anything else being needed in this verse. Allow me to get silly to illustrate a point. Here are three statements: 1. Walking uphill is tiring. 2. Walking uphill carrying a pink umbrella is tiring. 3. Walking uphill while juggling is tiring. All three of these are true statements. If walking uphill without the pink umbrella or without juggling wasn't tiring, then the first statement would be false. If it said “ belief in Him is needed for eternal life”, then the door would be left open for other requirements, but that is not how Jesus says it. Jesus says: “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. Jesus doesn't lie, so nothing other than belief in Him is needed for eternal life. I know that “belief in Him” is more than just believing that He exists, it is trusting in Him for our salvation. That is why I have a problem with a “faith plus works” dogma, it seems to say that what He did and does for us isn't enough; but that we must trust in Him AND our own good works.
In verse 21, Jesus tells us why we do good works: that others may see what God can do, not to hold on to eternal life. Now let me address the verses normally used to back up a “faith plus works” doctrine:
- James 2:14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If 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? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But 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. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Most of the book of John is encouraging the Christian Jews to do good works, and James leads into the verses above by condemning favoritism. I can easily imagine that James had come across those who had no outward appearance of being Christian, yet claimed salvation because of their faith in Christ. Many of us know people like that today. Yet James knew that “by their fruit you will recognize them”, which means that if you have a saving faith in Christ, you will do good works. The works do not earn you eternal life, but are the RESULT of gaining eternal life. To quote John Calvin: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone”
We do no know the circumstances at the time of James' writing. If you can imagine that he had been trying to win a soul that claimed to trust Christ without any outward sign of being Christian, then this passage reads much differently than it does if you read it looking to back up what you have been taught by others.
I have listened to some of those who quote James and say that works are required to gain eternal life, but I've never heard them explain the other verses I have brought up here. I would be interested in hearing them.
To sum up: I am not saying that good works do not gain you anything, I believe that you will be rewarded for following His will in this earthly life, but that reward will not be eternal life. I believe that a Christian, a person with saving faith in Christ, will do good works in this life as a result of his or her faith. Some say that the “faith plus works” vs. the “faith alone” argument is a petty one that shouldn't even be addressed, but I see the “faith plus works” debate as an insult toward the sacrifice that Christ made, saying that the cross, the blood of Christ, isn't sufficient to bring us eternal life.
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28,29