veryberry
Member
Sorry, after I re-read my post, it sounded a bit harsh, that was not my intent, I'm a bit rusty...
I guess I was frustrated, because up until the "slogan", it appeared that we largely agreed, with Scriptures - that faith without works was dead.
No problem, I appreciate your responses.
Thus, faith alone (which is without works) is dead. How can faith alone/apart from works be salvific if the Bible ITSELF explicitly says otherwise?
I think the problem here is that when I say "faith alone saves"...you are taking that as me saying that 'faith w/out works saves'. You think that I mean: A person who says they have faith but has no works is saved.
But, what I mean is that 'faith apart from works saves'. A person who has faith that results in works is saved, but it is their faith apart from their works that saves.
This is why I then say, "the faith that saves is never alone". If you truly have faith in the Lord, works WILL follow...because you are trusting him...and if you are trusting him you will obey. You obey because you trust & have faith. Now, if you say you have faith but do not obey then that faith you say that you have is dead, you don't really trust (or you would obey), you have dead faith, you don't really trust...your faith is false...in this case faith alone (which is without works) does not save. Simply acknowledging and agreeing that he is Lord and that he died for our sins (and thinking that you trust him when you really don't), will not save...you must really trust & if you really trust you will obey.
This is what most people who say "faith alone saves" mean...they are not saying that someone who says they have faith but has no works is saved. They just mean that it is their faith alone that is saving them...that their works are not taking part in their salvation. But, rather they are doing works because of their faith...because they trust him...not to be saved.