SolaScriptura
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Sola Fide is Unbibical Error
Sola Fide, which literally means, “Faith Alone”, is a teaching by the so called “Reformed”, such as some “Calvinists”, and some Baptists, who say that sinners only require “Faith”, in order to be saved.
In the first place, “Faith Alone” is only used once in the entire Bible, in the Letter of James, where it says: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only”. The use here is in the negative, for salvation. What does James mean here by “Justified by Works”? He does not mean something that sinners can “merit” by “Good Works”, and “earn” themselves salvation. This is Heresy! I believe a good example of this can be found in the third chapter of the Book of Jonah. After Jonah had preached his Message from God, the king issued a decree, that everyone from the greatest to the least, should be sorrowful (repent) for their wicked ways (verses 3-9)
God’s response to this is:
“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (verse 10)
“God saw their WORKS”. This is explained by the words that follow, “that they turned from their evil way”, which is to REPENT of their sins
If there is no true REPENTANCE of sins, NO sinner can get saved!
Mark begins his Gospel saying;
“4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Jesus Christ’s first words in this Gospel, are;
“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT and BELIEVE in the gospel.”(verse 15)
By “REPENT”, Jesus means exactly what John the Baptist was sent by God, to preach, “REPENTANCE OF SINS”, and not simply to change one’s mind about Jesus Christ, as some wrongly teach! BOTH “REPENTANCE” and “FAITH” are required for ALL sinners to be saved.
At the close of His Ministry on earth, Jesus again very clearly says;
“and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47)
The reading, “Repentance FOR”, is by far the strongest, as it is found in the oldest Greek manuscript of this Gospel, the Papyri P75, which dates between AD 175-225. This reading is also in the 2 principal Greek manuscripts, the Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, both of the 4th century. Even earlier, is The Diatessaron, or Harmony of the Four Gospels, by Tatian, which was originally written in Greek, and dates AD 150-160.
In this same Gospel, in chapter 18, Jesus tells of the Pharisee and Tax Collector;
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (verse 13)
This is godly REPENTANCE!
The Apostle Peter, in his first “Sermon”, in Acts chapter 2, responds to those who heard this Message, and were, “pierced to the heart” (verse 37, the same as CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus says in John 16:8-10). These then said, “Brothers, what are we to do?”. Peter does not say, “only have FAITH”, but, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit” (verse 38). In the next chapter, Peter also says, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (verse 19)
The Apostle Paul is also very clear;
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Below I have given some references from what the REFORMED Church, and its main leaders, have said:
The Heidelberg Catechism - 1563
Q&A 84
Q. How does preaching the holy gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?
A. According to the command of Christ, The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of Christ’s merit, truly forgives all their sins.
The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.
The Canons of Dort – 1618-1619
Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility
However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.
The Westminster Confession of Faith 1646
Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ. By it a sinner, out of sight and sense, not only of danger, but also of filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XV, Sections I and II. Cited in A.A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith (Edinburgh: Banner, 1958), p. 210)
John Calvin
Even though we have taught in part how to possess Christ, and how through it we enjoy his benefits, this would still remain obscure if we did not add an explanation of the effects we feel. With good reason, the sum of the gospel is held to consist in repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31). Any discussion of faith, therefore, that omitted these two topics would be barren and mutilated and well–nigh useless…Surely no one can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the errors of his past life into the right way, and applying his whole effort to the practice of repentance. Can true repentance stand apart from faith? Not at all. But even though they cannot be separated, they ought to be distinguished (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Found in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), Volume XIX, Book III, Chapters 1, 5, pp. 592-593, 597).
Thomas Watson
Repentance is of such importance that there is no being saved without it…It is a great duty incumbent upon Christians solemnly to repent and turn unto God…That religion which is not built upon this foundation must needs fall to the ground. Repentance is a grace required under the gospel. Some think it legal; but the first sermon that Christ preached, indeed, the first word of his sermon, was ‘Repent’ (Matt. 4.17). And his farewell that he left when he was going to ascend was that ‘repentance should be preached in his name’ (Luke 22.47)…Repentance is not arbitrary. It is not left to our choice whether or not we will repent, but it is an indispensable command. God has enacted a law in the High Court of heaven that no sinner shall be saved except the repenting sinner, and he will not break his own law. Some bless themselves that they have a stock of knowledge, but what is knowledge good for without repentance? It is better to mortify one sin than to understand all mysteries. Impure speculatists do but resemble Satan transformed into an angel of light. Learning and a bad heart is like a fair face with a cancer in the breast. Knowledge without repentance will be but a torch to light men to hell (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance (Edinburgh: Banner, 1987), pp. 12–13, 59, 77).
Louis Berkhof
There is no doubt that, logically, repentance and the knowledge of sin precedes the faith that yields to Christ in trusting love (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939), p. 492).
John Murray
The question has been discussed: which is prior, faith or repentance? It is an unnecessary question and the insistence that one is prior to the other is futile. There is no priority. The faith that is unto salvation is a penitent faith and the repentance that is unto life is a believing repentance…It is impossible to disentangle faith and repentance. Saving faith is permeated with repentance and repentance is permeated with faith (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), p. 113).
The EVIDENCE form these REFORMED “Confessions” and writers, is VERY CLEAR, that for ANY sinner to get saved, they MUST REPENT OF THEIR SINS, not only FAITH!
Sola Fide, which literally means, “Faith Alone”, is a teaching by the so called “Reformed”, such as some “Calvinists”, and some Baptists, who say that sinners only require “Faith”, in order to be saved.
In the first place, “Faith Alone” is only used once in the entire Bible, in the Letter of James, where it says: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only”. The use here is in the negative, for salvation. What does James mean here by “Justified by Works”? He does not mean something that sinners can “merit” by “Good Works”, and “earn” themselves salvation. This is Heresy! I believe a good example of this can be found in the third chapter of the Book of Jonah. After Jonah had preached his Message from God, the king issued a decree, that everyone from the greatest to the least, should be sorrowful (repent) for their wicked ways (verses 3-9)
God’s response to this is:
“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (verse 10)
“God saw their WORKS”. This is explained by the words that follow, “that they turned from their evil way”, which is to REPENT of their sins
If there is no true REPENTANCE of sins, NO sinner can get saved!
Mark begins his Gospel saying;
“4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Jesus Christ’s first words in this Gospel, are;
“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT and BELIEVE in the gospel.”(verse 15)
By “REPENT”, Jesus means exactly what John the Baptist was sent by God, to preach, “REPENTANCE OF SINS”, and not simply to change one’s mind about Jesus Christ, as some wrongly teach! BOTH “REPENTANCE” and “FAITH” are required for ALL sinners to be saved.
At the close of His Ministry on earth, Jesus again very clearly says;
“and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His Name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47)
The reading, “Repentance FOR”, is by far the strongest, as it is found in the oldest Greek manuscript of this Gospel, the Papyri P75, which dates between AD 175-225. This reading is also in the 2 principal Greek manuscripts, the Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, both of the 4th century. Even earlier, is The Diatessaron, or Harmony of the Four Gospels, by Tatian, which was originally written in Greek, and dates AD 150-160.
In this same Gospel, in chapter 18, Jesus tells of the Pharisee and Tax Collector;
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (verse 13)
This is godly REPENTANCE!
The Apostle Peter, in his first “Sermon”, in Acts chapter 2, responds to those who heard this Message, and were, “pierced to the heart” (verse 37, the same as CONVICTED by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus says in John 16:8-10). These then said, “Brothers, what are we to do?”. Peter does not say, “only have FAITH”, but, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit” (verse 38). In the next chapter, Peter also says, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (verse 19)
The Apostle Paul is also very clear;
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Below I have given some references from what the REFORMED Church, and its main leaders, have said:
The Heidelberg Catechism - 1563
Q&A 84
Q. How does preaching the holy gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven?
A. According to the command of Christ, The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of Christ’s merit, truly forgives all their sins.
The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.
The Canons of Dort – 1618-1619
Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility
However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.
The Westminster Confession of Faith 1646
Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ. By it a sinner, out of sight and sense, not only of danger, but also of filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XV, Sections I and II. Cited in A.A. Hodge, The Confession of Faith (Edinburgh: Banner, 1958), p. 210)
John Calvin
Even though we have taught in part how to possess Christ, and how through it we enjoy his benefits, this would still remain obscure if we did not add an explanation of the effects we feel. With good reason, the sum of the gospel is held to consist in repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 5:31). Any discussion of faith, therefore, that omitted these two topics would be barren and mutilated and well–nigh useless…Surely no one can embrace the grace of the gospel without betaking himself from the errors of his past life into the right way, and applying his whole effort to the practice of repentance. Can true repentance stand apart from faith? Not at all. But even though they cannot be separated, they ought to be distinguished (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Found in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), Volume XIX, Book III, Chapters 1, 5, pp. 592-593, 597).
Thomas Watson
Repentance is of such importance that there is no being saved without it…It is a great duty incumbent upon Christians solemnly to repent and turn unto God…That religion which is not built upon this foundation must needs fall to the ground. Repentance is a grace required under the gospel. Some think it legal; but the first sermon that Christ preached, indeed, the first word of his sermon, was ‘Repent’ (Matt. 4.17). And his farewell that he left when he was going to ascend was that ‘repentance should be preached in his name’ (Luke 22.47)…Repentance is not arbitrary. It is not left to our choice whether or not we will repent, but it is an indispensable command. God has enacted a law in the High Court of heaven that no sinner shall be saved except the repenting sinner, and he will not break his own law. Some bless themselves that they have a stock of knowledge, but what is knowledge good for without repentance? It is better to mortify one sin than to understand all mysteries. Impure speculatists do but resemble Satan transformed into an angel of light. Learning and a bad heart is like a fair face with a cancer in the breast. Knowledge without repentance will be but a torch to light men to hell (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance (Edinburgh: Banner, 1987), pp. 12–13, 59, 77).
Louis Berkhof
There is no doubt that, logically, repentance and the knowledge of sin precedes the faith that yields to Christ in trusting love (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939), p. 492).
John Murray
The question has been discussed: which is prior, faith or repentance? It is an unnecessary question and the insistence that one is prior to the other is futile. There is no priority. The faith that is unto salvation is a penitent faith and the repentance that is unto life is a believing repentance…It is impossible to disentangle faith and repentance. Saving faith is permeated with repentance and repentance is permeated with faith (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), p. 113).
The EVIDENCE form these REFORMED “Confessions” and writers, is VERY CLEAR, that for ANY sinner to get saved, they MUST REPENT OF THEIR SINS, not only FAITH!
