What is 'faith alone'?

[mailmandan]

Certain folks are confused about what believers mean by salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It means we are trusting in Jesus.Christ "alone" for salvation (Romans 3:24-28; 4:4-6; 5:1; Ephesians 2:8,9) and not in works.

Salvation by faith (rightly understood) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation does not mean that God's grace is excluded on God's part or that we never repented in the process of changing our mind and choosing to place our faith in Jesus Christ "alone" for salvation or that our faith is a bare profession of faith that remains "alone" barren of works.

Folks who teach salvation by works (at least in part) cannot seem to grasp this.

 

[Eternally-grateful]

Do you believe the “work” or effort we do to obey the Gospel is legalism?

what work?

in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:8

what does this mean. what is obeying the gospel? what work are you doing?

 

[Eternally-grateful]

You mixing together the works of the law of Moses with the obedience of faith.

Nope..

obeying the works of the law because we love God and not to be saved. would be no different that obeying God in other areas out of gratitudfe.

if any of them are done to earn salvation. it is legalistic..

When we hear the gospel we must obey it, not just hear it.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

You can even “believe” in Jesus as in realize He exists, but if you don’t confess Him as LORD then your believing is no more effective than the demons who believe Jesus is Lord, but they continue to serve Satan.

Oh golly..

Do you understand how to obey the Gospel?

You tell me.. Something tells me you may not know what it means

 

[Eternally-grateful]

As I said, "Torah" primarily means teachings and instructions, not rules and regulations.

but there are rules and regulations (thou shalt not...)

and if we do them in hopes we will get to heaven because we do them, it is called legalism

Following Jesus requires the sacrifice of what you hold dear the most. Think about the young ruler, he asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, aka eternal salvation, how did Jesus answer him? Believe in me and get baptized? Nope, he listed the ten commandments, why was that? Was Jesus being legalistic? The young ruler followed all those, but that's not enough, he was asked to sell his possessions, take up the cross, and follow Jesus, and he went away with a sad face. That was a test of faith which he failed.

Actually you missed the point.

The person said he obeyed. Jesus came back at him to prove he did not obey. he was not perfect according to the law.

the person went away sad because he loved money more than God (he did not keep the first command)

if the person repented and said he could not do it. I am sure Jesus would have saved him by showing him it is not obedience to the law that saved. and no one has kept the law and given him the chance to repent

 

[JLB]

what work?

what does this mean. what is obeying the gospel? what work are you doing?

Confessing Jesus as Lord is the “work” of obedience.

The obedience of faith.

This is the principle of faith that James illustrated in the life of Abraham.

The “work” by which Abraham was justified was to offer his son Isaac on the altar.

IOW’s Abraham obeyed the word of faith; the word from the LORD by which he received faith.


This is called the obedience of faith.

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Romans 10:26

 

[JLB]

if any of them are done to earn salvation. it is legalistic..

Amen. I totally agree.

 

[JLB]

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Repent is the command of the Gospel.

Repent biblically means turn to God in submission to Him as LORD.

If a person is called to turn to God, then by default they have been called to turn away from Satan as their lord.

This is what the essence of the Gospel of the kingdom of God is.

This is what Jesus commissioned Paul (Saul) to do on the
“Road to Damascus”

Words of Christ in red -

So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. Acts 26:15-20

Key passages:

• I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God

• Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God

 

[Corinth77777]

Lets try again.

If your doing those things to get saved, Stay saved or keep from losing salvation.

Your using legalism, or trying to be saved by works.

If your doing them out of love and gratitude to God. well then you are not trying to earn salvation. You will instead produce fruit

Good question to ask:
Why do we do good works?

A. Doing good works are the effects of a repentive heart?
B. The outcome of goodworks are based on God's love.
C. Good works are to remain in his love.
D. We do them so He will be happy with us?
E. We do them so we won't experience death.

Someone has asked the best question yet.
Because the way we view this trickles down to everything else.

.....................

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

but there are rules and regulations (thou shalt not...)

and if we do them in hopes we will get to heaven because we do them, it is called legalism

This is the mentality that eventually leads to lawbreaking and sin. Here's first "thou shalt not" - "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Is that rule and regulation? Or a kind and fair warning? The serpent reframed it into a rule and regulation, which made Eve feel like God was being restrictive, God was withholding what was rightly hers from her, the seed was planted in her mind and it eventually led her to the Fall, and that was how the promise of salvation was necessitated in the first place - to save humanity from the Fall, which was the consequence of breaking the "rule". Call that legalism if you want, it is crystal clear that law abiding may not lead to salvation, law breaking certainly leads to destruction.

Actually you missed the point.

The person said he obeyed. Jesus came back at him to prove he did not obey. he was not perfect according to the law.

the person went away sad because he loved money more than God (he did not keep the first command)

if the person repented and said he could not do it. I am sure Jesus would have saved him by showing him it is not obedience to the law that saved. and no one has kept the law and given him the chance to repent

Jesus didn't ask about the first commandment, he asked about commandments six to nine, which the rich young ruler had duly obeyed since his youth, and Jesus didn't bust him on that. It is you who missed the point that keeping these commandments is NOT "legalism".

What you don't understand is that obedience and disobedience are tied to BLESSINGS and CURSES, not salvation and damnation. Work determines your REWARD, not your salvific status.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. (Deut. 28:1-2)

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. (Deut. 28:15)

 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:14-15)

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

what does this mean. what is obeying the gospel? what work are you doing?

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” (Lk. 10:25-28)