Why is sola fide important?

I agree. We have ALL sinned and broken the Ten Commandments. If we were under the OT Law I'm positive we'd broken each of those as well.

But to the point James makes...even if you're 9/10 in the Ten Commandments....and let's say you only broke the one only one time in your life.

You still have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and would be consigned to Hell apart from faith in Christ.

It illustrates there is NOTHING we can do to earn our salvation. We cannot be good enough to keep it. Only the blood of Christ which cleanses us from ALL sin keeps us.

And to be clear...this is not a license to sin as the Catholic may think. If anything, it is motivation to avoid sin and deep appreciation for the provision made for us by God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross for us.

The debt we owe Him cannot be repaid.

Agree....we have no examples in the NT of anyone ever praying to a created being. Why would you when we have access to the Creator?

“I am NOT a member of any denomination because I have chosen to not become a member of any specific denomination. “

Most of them are experts in frustrating the grace of God, so good call.

“If baptism was necessary for salvation, then why did Paul not baptize or preach baptism but rather preach the gospel?”

Precisely. From Paul’s statement we can infer:

The gospel he was given to preach by Jesus is NOT...water baptism.

Lol, reminds me of an SNL skit: “Let it go, Luke, let it goooooo””

Just let “it” (the Mormonism) goooooo!

As long as you are a member of the Body it does not matter which denomination you choose to be a part of or not. However it is good to fellowship with other Christians and have mutual support and encouragement found in being a member of a congregation

I'm willing to read them.

Happy to oblige:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt. 5:3-12)

Blessedness and the kingdom of heaven come because of actions, not just faith.

You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry* with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.s It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. (Matt. 5:21-30)

We are subject to the fires of Gehanna because of sin, not because of the lack of faith.

This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. (Matt. 6:9-15)

Forgiveness of our sins is dependant on our willingness to forgive other, not just whether we have faith.

Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye. (Matt. 7:1-5)

We will be judged by how we treat others, not just if we have faith.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ (Matt. 7:21-23)

Jesus will deny knowing us if we do not do the will of the Father, not just if we do not have faith.

While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matt. 12:46-50)

We will be counted as members of Jesus’ family if we do the will of the Father, not just if we have faith.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna. (Matt. 18:6-9)

Sin, and not just the lack of faith, will subject us to the fires of Gehenna.

Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” (Matt. 18:21-35)

Forgiveness of our sins is dependant on our willingness to forgive others, not just on whether we have faith.

Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:16-26)

When our Lord was asked what one must do to gain eternal life, he did not just say “believe in me,” but “keep the commandments.” Additionally, with God it is possible for us to keep the commandments.

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:34-40)

The greatest commandment is “you shall love the God,” not just “you shall believe in Jesus Christ.”

Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely* and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. (Matt. 24”45-51)

We will be punished because of sin, not just because of the lack of faith.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations* will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt. 25:31-46)

We will be judged by how we treat other, not just if we have faith. This is just from Matthew’s Gospel. We also have Paul clealy stating that faith is not enough:

If I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Cor. 13:2)

And, of course, there is the well-known passage from James:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)

The typical Protestant response is to either ignore or gloss over these passages. Nor try to say that this somehow negates the need for faith. It is not a question of either/or but of both/and. At times Jesus speaks clearly about the need for faith. This no one denies. But at other times he speaks just as clearly for the need for charity and obedience to the commandments and to the will of the Father. Both are needed. It is by faith that we receive the grace of God that enables us to love God and to keep the commandments. “Faith alone” is not just not to be found in the Scriptures, it is contrary to the Scriptures.

Luk 20:46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
Luk 20:47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

There can be no doubt whom Jesus is talking about...

Mr. mm and I have attended the same church for over a decade and participate in everything except elections.

We are active there and attend regularly.

Works do not contribute to a person’s salvation.

They are the evidence that saving faith is present and bring glory and honor to God but are NOT necessary to either gain or keep salvation.

That is GOD’S job.

As long as you are a member of the Body it does not matter which denomination you choose to be a part of or not.

I'm sorry, this just isn't true.

Paul was given a vision of last days, which is now. He saw churches and he saw real people and the state of things.

1 Tim 4
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Paul speaks briefly of what he saw and some details about these false churches. He doesn't go into great detail so that only the wise will understand the signs which is describing.

Forbidding to marry. There's only one church that teaches this. The Catholic church has forbid their priests from marrying for centuries. This the church that Paul saw and is describing. The second commands to abstain from meat. There's only one that does and that's the Seventh Day Adventists -which is descended from the Catholic church.

Jesus warned that these people that worship Him and think they know Him would be cast out at the last day.

The true of Church of Christ has to have a prophet at it's head and not a pope or a preacher.

Eph 4: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The true Church of God has to have living Apostles and prophets.

John took it one step further and gives a very specific sign for the second coming of Christ. Rev 11, is very specific about two of these prophets that will be killed in Jerusalem just before the second coming.

The whole, "we're all the body of Christ" philosophy is an attempt at appeasement because none of these churches have a greater claim than the other. A couple centuries ago they were killing each other by the thousands over doctrine.

The Lutherans tortured 30,000 Baptist to death by fire for refusing to accept infant baptism. The puritans in the new England area hanged baptist for the same reason.

The Catholics started wars over acceptance of their church. The Spanish armada was sent to Great Britain to take that land back for the Catholics and destroy the protestants.

How can you claim faith in Jesus Christ when you do not believe what he said?

Using your apparent interpretation, that Paul was saying that he was not sent to baptize AT ALL, why would Paul admit to baptizing at least four souls, or more, depending on the number in Stephanas’ household? And what about all the other folks he baptized elsewhere?

Keep in mind, in Corinth he teamed up with Aquila and Priscilla (no mention of their conversion, but if the details of conversion of every name mentioned in Acts was there to read, it would be a longer book for sure.). Timothy and Silas showed up from Berea to help out. How many did they baptize? Since it appears from 1Cor. 1:12-16 that some of the saints at Corinth may have been baptized by Apollos and Cephas, then there was apparently a lot of baptizing going on there.

So, with all of the ‘incriminating evidence’, it’s obvious that Paul was no hypocrite about water baptism. It just wasn’t his sole mission, as it was with John the baptist.

As I have said (most recently in #442, I believe, which has a lot of facts to refute) the command by the Lord in Matt. 28:19 (commonly called the “great commission”, by men, when actually all of the Lord commissions were great) shows the Lord commanding the disciples to “teach all nations, baptizing them....”. He put so much importance to baptism, that he specifically emphasized it.

The commonly quoted, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved”, is an INTRO to a desperate man that probably didn’t have a clue, other than possibly knowing those two guys sure liked to sing and talk about the Lord. That’s why the rest of the story is there.

Telling folks that Jesus Christ is the savior doesn’t tell the whole story. We have to believe on him according to his and his apostles testimony.

HOW he COMMANDS us to BELIEVE on him, is not our own works, but his instructions. That’s why Paul actually did baptise souls, and probably a LOT!

How he had time to be a tent maker, like Aquila and Priscilla, is hard to imagine.

Because she believes in the ENTIRE Word of God, not your cherry picked false interpretation.

You deny all the other words in the Bible with your works based salvation scheme. We understand that works are the fruits of faith, but it is God’s grace alone, grasped by faith, that saves.

The verses you quote say nothing more than that faith produces works, and works are proof of faith.

I believe what He said.

This.

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

and this......

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

and this......

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:37-39 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

and this....

Call no man father

Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Good works are product of salvation, not a means of salvation. The writings of Paul and James are not in opposition; they are back-to-back defending against legalism (Paul) and antinomianism (James).

The focus of his mission was to preach the gospel.

If you have issues with what Paul did, ask him or God.

I am not accountable for Paul baptizing a few others and I cannot answer for why he did it.

That said, if baptism was crucial for salvation, Paul would have been remiss for not preaching it as necessary and we don’t see that happening.

In Galatians and Romans 4 Paul expounds on the fact that it’s faith alone that saves someone.

God is pleased when we believe Him, not when we add our own works of righteousness to show Him and demand entrance into heaven because of.

I do not see why it causes so much argument.

John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

How else could you believe except by faith?

James 2:18
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Any one can say they have faith, but do they? or are they just liars?

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Abraham offered his son Isaac upon the altar, he was justified by works brought forth by faith.

The harlot sent the messengers out another way, that was works which she did because of faith, she was justified by her works brought forth by faith.

It is certainly possible to think you are a Christian and think you have faith and even do great works in His name and still not be a Christian.

It is impossible to know if any person other than yourself is born again.

If you are born again it is possible to doubt that you are saved and fear damnation.

See post 516.