Posted on 10/13/2013 12:01:40 PM PDT by matthewrobertolson
Expounding on the importance of our actions for salvation is, I suppose, my primary “thing.” I have been in so many informal debates over the issue that I have started to lose count of them. I have written about the topic many times. And often, I become angry (like God in 1 Kings 11:9-10) at the mere thought of sola fide (“faith alone”), because I know that it is completely contrary to “what the Lord [has] commanded.” But why?
“Faith alone” was, without a doubt, the primary reason that I left Protestantism. Even though I was ill-educated in theology at the time, I knew that it was illogical.
I like to think of sola fide in terms of criminal law. Imagine that someone went before a judge and was proven guilty of heinous crimes, but then pleaded to the judge that he believed in the judge's authority to convict him and so the judge should not do so – and had that as his only defense. Should the judge convict him – to any degree – or should the judge completely let him off, and then give him a reward?
Do you find the “faith alone” argument compelling in such an instance? I do not. Of course, a “faith alone”-r would say that there is some sort of significant difference between such a scenario in terms of temporal law and such a scenario in terms of eternal law, but there really is not. Protestant arguments for the belief simply do not stand in the face of such scenarios or substantial scrutiny.
I strongly believe that sola fide is at the heart of many Western problems. Self-professed Christians have used it as an excuse to not care for the disadvantaged, to engage in profane sexual activity, etc. – the list goes on and on.
Martin Luther told his followers to “sin and sin boldly” (among other things, as I have documented) because he taught that we are saved solely by our faith in the power of Jesus Christ, apart from our actions. This method of thinking has been adopted by millions of Protestants since his time. But is it supported by the Bible? No. See Hebrews 10:26-27:
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”
“Faith alone” has had a terrible impact on society. People often now shy away from discussing religion or morality with others, fearing conflict. Take, for example, something that transpired between a Lutheran family member and me. After I privately and politely informed her that she had committed a grievous sin (like we are called to do – see Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, and Ephesians 4:15), she immediately jumped to the “Who are you to judge?” defense and paired it with the “Jesus paid the price” line. I am sure that, for many Catholics, such occurrences are unfortunately familiar.
God has written in our hearts (Romans 2:15) that we should serve Him and others, not our selfish desires -- and we will be punished if we defy Him. The necessity of both good works and abstinence from grave sin gives our lives concrete meaning. If someone takes away the eternal significance of our actions, they rob us of any real purpose: we all just become random, faceless, unimportant beings.
Sola fide does not work either logically or practically; it fails on all counts. Now, you know why I hate it.
(All verses are from the NASB translation.)
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Here's something that should make you "shudder": not knowing WHO the Book of James was written to. You KNOW that's important, don't you? You should always ask yourself, when studying Scripture: Who wrote it? Who did they write it to? What does it say? That way, you won't end up quoting things and believing things that are for someone else. You wouldn't want to be bringing a lamb to your church for Sunday slaughter, would you? And yet, it you read those Scriptures, and believe they are for you, that's exactly what you would do.
James makes it VERY clear WHO he is writing to: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, TO the TWELVE TRIBES WHICH ARE SCATTERED ABROAD, greetings".(James 1:1).
With the VERY FIRST sentence you know that UNLESS you are part of the twelve tribes (Israel), then this is not written to you. It is for ISRAEL.
Note the phrase - “if someone says he has faith”.
Yea you have just proved that talk is cheap. Actions prove louder than words.
Thanks.
You had said you were at one time a Baptist. I would in friendship simply offer to you that there are Reformed Christian denominations that adhere to paedobaptism, “sprinkling” as opposed to immersion, church discpline (i.e., denial of the Lord’s Table and excommunication), etc.
The essence of the Reformation, rejection of certain unbiblical things at the time, was corrupted and forgotten by numerous later theologians and offshoot denominations which forgot about “getting back to the Bible” and simply made up their own theology.
Thus those denominations did not hold to the Reformed Confessions of Faith or to Roman Catholic teachings. The completely corrupted mainstream Protestant denominations of today, consequently, have completely abandoned the historic confessions, and their teaching bears no resemblence to the Bible. The whole point of the Reformation was to avoid the sin which resulted from ignorantly deviating from God’s Word. The Reformers ascertained that to have a Church true to the Gospel, all Church members must return to studying the Bible under the tutelage of their ordained pastor and the head of their household, and thus learn and understand God’s Word as part of their Christian walk. This is the faith the Pilgrims brought with them to America, one based on the Bible; not one that is dusty, but one that is studied daily by people who gather to worship God every Lord’s Day without fail, in spirit and in truth.
Perhaps the most accurate statement of Biblical doctrine which came out of the Reformation is stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, available with Bible verse references here:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/
>> The completely corrupted mainstream Protestant denominations of today... teaching bears no resemblence to the Bible.
That’s tarring with a broad brush if I’ve ever seen it!
Yes, we are in complete agreement on that.
I would urge you to read the discourse in my earlier post that contained a link to the Matthew Henry commentary on James 2.
I think you will find quite a bit of agreement with its stated position.
That position is pretty much what Protestant churches “should” be teaching.
Many, however, don’t spend much time on actually teaching the Bible any more !
you’re such an anti-fear monger
Thanks for the Titus quotation. You don't see many people on forums using Titus much.
Painful to hear, indeed (I was raised Methodist).
But, in the end, I only want to find the truth of Scripture.
I’m willing to abandon my own personal traditions, friends, schooling, entertainment, philosophy, family, etc., if they are contrary to Scripture.
I became convicted of my own sin and at the same time enthralled with understanding what God’s Word actually said, independent of what people today say.
I saw where certain key points of Scripture are purposefully ignored by many Churches - because they stood with political correctness of today instead of with the Bible.
On commands where the Bible is quite clear, after researching a given topic thoroughly, they will insist that the Bible needs to be “reinterpreted”. On other subjects they expand Biblical commands and add in their own perspective, e.g., Christianity should support socialism, etc.
They have made a mockery of understanding the essence of Biblical doctrine.
>> Painful to hear, indeed
Indeed, because your statement is hyperbole and therefore not the truth.
>> They have made a mockery of understanding the essence of Biblical doctrine.
...ALL of them? Really? You have evaluated ALL “mainstream” protestant churches and you report with confidence that ALL of them are wanting?
Clearly you haven’t been to *my* Methodist church. It’s solid hard-hitting Bible-based preaching and teaching.
Seems pretty clear to me. Peter was a concrete speaker/writer.
How does your Church feel about open communion ?
Communion with the Lord is open.
Will you now try to convince me that that is somehow heresy?
1 Corinthians 11
“23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Sir, a fact but a misleading one at that. The 'alone' in "faith alone" is a theological term to explain numerous NT and OT passages stating by faith we are saved and not of our works. So within that context, it can accurately be derived "sola fide." The James "one verse" is just that. One verse among many in the chapter to be taken within context. If we look at the entire epistle, and more importantly the same chapter of James, we see he is discussing how to identify false faith. So as not to do a drive by here are the verses on we are saved by faith:
1.Rom. 3:28-30, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one."
2.Rom. 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,"
3.Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
4.Rom. 9:30, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith."
5.Rom. 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
6.Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."
7.Gal. 2:16, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
8.Gal. 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
9.Gal. 3:5-6, "Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
10.Gal. 3:24, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
11.Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9Not by works, lest any man should boast."
12.Phil. 3:9, "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."
13.James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
14.James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
“text without context is pretext”.
You need also to consider verses 17 through 22.
Paul was bringing correction to *multiple* abuses of Holy Communion in the church at Corinth. Communion for the Corinthians had become something in between a church potluck and a drunken party. Furthermore, the congregation was not sharing in communion; some ate to excess, others went away with nothing.
Paul was bringing order to this unholy situation.
It is a long, tenuous, and scripturally unsupported stretch to read into 1 Corinthians 11 the *requirement* that some mortal man or another has to “sign off” on you before you can take communion!
Furthermore, let’s assume for the sake of argument that the context doesn’t matter and that the only verse of import is 27 (”whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily...”). Even if that were the case — and I don’t agree that it is — what’s wrong with making communion available to anyone who loves the LORD and is truly sorry for their sins? (As is the case in our Methodist congregation.) Should not even verse 27 be enforced by the conscience of the recipient, not by some mortal “church father”?
By the way, I should clear something up: although our communion is what you would call “open”, communion WILL be refused in some cases. Our Pastor described a case in another congregation where an adulterous affair was ongoing within the congregation — openly. When the adulterers presented themselves for communion they were refused it. This was a doctrinal decision by the Pastor to protect the sanctity of Holy Communion for the *rest* of the recipients.
I have never seen anyone refused communion however — nor have I personally known of a case in our congregation where in my view the recipients should not have received it.
A very well thought and intelligent response. I may not agree with you in all matters, but I do believe God is punishing America. Not Christians specifically as you note, but the entire nation in which faithful Christians do reside in.
I think we disagree on "why" America is being punished with leftist running the table. It is because of the wholesale slaughter, the holocaust of over 50 million human babies sacrificed on the 'altar' of Molech.
Barabbas did not deserve to be released! He deserved by the law to be hanged on a cross. Now is it coincidence that Jesus took his place?
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