Posted on 06/04/2017 12:29:15 PM PDT by ealgeone
Question: "Why is sola fide important?"
Answer: Sola fide which means "faith alone" is important because it is one of the distinguishing characteristics or key points that separate the true biblical Gospel from false gospels. At stake is the very Gospel itself and it is therefore a matter of eternal life or death. Getting the Gospel right is of such importance that the Apostle Paul would write in Galatians 1:9, “As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Paul was addressing the same question that sola fide addresses—on what basis is man declared by God to be justified? Is it by faith alone or by faith combined with works? Paul makes it clear in Galatians and Romans that man is “justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law” (Galatians 2:16), and the rest of the Bible concurs.
Sola fide is one of the five solas that came to define and summarize the key issues of the Protestant Reformation. Each of these Latin phrases represents a key area of doctrine that was an issue of contention between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church, and today they still serve to summarize key doctrines essential to the Gospel and to Christian life and practice. The Latin word sola means “alone” or “only” and the essential Christian doctrines represented by these five Latin phrases accurately summarize the biblical teaching on these crucial subjects: sola scriptura—Scripture alone, sola fide—faith alone, sola gratia—grace alone, sola Christus—Christ alone, and sola Deo gloria—for the glory of God alone. Each one is vitally important, and they are all closely tied together. Deviation from one will lead to error in another essential doctrine, and the result will almost always be a false gospel which is powerless to save.
Sola fide or faith alone is a key point of difference between not only Protestants and Catholics but between biblical Christianity and almost all other religions and teachings. The teaching that we are declared righteous by God (justified) on the basis of our faith alone and not by works is a key doctrine of the Bible and a line that divides most cults from biblical Christianity. While most religions and cults teach men what works they must do to be saved, the Bible teaches that we are not saved by works, but by God’s grace through His gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Biblical Christianity is distinct from every other religion in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work, while all other religions are based on human achievement. If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation. “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5). The Bible teaches that those that trust Jesus Christ for justification by faith alone are imputed with His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), while those who try to establish their own righteousness or mix faith with works will receive the punishment due to all who fall short of God’s perfect standard.
Sola fide—the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works—is simply recognizing what is taught over and over in Scripture—that at some point in time God declares ungodly sinners righteous by imputing Christ’s righteousness to them (Romans 4:5, 5:8, 5:19). This happens apart from any works and before the individual actually begins to become righteous. This is an important distinction between Catholic theology that teaches righteous works are meritorious towards salvation and Protestant theology that affirms the biblical teaching that righteous works are the result and evidence of a born-again person who has been justified by God and regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
How important is sola fide? It is so important to the Gospel message and a biblical understanding of salvation that Martin Luther described it as being “the article with and by which the church stands.” Those who reject sola fide reject the only Gospel that can save them and by necessity embrace a false gospel. That is why Paul so adamantly denounces those who taught law-keeping or other works of righteousness in Galatians 1:9 and other passages. Yet today this important biblical doctrine is once again under attack. Too often sola fide is relegated to secondary importance instead of being recognized as an essential doctrine of Christianity, which it certainly is.
“Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:6-11).
Well, I guess there’s probably a lot of dead saints that never could write one word in Hebrew.
But I’m starting to learn some. Got neighbors that observe the Sabbath (Shabbat. I think).
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Lots of nonsense is called “baptism.”
But that is not what was done by the apostles.
I’m sure that you recall when Phillip was translated to a place in the wilderness where a new convert needed his assistance?
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So when Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, what was that called?
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The keeping of the Sabbath was the first sign of the bride of Yeshua, back in the pre-flood days, way before the first shavuot (pentecost) at mount Sinai.
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The Mikvah.
And if I have faith but persist in my sins, am I saved by my faith alone?
IF you believe JESUS is the One God sent for your salvation, you are born from above by GOD’s PROMISE. Then, if you persist in sin you will stand ashamed at the NEMA SEAT of Christ , in Heaven. BUT it is most difficult to fight against the still small voice within, The Holy Spirit earnest of our inheritance. HE is in your human spirit to raise you up in the way that you should go, as a child of GOD. Persist in sin and GOD will discipline you in ways you could not even imagine! and HE WILL SEND OTHERS OF HIS to speak to you and you will be exposed for your sin ... ‘be sure, your sins will find you out’.
No church org can raise one up better than GOD can do it, but we know that HE uses fellow believers to herd each other along.
As to works once saved, the changes in behavior, turning from the sin GOD shows to you grieves His Spirit in you ARE THE WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. And because HE is working these out of you to HIM is due the glory, not you or some Org.
Do you sin daily? Consider all types of sin.
There are sins that one commits that are minor in nature, done with insufficient reflection or because of weakness of the will. There are also those that are of a serious nature, done with full knowledge and full consent of the will. Of these it is possible to latter regret and have sorrow for them. But if one does not and deliberately and willfully persists in them, will faith alone save such a person? For example, if one takes another’s wife and never repents and never gives her up, will faith alone save such a person?
Have you even been listening to me at all?
Of course not; if you read the thread instead of sticking your nose in the air and playing the my-church-is-better game, you’d KNOW that answer.
Yeah, yeah, and if it was Catholics doing it, you’d be cheering for them.
There are sins that one commits that are minor in nature, done with insufficient reflection or because of weakness of the will. There are also those that are of a serious nature, done with full knowledge and full consent of the will.
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Prove it.
From Scripture.
So faith alone is not enough. Then how does your position differ from that of Catholics?
First answer my question: if one takes another’s wife and never repents and never gives her up, will faith alone save such a person?
Disregard my last post. I thought your response was from another poster.
Its getting late and I can’t keep the posts straight. That disregard was meant for you, not me. I need to get some sleep.
>>>**Now, these are words in the Bible. So state it plainly here, do you accept those words, “not of works, lest any man should boast,” as being from God? Yes or no.**
>>>Yes.
I haven’t been part of the surrounding discussion on baptism. I’ve been talking to people here about the so-called “faith versus works” question. I have no problem talking about baptism, too, and how it fits into that question, but at this point, it would be confusing without clearing up some other things.
Now, you apparently haven’t seen my other posts in this discussion, or else you’re just not replying to them directly, but if you want to see what I’ve been discussing, links to them are at the bottom of this post.
The overall point, though, is that I do do works, just like a great many other Christians do who believe in “faith alone.” I most certainly believe that as Christians we should not only live Godly lives, but really want to. So in no way in the least am I opposed to what James 2 says about works. I read what he says there like I do the rest of the Bible, trying to get whatever lesson the Lord wants me to get out of it, because God’s Word is “the Sword of the Spirit.”
There is a paradox between what James 2 and Ephesians 2 say about faith and works, though, and both must be absolutely true. Ephesians 2 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (or glory).
I absolutely believe that. It’s a matter of whom should be credited for our salvation - God, ourselves, or both. In this passage, we’re told only God should be. If there is anything that we deserve credit for, God will be the judge of that and we’ll be praised by Him in the next life. There is actually a passage of Scripture that says almost exactly that, and I will try to find it. I just read it recently.
I find I lose *nothing* by not trying to take any credit for my salvation, and to the contrary, truly believing that passage gives me new life and freedom in Christ, freedom from the self. It’s all about the Lord. That, to me, is the miraculous blessing in “and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
On the other hand, I see a supreme danger in trying to ignore those words, as if what’s in James 2 abrogates them, as in Islam, or trumps them so they can be forgotten or discounted.
You do say that you believe those words in Ephesians 2 are the words of God. But beyond saying “yes” to that, you said nothing about them. What can you say about them, then?
From Romans 14:23, “...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men...” Colossians 3:23
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3558019/posts?page=430#430
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3558019/posts?page=221#221
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3558019/posts?page=215#215
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3558019/posts?page=107#107
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