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).
six more...
Amen. But this does not give us a license to sin:
Romans 6:15-18
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
It happens to the beast of us. : )
Our home is in HeavenWhen we become a Christian we are virtually transported from this world into the Kingdom of God.12. John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
13. Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are no longer of this world, just as Jesus isn't and never was.
Be imitators of Christ while you live on this Earth.
18. 1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.The above is from Not of This WorldWhat does the Bible say?
1. John 17:14-16 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
2. John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Did I miss by one?
Yep
The demons believe and tremble but that is clearly not saving faith.
That would be intellectual assent but they clearly are not trusting Christ for their salvation. There is a receiving that is necessary.
John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Nope....
But is there a faith that does not save? Paul and James would say yes. Then how do they differ? When talk about the faith vs. faith and works controversy I often get the feeling that we are talking past each other because we are talking about two different, but equally valid, meanings of faith.
Then please understand that when Catholics say that faith alone is not enough they are speaking purely of intellectual assent, not what you are referring to as saving faith. Since, as I understand you, saving faith cannot exist without producing works, then I do not see how you differ on this point with Catholics other than in terminology.
Did not Christ preach that the ones who are unrepentant (Assumed to profess the faith but the fruit/works don't match up) are to be treated like tax collectors and pagans for refusing to repent? If their works bear bad fruit and claim to have the “faith” and we are told to shun the spiritual liars, then what do you think God will do at judgment time?
Essentially your theology is that there is absolutely no responsibility at all after claiming "faith". We can have faith, but can sin at will and absorb all that entitlement less trying to shun sin/repent would be futile “works”. Hooray, going to fornicate and just ask for forgiveness, “just in case”, after all, I have “faith” and is entitled to screw people over less I show work.
Needless to say, Christ expects humility. The Spiritual work Christ did to save us has expectations of a changed behavior that defaults against pride/sin, not perverse entitlement. God created us as an expression of love, not disingenuous creatures that exploit the avenue of faith (Which brings us back to cause/effect)..
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.-——
But he did the works of faith did`nt he? he brought the offering..
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.————————
But he did build the ark did`nt he.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went,————
Yes, he went.
Your post is ironic, since I was the poster of the cause/effect statement, and I am a Christian that believes in Calvinism.
Calvinists believe man is saved through faith by Grace, that is a gift of God, and not of works. We also believe that man is saved to do good works, and that we can only do the good works by the Holy Spirit, as Paul points out in Romans 7.
Roman 8, not 7. Typo.
Predestination (From our temporal perspective) is a boastful concept and an excuse machine. I apologize since not all of “parts” of all Calvanists express that concept. Cornelius Van Til (Neo-Calvanists) whom I greatly respect promotes Grace (With responsibilities). Jumped the gun, sorry. Predestination is just a touchy subject with me, sorry.
What I was saying was along the lines of, ‘ Were you listening to me? Of course you were not. If you were reading upthread, you would know my answer already.
Metmom already exegeted and presented the answer I would give, assuming an honest inquiry.
We all sin. We all deserve eternal death. Jesus paid the price we could not pay and freely gives us eternal life. Faith is believing in that promise. Specifically believing that the promise is true FOR YOU.
So comments about sin making you lose salvation are irrelevant. Because the promise remains the same. The only way sin can affect salvation is if love of sin blinds you to the promise.
If you want to talk about avoiding sin, ask about sanctification or the Christian life.
Yes, but the works were the effects of the faith and salvation, not the cause.
I work in the pastoral office. Why? Because the Lord’s grace saved me from my sin, and the Lord planted a desire in me to share the Word with others. It is not the cause of my salvation, but the effect.
So many Catholic posters seem to think that Protestants preach to NOT do good works. That’s wrong and kind of insulting.
I forgot about that one. Good song. Thanks!
Yep. Not Calvinist here. Lutheran. Sola fide all the way.
I’ll happily argue with Christians of all stripes on this board. But as long as Jesus dying and rising from the dead is our sole source of salvation, the stuff we fight over is comparitively minor. I just love to argue because as long as there is mutual respect as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a good way to learn.
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