Faith that Saves
Are you saved by faith alone; or by faith plus the works that you do.
It has been said that the Bible is a book full of contradictions, and that the writers teach one thing in one book or verse, and another thing in another book or verse.
Take for instance the Teaching of the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Paul clearly says that deeds of the Law won’t save you, that your faith is what justifies a man.
Now let’s look in the book of James chapter 2: 14
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works ?
Can faith save him? James goes on to say in verse 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Verse 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James clearly says that if you say you have faith, yet have no works than your faith is dead or void. Then James asks the question can this faith save you? Wow what a contradiction, or is it?
One of the problems with people in this day and age, is that we are use to having things our way.
When you pull into mc Donald’s you can have it your way. If you don’t want the mustard you don’t get it. If you just want fries and a drink that’s what you get. It has been my experience that when a person
Comes to me and says Bro. Greg the Bible has contradicted itself again, that one of two things has happened. 1 Someone has told them what they think the Bible says somewhere, or 2 someone wanted to pick and choose what verses to read. Most of the time the contradictions come from picking and choosing, just as I have done above.
The above scriptures do seem to be contradicting each other. It would seem that Paul is on one side of the fence and James is on the other. Paul is saying that a man is justified by faith alone, without the works of the Law. You see Paul is teaching that our salvation comes by faith only. You and I can never do enough works to be good enough to enter into eternal life. You see GOD knew that we would never
Be able to live up to the Law that he gave Moses. Therefore GOD gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You see Paul is telling people who are trying to earn their way into Heaven that they are headed down the road of destruction, because you cannot earn salvation. It is the gift of GOD. No one has ever earned a gift, a true gift is given out of true love. God truly loves you and that’s why He has offered all of us this wonderful gift of eternal life. This is what Paul is teaching, what I like to call Biblical salvation.
Now to what seems to be the contradiction. One of the fatal mistakes people make is not reading the verse or chapter before and after the one they are studding.
You see James is talking to people who say they have faith but don’t have any works to back up their faith. Does it still sound like a contradiction? Lets go a little further. When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior there is a change in that person. The Bible teaches that we become a new creature in Christ Jesus. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
Notice that this passage says if a man be in Christ. God knows that there are going to be some people who will say I believe, but what they really mean is that they agree with the gospel. Can I tell you that there are a lot of people who agree with God, who say God is right and everything else is wrong.
The problem is that they have never surrendered their life to GOD. They have never invited God into their life, as LORD and Savior.
You see its not the prayer that saves you, its not the commitment you make, it’s the humbling of your heart, the realization that I need a savior, that I’m a sinner, That God has a plan for salvation through his son Jesus. When we realize this and ask GOD to forgive us of our sins and to save us , to be our Lord and Savior, then God moves into our lives He makes the change in us. He gives us the desire to do the works of the Law. You see at this point your doing the works out of LOVE for GOD because he first loved you. NOT because you are trying to earn salvation.
This is why James says if a man says he has faith and has no works his faith is dead.
James knows that true faith brings forth the works of the Law.
You see as you read on you will find that Paul and James are not contradiction each other they are completing each other. Paul says there is only one way to be justified with GOD. James says that if you have this true faith it will be accompanied with works. James goes on to give a couple of examples.
2: 21-25
James uses Abraham and Rahab the harlot to say that their works made perfect their faith. You see someone who did not have true faith would not have done the works that they did. Think about it you would have to have true faith to offer your son as a sacrifice, or to hide people you hardly know, and who have come to spy on your city to destroy it. These are not the acts of people who just agree with God. These are the works of people who have surrendered their life to The One True Living GOD.
Look at Noah he believed what God told him about the flood that was to come. Therefore he built the ark and he was saved.
As professing Christians who say we have faith, are we just saying it or living it.
Remember there is no amount of works that can save you from the wrath of GOD, But if you have true faith in Christ Jesus, in his finished work on the cross, you’ve accepted Him as your Lord and Savior
Than GOD will give you the desire to do his work.
As we examine our own lives, where do we stand with GOD today? Are you trying to earn salvation by works, or are you living for GOD and doing the works that show it?
Rev. Greg Whitehead
