Imagine
living in a time when travel pretty much consisted only of walking, boat, and horseback (or other beast of burden). You travel many miles on foot, risking your
health and even your life, bringing the good news, the gospel message of Jesus
Christ to a mostly pagan and barbaric country.
You convert many to Christianity there and start a number of churches
along the way. Your message has been
clear and direct, mincing no words, yet, spoken in love. Before you leave this faraway land, the
churches there are showing a lot of promise.
Ok, great. But you find out some
time later that the teaching for which you risked so much, and fought so hard
to share, has been twisted in a manner that voids
the whole message and puts their souls at stake!
Such was the
situation in the Apostle Paul’s case. On
his first missionary trip, he traveled through the region of Galatia, preaching
the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, Who (mercifully) came to pay
the full penalty for our sins. But the
message got distorted somewhere along the way. Paul’s famous question to the saints in
Galatia jerked them back into reality… “O
foolish Galatians, WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU, that ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among
you?” (Galatians 3:1)
No New
Testament epistle has a stronger message than the one to the Galatian
churches. Paul states that the message that
he first brought to them is, and always will be, the true gospel. He says that if
ANYONE (including himself) would preach a different gospel, that messenger is cursed:
“But though we, or an angel from
Heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8-9)
Sobering
words! But what was it, exactly, that grieved
Paul so much? What was this other gospel
that had crept into the Galatian church?
It was the message of the Judaizers.
It was simply a message that accepted Jesus’ work on the cross for
salvation, but also added something else
to it. It was salvation “by faith plus works.” The works that the Judaizers added were
circumcision and the Law of Moses (Acts 15:1, 5). Ok, so what’s wrong with adding the Law of
Moses? Wasn’t this law directly from God,
and therefore the ultimate guide to righteous works? Absolutely.
And wasn’t the Mosaic Law summed up in the Ten Commandments? Indeed it was. And did not Jesus, Himself, condense all
these even further into only two commandments, i.e., love God and love your
neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40)? So,
what’s the big deal? What could possibly
be wrong with any work that would fit in the category of these two
commandments?
The fact is,
ALL good works fall under this category.
So, nothing is wrong with the Mosaic Law itself, it’s the fact that it
was added to the cross. Therefore, any
time we try to add good works…. any good
works…. to the work of the cross in
order to be saved, we are saying that Jesus’ work was just not quite
enough. But there is only ONE work that
can save us… and it is HIS work, HIS suffering, HIS paying the penalty on the
cross. We can do nothing to add to our salvation at any point in our Christian walk. In fact, if
we even try to, we are insulting Him and we are cut off, we are severed from Christ and fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4)! We
have deserted Jesus for another gospel (Galatians 1:6)! Any mixture of God’s grace and man’s works to
be saved is fatal.
But the
error of the Judaizers is not just a problem of the past. We have many today who claim to be
Christians, yet who strongly embrace this evil doctrine. The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and
even many Protestant churches all claim to believe and trust in the work of
Jesus, yet try to add some type of work(s) to the cross in order to be saved. This creates a false gospel. It may be water baptism, it may be speaking
in tongues, or perhaps performing the “moral aspects” of the Mosaic Law,
helping your neighbor, giving to the poor, becoming a martyr (dying for your
faith), etc., etc. All these things can
be good, but they cannot be trusted in
to save us, even partially. They cannot
contribute to our justification.
Salvation is a gift, and you
don’t work for a gift (Romans
4:4-5). There is no amount of
suffering or work that can be “added to” Jesus’ work for salvation. To add even one of these works is to say that Jesus did not completely pay the
penalty for our sins (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:12; 1 John 2:2). This is blasphemy. No wonder Paul was so severe with the
Galatians.
Are we
claiming that Christians should not do good works? No, we are not at all saying that. But we should simply do good works out of a
love for God, and in appreciation for what Jesus has done. And we will be rewarded for our good works
which are done in the right spirit. The wrong attitude would be, “I am doing
these good works to help my chances of getting into Heaven.” But if Jesus’ suffering and death on the
cross wasn’t enough BY ITSELF, then surely nothing could save us.
Put your
faith, your trust, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Don’t put yourself
under the curse… don’t be a Judaizer.
http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/08/sola-fide-revisited.html
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteI came across this page when I was conducting some research(which is one of my personal hobbies). This article truly has a powerful meaning to it and should certainly provide answers to people with questions about the gospel of the Lord. Do you not find it strange that someone would add stuff to such a simple gospel and make it difficult for themselves? Why would anyone want to add works to the cross of Christ when perpetual salvation is a FREE GIFT? I am astonished by the fact that the New Testament was written so long ago and it even speaks of people who would "twist the Scriptures to their own destruction"(2 Peter 3:16). Look at all these Christian denominations with religious leaders and they add "WORKS" to the gospel. What really shocks me is the fact that the Bible very clearly and repeatedly tells us that grace is a gift without a cost and that multitudes of people still attempt to modify the gospel. Wow! Does this not interest you Russell?
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. By the way, you are the very first commenter on this (my new) blog!
Yes, indeed, Jesse, I find this an interesting, yet strange, thing. Why would anyone mess with a perfectly simple (and liberating) gospel? Maybe it has something to do with our pride. I have heard it said that all world religions are works-based, and even many in Christianity (both Catholic and even some Protestants) believe in some sort of works-based salvation. Because of pride, man would love to take at least SOME credit for his salvation. I guess it’s just deep down in our sin nature.
But when it comes to trusting something / someone for salvation, it’s either ALL Jesus, or not Jesus at all. You can’t say, “I trust in Jesus… plus XYZ.” His work on the cross is totally sufficient. Thank God for that. Thank God that we don’t HAVE to work for our justification. That, my friend, is indeed good news.
In His Name,
Russell
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteWhen I have discussions with the Romanists(and MANY other Protestants) about this subject, they always appeal to James 2:24 as a "crutch" to support the Catholic teaching of "faith plus works". What exactly was James' point? How could I help Catholics(and others) see that James is NOT arguing against salvation by faith alone(I have attempted multiple times-perhaps I do not quite understand the passage.. I could be wrong though). What is the best Scripture passage(that you know of) to help demonstrate that salvation is by faith alone(perhaps Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9,and Titus 3:5)? Thanks for answering my previous question(you have cleared a lot of my confusion)!
Would you mind if I kept in contact with you or supported your blogs?
Jesus is Savior,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteIt cannot be emphasized enough that CONTEXT is critical here. We should always point this out to Catholics and anyone else who points to the book of James and tries to say that works contribute to a person’s salvation. James’ actual point was that REAL Christians (i.e., Christians with a true and real faith) will certainly be doing good works. If a person who claims to be Christian has no works, then he can hardly be considered a Christian.
James 2 is about the DEMONSTRATION of a Christian’s faith (James 2:18). It is NOT about HOW TO BECOME a Christian, i.e., how to be “justified” in the sense of salvation. Catholics, especially, always point to James 2:24: “…a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone,” but they are ignoring the context.
The word “justified” in this context means VINDICATED, where one is shown to be a Christian, or is demonstrating proof that he is a Christian. This lines up with what Jesus said, “You shall know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)
If you want to learn about the doctrine of justification (in the sense of salvation), then you should go to the longest, continuous passage that SPECIFICALLY deals with that topic… and that would be Romans chapter 3 thru 5. This is where one must look when asking how to become saved / justified.
By the way, the verses you gave above (Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Titus 3:5) are also some of the best ones to share.
See also:
http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2010/01/faith-alone-part-2.html
And yes, Jesse, feel free to keep in contact and ask questions and / or comment on the blog anytime.
We do it by a proof of, say, James 2, when James is quoting Genesis 15:6 where it says that Abraham believed and God justified him. He's quoting the same passage that St. Paul is quoting in Romans 4:3, so that means that James and Paul have to have the same understanding of the Greek word dikaiosune, because they're quoting from the same passage, Genesis 15:6. And here's where the Protestants try to change the meaning of dikaiosune—or dikaioo in James 2—because they say it means "demonstrated to be righteous" as opposed to "declaring to be righteous." So they have a dichotomy in their own thinking on the definitions of these words. And we go through it meticulously in chapter two of the book to show that it is impossible to arrive at that position where you make a dichotomy between "demonstrated" righteousness and "declared" righteousness on the one hand, and we also show in the book that the preponderant use of dikaioo in the Greek is not a declared righteousness—and the same would be true for the Greek word logizomai which is used in the King James Bible, for example, when it translates as "imputation." We show that the Greek word logizomai preponderantly means in the Greek that there is a reality to the thing that someone is viewing; it's not a fiction. It's not something that we label, not a label that we put on something, even though we know that the label is not saying that this thing is a reality of the label. We show that the Greek word logizomai actually means in the Greek that the label means what it is signifying. We go through all the uses of logizomai in the New Testament to show that.
DeleteAnonymous,
DeleteThis is just a copy and paste of an excerpt of an interview between Protestant apologist Michael Horton and Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis. But Sungenis is simply trying to split hairs here. You can dance around the issue all you want, but CONTEXT tells the reader of James clearly what the author is speaking of. And that is exactly what I (and many others) have been saying for years.
Hey Russell,
ReplyDeleteWhen is one justified?
Jonathon
Jonathon,
ReplyDeleteA person is justified when he first believes; when he comes to the realization that he is a sinner who is spiritually bankrupt and is on his way to Hell. It is when he humbly surrenders his life to God, and he begins to trust in the Person of Jesus Christ and in His work on the cross in order to make it to Heaven. This is the moment that God changes the person’s heart and his desires, and He gives him a new life. This is the moment that he is “born again.”
ReplyDeleteRussell
Jonathon,
Got it? A person is justified when he first believes; when he comes to the realization that he is a sinner who is spiritually bankrupt and is on his way to Hell. It is when he humbly surrenders his life to God, and he begins to trust in the Person of Jesus Christ and in His work on the cross in order to make it to Heaven. This is the moment that God changes the person’s heart and his desires, and He gives him a new life. This is the moment that he is “born again.”
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteTwo questions.
1) Is this Jonathon? And
2) Why do you ask, "Got it?" and then repeat verbatim what I had just said earlier? What's your point?
Yup.... It's me!
ReplyDeleteMy point was to just be funny...sorry.....
Johnathon
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteDo you believe that a true, born-again Christian can be assured of his or her eternal salvation?
Jesse
Hello again Jesse,
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you. Thanks for the question.
To answer, I believe that, on the one hand, a true Christian can indeed lose his salvation. There is way too much Scripture that tells us that this is the case, so we can’t deny this fact. But this doesn’t mean that we have to go around wringing our hands, torturing and worrying ourselves sick, wondering if we will make it into the Kingdom of God, or wondering if we are “the elect.” On the other hand, we should not be over-confident and arrogant about our right standing with God either (like I’ve seen many people do), since God hates pride.
It is really very simple. We can KNOW that we are saved by the fact that God has indeed changed our lives and our hearts, BUT it is ONLY because of our trusting in Him and in His work. If we had to perform works to merit our salvation, then we would ALWAYS be questioning whether we had done enough.
So yes, we can indeed be assured of our salvation… as long as our faith / trust is in the right object… Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. This faith pertains not only to our justification, but also our sanctification (Galatians 3:3). The same One that saves us by faith, KEEPS us through faith.
Thanks again Jesse, and God bless.
Hello again Russell,
DeleteIt has been awhile since I talked to you. I hope everything is going fine for you.
You said, "On the other hand, we should not be over-confident and arrogant about our right standing with God either (like I’ve seen many people do), since God hates pride."
Yes! Did not the Apostle Paul repeatedly warn us about boasting about our works (Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, Romans 3:27-28)? This is absolutely fatal to a works-based salvation! I am so glad that I found someone who is on the scriptural side of this.
I certainly agree with you on the fact that eternal security is a false and unscriptural doctrine. I am glad that you are on the biblical side of this! This gives witness to the clear testimony of Scriptural instruction and is deadly to Calvinism! After all, if Christians could NEVER lose their salvation, then the numerous Scripture passages warning us about Satan, eternal damnation in hell, the final judgment, evil teachers who will deceive many, and future heresies would simply be redundant. So, we can indeed be assured of our salvation as long as we do not fall away from the faith (John 3:16, 1John 5:13, 1 John 2:25, etc.).
I have a question regarding a Scripture reference. Opponents of Sola Fide usually quote Matthew 7:21 as "evidence" of a works-based salvation. Could you give some assistance interpreting this passage?
Thanks,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteConcerning Matthew 7:21, which says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.”:
First, we need to ask, what is the CONTEXT of this passage? Notice that it is NOT “how to get saved,” or “how to be justified,” or “how to get right with God.” The key is in verse 16, and it is repeated in verse 20: “You will know them by their fruits.” The context is about the EVIDENCE or the DEMONSTRATION of one’s faith. In other words, is he living like a Christian should, and does he have the fruit of the Spirit?
Yes, those who do the will of the Father are the category of people who will be in Heaven, that’s true. But it is not the doing of good works that CAUSES one’s salvation (although good works are part of the Father’s will). People just read that into this context.
Verse 22 demonstrates that they were indeed trusting in their works, since they are asking, “Did we not prophesy… cast out demons… perform many miracles?” Apparently, they had actually done these “great” things, but their hearts were not right, most probably because of the object of their trust (i.e., their works).
Jesse, it is pretty much the same in the great majority of the verses that Catholics (and others) use to try and justify the “faith plus works for salvation” teaching. Always check the context.
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteIt has been awhile since we have talked.
Would you use 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 as a supportive text for Sola Fide? Also, notice verse 19,which says,"that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, NOT COUNTING PEOPLE"S SINS AGAINST THEM. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." I would honestly appreciate your comments on this passage.
I thought that it would be good to show you some Scripture passages that I leaned from personal Bible study. They clearly demonstrate that justification is apart from meritorious works. Some of these verses would include John 5:24, Galatians 3:24-26, Galatians 5:4-5, and Philippians 3:9. Do you think that these are solid proof-texts?
I just thought that it would be a good idea to pay you a "visit". Thanks!
Jesse
Hello Jesse,
ReplyDeleteThanks for “visiting”!
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 is a great passage about what Jesus accomplished on the cross and how we can participate in His ministry toward others (sharing the gospel). But our Catholic friends would be quick to point out that there is nothing about faith ALONE in this passage. Remember what I said previously?
Although, I did find an interesting point in 5:16, which says, “…even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.” Someone could possibly use this verse to make a case against the Eucharist, since Catholics claim that Jesus is (supposedly) present IN THE FLESH in the Eucharist.
The other four passages you mentioned, I believe, are excellent supporting verses for Sola Fide (Faith Alone), but context must be emphasized in order to make the point.
God bless and keep on studying! The more you study, the more God will show you.
Hello Russell,
DeleteThanks for clarifying the meaning behind the 2 Corinthians passage and the additional information concerning the Catholic Eucharist. I will use it to the best of my ability.
Do you think that 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 could be used to supplement 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 as a Sola Fide proof-text?
One more thing, would you know of any more Scripture texts demonstrating salvation by faith apart from meritorious works? What about Romans 10:9-13?
Thanks,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYou asked about 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 supplementing 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. I suppose that they can go together, but I feel like I’m having to keep repeating myself. There are tons of verses on any particular topic that can be used together. It’s impossible to list them all. Just remember that all Scripture is interrelated, it just depends on CONTEXT. And, as I said before, when discussing verses on “Faith Alone,” we need to give special attention to verses that emphasize the ALONE aspect of the verse, or the verses that specifically mention things like “apart from works” or “without works.”
And yes, I believe that Romans 10:9-13 is a good supporting verse, as well.
I think that I already mentioned to you the verses that I feel are the strongest in supporting the doctrine of “Faith Alone”: Romans chapters 3, 4 and 5; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 16:30-31; Galatians chapters 1, 2, and 3; Romans 11:6; Luke 18:9-14; 23:40-43; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:9. There are possibly some others, but I feel that these are the best.
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteHow would you respond to an "eternal security believer" who claims that denying such is a works-based salvation?
Jesse
Jesse,
ReplyDeleteBy “eternal security believer,” I’m assuming you mean a person who believes in “once saved, always saved,” right?
For the record, we do believe in eternal security for the person who maintains their FAITH (and lives accordingly), but there is way too much Scripture that warns BELIEVERS of losing their position in Christ, to believe in “once saved, always saved.”
But, I’m not quite sure how they can accuse us of a works-based salvation. Can you please elaborate?
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteYou said,"By “eternal security believer,” I’m assuming you mean a person who believes in “once saved, always saved,” right?"
That's correct!
You asked me to explain what I meant when I asked a question. This is how CARM.org explains this alleged objection to our position:
"We could, on the other hand, raise an important objection to conditional security. If it is possible for a person to lose his salvation, then we have to ask if that person is keeping his salvation by his good behavior--whether by being good or by being faithful. This is important because the Scriptures teach us that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone so that "being good" cannot be part of keeping salvation. It is the result of it--not its cause nor the glue that keeps salvation in place."
If you wish to read more on the subject, then see this article:
https://carm.org/why-should-carm-write-about-eternal-security
The above reference in quotations came from the provided link. CARM is an apologetics organization that is ran by Matthew Slick and believes in Calvinism. Thus, we can see why the website is dedicated to defending eternal security! Moreover, even Heretic David J. Steward makes this lame accusation. Do you find any of this strange?
Do you understand my question now? I hope that this helps.
Thanks,
Jesse
Hello Jesse,
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying your question.
I like the C.A.R.M. website. It has a lot of great articles, but unfortunately, Matt Slick seems to lean toward Calvinism. Without getting into the Calvinism aspect too far though, here is what I would say about your question.
In Matt’s quote, he said that “If it is possible for a person to lose his salvation, then we have to ask if that person is keeping his salvation by his good behavior – whether by being good or by being faithful.”
I’ve heard this response before, but we are saying that a person can indeed lose his salvation, but this is because of the STATE OF HIS HEART, not primarily because of his ACTIONS. His actions are just a symptom of the state of his heart. While it is true that “being good” can’t save you, Paul clearly tells us that not only is salvation (justification) received by FAITH, so is our sanctification received by FAITH:
Galatians 3:1-3:
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
In other words, Paul is telling them that they got saved (justified) by faith, and they (by the same Spirit) are also being sanctified in the SAME way: by FAITH! There is no room for bragging. You REMAIN in the Kingdom of God in the same way that you entered: by FAITH. You don’t get saved by faith, and then become sanctified by your WORKS. If we did, then we could boast. Paul is rebuking them for thinking that they can be matured / sanctified by their works / efforts / their upholding of the Law. He stresses FAITH throughout the Christian life.
But to answer Matt’s question, I would say, yes, we do have to make choices, we do have to maintain our faith. It IS up to the individual to choose to follow God, because this is very clear throughout all of Scripture. If we maintain our faith, it is not because we are “better” than others or “smarter” than others. It is not an opportunity to boast. Our faith to become saved is not something we can brag about. It is an admission of our inability to meet God’s perfect standard.
But God tells us that we MUST choose to follow Him, and we do it through faith in His work on the cross. That’s all we have, but it’s all we need!
Russell,
ReplyDeleteDoes god hate sinners
Hello Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteNo, the Bible is clear that God loves sinners... but it is equally clear that He hates our sin.
"For God so loved the world [that's everyone] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
His hand is outstretched to everyone, and He invites all to humbly come to Him, but if we refuse His offer, we will get what we fully deserve. None of us deserve Heaven; we can only get there by grace (i.e., by His undeserved favor). It is not by our works. We are simply saved by believing Him and trusting in His Son's work on the cross - AND BY THAT ALONE.
Please don't take this lightly.
In His Name,
Russell
Well, I was troubled when I read this article:
Deletehttps://carm.org/does-god-hate-anyone
Could you help?
Anonymous,
DeleteI don’t want to get too far off topic, but I will try to answer your question. In general, I agree with most of the teachings on the CARM website. The particular article you sent was well done and the author made his point. I certainly agree that sin will be punished, that God is both loving and just, and that Jesus is the only way of salvation. I, like the author, do not believe in universalism, where everyone is eventually saved. No, there will be some in Heaven, and there will be many in Hell. So I agree with most of what he said.
However, I think we may disagree on the question of whether God actually hates sinners. I haven’t studied this question in-depth, so I won’t be dogmatic, but I know that God loves sinners. Otherwise, He would have never reached out to us! John 3:16 says that He loved the whole world. Yet, we are ALL sinners. And we ALL sin daily. That’s not an excuse to purposely continue in sin, but it is a fact. I think that it is true that God hates the sin, but loves the sinner – although those who love their sin and refuse to let go of it will be lost.
There is one Scripture verse that the author quoted, though, that may solve this question. In Hosea 9:15, God says (of those particular Jews), “I will love them NO MORE.” Maybe God loves us as sinners, but as we reject Him and persist in our sinful lifestyles and harden our hearts to the point of no return, maybe then His love toward us turns to hate. I really don’t know for sure.
But the point is, He gives EVERYONE a chance to be saved. We can accept it, or we can reject it. The choice is ours.
Russell,
ReplyDeleteThere is a problem here, as Sola Fide can differ even amongst Protestants. For instance, Luther's Sacramental approach to Sola Fide is essentially more comfortable for Hahn given the role of Sacraments in it. This differs from the Calvinist and Evangelical approach which do not approach it Sacramentally and in fact would consider the Sola Fide of Luther and the Lutherans as works based Salvation. So the issue then which isnt addressed here is "which Sola Fide?"
But besides this, you also have one issue on Galatians, as assuming it does really affirm Sola Fide, it is one where one can fall away. But this is not compatible with the Calvinist Sola Fide or the Sola Fide of some Evangelicals that go OSAS. In fact given Hahn's background as a Presbyterian, the sola fide he was raised with contradicts Paul's dismay at the Galatians for falling away or how the Judaizers are a threat that could spy out the freedom of Christians.
Then there's the issue of the Biblical view of Atonement. Hahn is in fact correct in distancing from the legalist view of it as the entire NT corpus provides different expressions to the Atonement from Ransom, moral examplar to victory over death and sin. So Hahn has the upper hand here. He only fails insofar as the element of legality is completely removed.
Lastly, various verses in the NT speak of judgement according to conduct. Even Paul does it. So there is a big issue here for those who deny the role of Works in Salvation or say it doesnt Save, as even if one is justified by faith, there are moral implications to this justification and thus the importance of sanctification as well if one wants to make distinctions here. But even then there is a problem, as some Protestants dont see sanctification as part of getting Saved at all. And Lutherans can affirm repetitive justification. Repetitive justification can solve this issue, but the problem is, not all Protestants affirm that for justification.
russ???
DeleteHello Tim,
DeleteOk, so we Protestants have differences. So what? Are you saying that Sola Fide is wrong because not everyone perfectly agrees on it? Or that the presence of disagreements negates the whole concept? So, tell me, if Catholics would start disagreeing on Mary, would that negate the Marian teachings altogether? I don’t think you’d want to say that. The truth is, EVERY group / denomination has disagreements, including the Catholic Church.
Which Sola Fide is correct, you ask? The one we find in Romans 3, 4, and 5, where the doctrine of justification is DEFINED. The Sola Fide that says that man in justified by his FAITH in the suffering and work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and who is not trusting in any of his own works, whether sacraments, loving one’s neighbor, baptism, speaking in tongues, giving to the poor, etc.
Catholics need to stop pretending that Romans 3, 4, and 5 doesn’t exist and actually deal with it in context. They also need to interpret those verses that speak of “judgment according to conduct” in their proper context, as well.
Hello Russell,
ReplyDeleteI have been discussing the topic of eternal security in the comments section of an article on my blog which can be found here if you are interested:
http://rationalchristiandiscernment.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-critique-of-david-j-stewarts-if-saved.html?showComment=1562352192981#c2616769471274202018
Could you give me a hand please? This type of reasoning is new to me:
"Jesse, what think ye? ETERNAL or "temporary/conditional/Probational" Life, According To The Scriptures?"
Any thoughts? Thank you.
Hello Jesse,
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll go by and take a look. Hopefully, I can be of some help.
Russell,
ReplyDeleteI truly do appreciate your input...You spelled out matters even more so clearly than I could. That is what I know.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
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