ARE WE SAVED BY FAITH ALONE?

In my teens I read so many evangelism tracts and can still tell you what the essential message was for nearly all the tracts! Usually the contents go like this: all have sinned; the wages of sin is death; man is in need of salvation; the Almighty has made a provision for salvation by allowing His Son to die in the place of sinners; all we need do now is accept this sacrifice and we are saved. Ephesians 2:8, 9 is cited to buttress the point that we are saved by faith:  For it is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Saved by faith only? No more laws? Sounds so easy and too good to be true. So, we were told to simply believe!  That was the Gospel!

Many of us have passed our teens now, and it is time to seriously ask ourselves and seek objective answers to these four questions: 1. are we really saved by faith alone? 2. Is it enough just to confess Christ as Lord? 3. Are we no longer under the law? 4. What is grace?

1.      On whether we are saved by faith alone, James 2:14-18 tells us: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

One can safely infer that the “works” mentioned in Ephesians 2:8, 9 can only refer to the outward performance of rites, sacrifices, human commandments and ordinances which really counts for no righteousness and are like filthy rags before the Lord! Such should not be confused with works done loyally in fulfilling the Laws of God and in obedience to His Holy Will!

2.      On whether it is enough just to believe and confess Christ as Lord, please be guided by James 2:19- “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” 

Your belief alone is therefore nothing great and you will still remain in the camp of Herod’s master- Lucifer and his minions unless you do the Will of the Father which is the same as obedience to His Laws.

3.      So are we no longer under the Law? We remain under the Laws of God which Christ Himself said He had come to fulfill! However, Jesus the Son of God through His Teaching has released us from the mundane laws, injunctions and traditions of men which include the dogmas of old and the creeds of today employed to enslave men and put them under the control of religious leaders. Therefore, Christ was quoted to have said: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? . . . Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: . . . "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Mathew 15:3-9)

4.      Finally, what is grace? The grace of God is the Word of Truth Jesus brought to us at great pains and an enormous sacrifice. This Holy Word shows us the Laws of our Father without dilution and these Laws are our path to salvation, being born anew and our path to Heaven! So it is correct to say we are no more under the laws imposed by men (i.e. the yoke imposed by men through their traditions and wrong interpretations of God’s Commandments) but under grace (i.e. the gift of God to man which is the Word of God which at the same time are the Laws of God explained in all Purity by Jesus devoid of human embellishments).

Let us always bow in humility and give jubilant thanks to the Most High Who in His Wisdom and Love gave us the Laws through which we can save and redeem ourselves!