What are the essential components of the gospel? 1. The character of God. The Bible describes God as holy (Ps. 99:3, 5, 9; Rev. 4:8), righteous (Ps. 11:7), just (2 Thess. 1:6), and perfect (Matt. 5:48). He hates sin and has nothing to do with it. In fact, He pours out His justified wrath on sin (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6). 2. The character and nature of man. At the same time, the Bible describes man as having a sinful nature (Ps. 51:5), hopelessly separated from God. We are unable to please God in and of ourselves (Rom. 8:8). We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We cannot save ourselves, and we deserve the wrath of God (Rom. 2:5). 3. God’s love for man. Yet despite our sinful ways, God has shown His great love for us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). In His mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us. On the cross Christ paid the full penalty for our sins and became the object of God’s wrath (2 Cor. 5:21). 4. Man’s response to God. If we confess and turn away from our sins and believe in Jesus Christ and the work He did for us on the cross, we can be saved (Mark 1:15; Rom. 10:9). If we possess faith to trust in God and the love He showed us through Jesus Christ, we are genuine Christians. We are justified – we receive forgiveness of our sins and are credited with Christ’s righteousness, Jesus’ life of perfect obedience (Rom. 3:24-27). In short, God restores our relationship with Him and adopts us into His family because of His grace and not because of anything we do (Gal. 2:16; Titus 3:5).
Karl Graustein

Faith And Works

Faith And Works

FAITH AND WORKS

Many in the religious world today believe and teach the doctrine that we are saved by faith only. They teach that all one has to do is pray a “sinners prayer” and God will forgive their sins and at that point, they will be saved.

I believe with all my heart that man is saved by faith in the Lord. And that men will be saved eternally by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have always believed that without faith it is impossible to please God, I believe this because the Bible teaches this. I do not believe in the doctrine of ” salvation by faith only” because it is false, not taught in the Bible. There is a great difference between the two.

The doctrine of faith only was made popular by Martin Luther. His break from the Roman Catholic Church resulted in the first protestant denomination. Martin Luther’s protest to the false doctrine of salvation by the works of the Catholic Church was the cause of his contending for salvation by faith only. In other words, as a protest against one false doctrine he fathered another. In his swing away from the accepted idea of saved by Catholic works doctrine, he did not stop with the Bible truth of salvation by faith, but ended up teaching the doctrine of faith alone.

His trouble and the trouble with most people that believe this false doctrine was and is a misunderstanding of what the Bible means by the term “works.” In other words, a misunderstanding of the Bible word, “works,” was really the cause of Luther’s preaching the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. here is what i mean. Luther saw Paul teaching in Eph. 2:8, 9 salvation is not by works and then read James 2:24 were James says we are not justified by faith only but by works. He could not correlate the two. His decision was to reject the inspired writings of James. The trouble was not with James and the trouble was not with Paul; the trouble was with Luther’s misunderstanding of the term “works” and how it is often used in the New Testament.

The word works is used in at least three ways in the New Testament.

  1. Sometimes the word refers to the works of the Old Testament or the works of the law of Moses.
  2. Sometimes the word is used to refer to our own personal plans, mans ideas, or traditions devised by men. Of course we don’t believe that these works will lead us to God or save us from sin. We could call these our own works or works of men, or works of men’s righteousness.
  3. And there is the kind the Bible calls the “works of God.”

    If we do not under stand the clear difference between these terms as used in the Bible then we will always have a difficulty understanding Gods plan of salvation By faith in Christ.

    • The works of God

In John 6:28 people came and asked Jesus ” What shall we do that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answers in verse 29 “this is the work of God that you believe on him whom He hath sent.” Yes Jesus said that to believe on Christ is to do the works of God. Yes,faith in the Lord is a work of God. FAITH IS A WORK. It is not the kind of works that Paul is speaking of in Eph. 2:8, 9. Jesus said it was the work of God. When God gives a command and man obeys man is working the works of God. The act of obedience to Gods command is not the work of man. It is the work of God. Personal obedience to the will of the Lord is the Work of God. Faith is a work. Jesus said so. If you are saved by faith, you are saved by works. You cannot believe in salvation by faith and disbelieve in salvation by the works of God. You can believe in salvation by faith and reject the doctrine of salvation by the works of men. You can Believe in salvation by faith in the Lord and disbelieve the proposition of salvation by the works of the law of Moses. Neither salvation by the works of man nor by the works of the law of Moses is true. But, salvation by faith in Christ and salvation by the works of God-they are both true.They are both taught in the New Testament.

*THE WORKS OF MEN

Eph. 2:8,9″ 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.” Study the context you will see that Paul does not have in mind the same kind of works that James is referring to in James 2:24 where James says we are justified by works.In Eph. 2: Paul is speaking of our own personal goodness. He means our own deeds that we devised ourselves. to paraphrase, you can’t do it yourself; you can not devise yourself schemes or plans or traditions or righteous ceremonies that will save you. You can not do enough of your own invention to save yourself or make yourself worthy of salvation.

  • THE WORKS OF THE LAW

Paul in Romans chapter four discusses Abraham and the justification of this patriarch of God ages before the law of the Jews was was given to them at sinai. He is proving that Abraham was not justified by works but rather by faith in God. Careful reading shows that Paul has in mind the Works of the law of Moses-the deeds of the law of the Jewish nation.. Rom. 3:20 says, “for by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” Paul speaks here of the law of Moses, “by the deeds of that law”-by the obedience of that law you cannot be redeemed or saved in Gods sight. Paul says that Abraham was not saved by that old law. He is arguing with those Jews in Rome who were still holding to the idea that the rites and ceremonies and traditions handed down to them by their fathers and received from Moses would save them. The works of the O. T. law will not save us.

  • “SAVING FAITH” IS “OBEDIENT FAITH”

Often times in the New Testament the word faith is used as”saving faith” and often the term believer means a ” saved believer.” Whenever you find that faith saves, or the expression saving faith, it always means obedient faith. Saving faith is obedient faith. Whenever you find a believer that is saved you always find an obedient believer. His obedience is always included in the expression or idea of faith. If the believer is saved then that believer has obeyed. Saving faith always includes obedience. In Rom.13:11 talks of those that believed, these were obedient believers as we see when we go back and see them in Rom. 6:3,4. Paul tells us when and how they believed in chapter 6 he tells us very plainly that these same persons had been baptized by a burial and that is when their newness of life began. Rom. 13 talks about “obedient faith” Rom. 6 explains that “obedient faith”, Look at Rom. 6:17 ”

  • EPHESIANS’ FAITH INCLUDES OBEDIENCE

Check out acts 19. Paul goes to Ephesus and there finds 12 disciples who knew only the baptism of John and Paul said “Have ye received the Holy Ghost SINCE YE BELIEVED?” Look at what they said; “We have not so much as heard that there be any Holy Ghost.” Paul said unto them, ” Unto what then were ye baptized?” They said “Unto Johns baptism.” Reading this passage carefully you can see that their baptism was included in the term “believed.” Baptism is a command of God.Repentance is a command of God and these are included in the idea of Bible faith or saving faith because saving faith is obeying faith.

  • CRISPUS SAVED BY OBEDIENT FAITH

Read Acts 18 for this example.

  • JAILER’S BELIEVING INCLUDES OBEYING

Read Acts 16 for this example.

  • THE KIND OF FAITH THAT WILL NOT SAVE

John 12:42-43 is an example of the kind of faith that will not save. “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many BELIEVED on Him but because of the pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Saving faith is faith that obeys.

Is there any one that cannot quote Jno. 3:16, I do not think so. Lets look at verse 36 of this same chapter. ” He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life, but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, for the wrath of God abideth on him.(R.S.V.) Look at it carefully, what’s the negative of he that believeth. He that obeyeth not. Why should this be worded like this? He that believeth on the son means the obedient believer. That is why he then could logically say in the next part,”he that obeyeth not” or ” he that believeth not.”

Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all who obey him; Author of eternal salvation to who? Believers that obey him.
Gal.3:26″ For ye are all children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus.” Faith made them Gods children, the question is if faith made them God’s children then how did faith do it? God answers this in the very next verse. Verse 27 ” for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” That is the inspired writers explanation of how faith makes us God’s children. Obedience is again included in saving faith.

  • HOW TO LET YOUR FAITH SAVE YOU

Mankind has devised so many different plans of salvation it seems difficult to know who to listen to. Man is not the author of salvation, Jesus Christ is. lets hear Him, Christ said, “Believe on me.” Then he tells me to repent of my sins, and then he commands me to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins ( Acts 2:38 ). He promises to save the baptized believer Mark 16:16. That is Gods plan of redemption for mankind revealed to us in his Holy Word.