What does faith alone mean to you? Seems like there’s a lot of confusion on the subject. If you answer an altar call and have faith in Jesus, will you be saved? Or is it more than that?
Faith Alone?
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Do you care to elaborate? This is a pretty deep subject that requires more than a one sense answer. Are you up to the task?
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Torah Keeper
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Yes you can be saved by faith alone.
But faith is not the same as belief. Faith is active. Belief is passive. The Book of James explains this. And Hebrews also. Abraham had great faith and this caused him to obey Yahweh. If you only believe, and do nothing good all your life, your faith is dead. Even demons believe. Are they saved? Faith saves you, but works are evidence of your faith. Not the other way around.
But faith is not the same as belief. Faith is active. Belief is passive. The Book of James explains this. And Hebrews also. Abraham had great faith and this caused him to obey Yahweh. If you only believe, and do nothing good all your life, your faith is dead. Even demons believe. Are they saved? Faith saves you, but works are evidence of your faith. Not the other way around.
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com7fy8
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I offered this scripture in order to give us a place to start, in understanding how faith is involved in salvation.
Yes, we needed faith, and it looks like faith includes trusting in Jesus. So, from here we can talk about what it means to trust in Jesus.
I see that in trusting Him, there is personal submission to Him. And Jesus says >
"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)
And Jesus is called "the Prince of Peace", right? So, it fits that if we trust Him, this brings us to share with Him in His peace.
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I interpret James to mean "faith without corresponding actions indicates death."
IOWs, if you have faith, actions will flow and grow from that faith.
IOWs, if you have faith, actions will flow and grow from that faith.
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Torah Keeper
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Yes that is correct. Yeshua likened faith to a mustard seed. A seed grows. A dead seed does not grow.
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Hello @bobk, you may find this somewhat humorous article helpful (though it takes a look, intentionally, at all 5 of the Reformational "Solas", not just sola fide). Enjoy 
This short article was written by Dr. R. C. Spoul's son, Dr. R. C. Sproul Jr., just FYI.
--David
This short article was written by Dr. R. C. Spoul's son, Dr. R. C. Sproul Jr., just FYI.The Sole Soul of the Solas
It puzzles me deeply that so few are puzzled deeply by the paradox. We are so used to the befuddling language that we miss its befuddling nature. It ought to stop us in our tracks, arrest our attention, like those signs I see for Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Bank I could understand. Third Bank I could understand. I could understand them merging to become Fourth Bank. But Fifth Third Bank? What does that even mean?
In like manner, how is that our spiritual ancestors, our theological heroes, when they set about to tell us the one thing, ended up telling us five things? If I had lived in a cave for the last five hundred years and someone wanted to get me up to speed on the Reformation, and what it is I should believe and they said, “There are five things. The first one is sola–“ I would have to say, “Stop right there. If there are five, how can even one be called sola?”
It does, of course, in the end make perfect sense. The alones are not alone because they are talking, in a manner of speaking, on different axes. An infinite line is really infinite, but it doesn’t cover everything. An infinite plane is, in a manner of speaking, even more infinite that an infinite line, but it doesn’t cover everything. What sola Scriptura is seeking to keep out isn’t grace, or faith, or Christ or God’s glory. It’s trying to keep out tradition. Grace alone doesn’t exclude the Bible, or faith, or Christ or the glory of God.
In a very real sense, though they operate on different axes, these five are one. The Bible alone is God’s full revelation of His glory, in manifesting His grace in Christ, which becomes ours through the gift of faith. God’s grace is uniquely revealed in His Word, which manifests the work of Christ which becomes our by faith, all redounding to His glory. The solas are precise and potent affirmations of this truth, that it’s all about God. They remind us not just how we might have peace with God, but that peace with God is not the full and final end of all things. They remind us that the story of the Bible isn’t simply how we who are in dire straits can make it to safety, and how nice God is to play such an important role in making that happen. Instead they remind us that He is the end, and we are the means. The story is about Him and His glory more than us and our comfort.
Jesus makes much the same point in the Sermon on the Mount. He recognizes our weaknesses. We are self-centered, concerned with ourselves, and what we perceive our needs to be. So we worry about what we will eat and what we will wear. We fret about our provision and our status. What Jesus doesn’t tell us however, is, “Now, look, you have no need to worry about these things because you have someone on your side. Other people might need to worry but you don’t, because my Father in heaven is for you. You can pursue these things with confidence, knowing that you have the supreme advantage of having the supreme being on your side.”
What He told us instead was surprising. He told us to set aside our petty concerns and to set our minds on, well, depending on how you look at it, one, or two things. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Do we now have seven solas? Ought we to add the kingdom and His righteousness to the alones? By no means. These are all still together the one thing. There is an organic unity not only between the kingdom and the righteousness, but among these two and the five of the Reformation. We are not failing to pursue the kingdom of God when we are seeking after His righteousness. We are not failing to pursue His righteousness when we are seeking after His kingdom. We are pursuing one thing, one way, to honor and serve our Maker and Redeemer by affirming our dependence on Him and His preeminence in all things.
The God we serve is one. As such He calls us to follow one path. His commands are never and can never be pitted against each other. His wisdom is never and can never be pitted against itself. His grace is never and can never be pitted against His character. When we find ourselves torn, confused, pulled in different directions it isn’t because we are faithfully following Him, but because we are not. It isn’t because we are faithfully heeding His voice, but because we are not.
The two, His kingdom and His righteousness are one, as the five, the solas of the Reformation are one, as the Three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One. And these three groups are one as well. For in the end, they are all about the beginning. From the beginning they have always been about the end. For our lives are and always will be bound up together in the Alpha and the Omega. ~Dr. R. C. Sproul Jr.
God bless you!It puzzles me deeply that so few are puzzled deeply by the paradox. We are so used to the befuddling language that we miss its befuddling nature. It ought to stop us in our tracks, arrest our attention, like those signs I see for Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Bank I could understand. Third Bank I could understand. I could understand them merging to become Fourth Bank. But Fifth Third Bank? What does that even mean?
In like manner, how is that our spiritual ancestors, our theological heroes, when they set about to tell us the one thing, ended up telling us five things? If I had lived in a cave for the last five hundred years and someone wanted to get me up to speed on the Reformation, and what it is I should believe and they said, “There are five things. The first one is sola–“ I would have to say, “Stop right there. If there are five, how can even one be called sola?”
It does, of course, in the end make perfect sense. The alones are not alone because they are talking, in a manner of speaking, on different axes. An infinite line is really infinite, but it doesn’t cover everything. An infinite plane is, in a manner of speaking, even more infinite that an infinite line, but it doesn’t cover everything. What sola Scriptura is seeking to keep out isn’t grace, or faith, or Christ or God’s glory. It’s trying to keep out tradition. Grace alone doesn’t exclude the Bible, or faith, or Christ or the glory of God.
In a very real sense, though they operate on different axes, these five are one. The Bible alone is God’s full revelation of His glory, in manifesting His grace in Christ, which becomes ours through the gift of faith. God’s grace is uniquely revealed in His Word, which manifests the work of Christ which becomes our by faith, all redounding to His glory. The solas are precise and potent affirmations of this truth, that it’s all about God. They remind us not just how we might have peace with God, but that peace with God is not the full and final end of all things. They remind us that the story of the Bible isn’t simply how we who are in dire straits can make it to safety, and how nice God is to play such an important role in making that happen. Instead they remind us that He is the end, and we are the means. The story is about Him and His glory more than us and our comfort.
Jesus makes much the same point in the Sermon on the Mount. He recognizes our weaknesses. We are self-centered, concerned with ourselves, and what we perceive our needs to be. So we worry about what we will eat and what we will wear. We fret about our provision and our status. What Jesus doesn’t tell us however, is, “Now, look, you have no need to worry about these things because you have someone on your side. Other people might need to worry but you don’t, because my Father in heaven is for you. You can pursue these things with confidence, knowing that you have the supreme advantage of having the supreme being on your side.”
What He told us instead was surprising. He told us to set aside our petty concerns and to set our minds on, well, depending on how you look at it, one, or two things. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Do we now have seven solas? Ought we to add the kingdom and His righteousness to the alones? By no means. These are all still together the one thing. There is an organic unity not only between the kingdom and the righteousness, but among these two and the five of the Reformation. We are not failing to pursue the kingdom of God when we are seeking after His righteousness. We are not failing to pursue His righteousness when we are seeking after His kingdom. We are pursuing one thing, one way, to honor and serve our Maker and Redeemer by affirming our dependence on Him and His preeminence in all things.
The God we serve is one. As such He calls us to follow one path. His commands are never and can never be pitted against each other. His wisdom is never and can never be pitted against itself. His grace is never and can never be pitted against His character. When we find ourselves torn, confused, pulled in different directions it isn’t because we are faithfully following Him, but because we are not. It isn’t because we are faithfully heeding His voice, but because we are not.
The two, His kingdom and His righteousness are one, as the five, the solas of the Reformation are one, as the Three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One. And these three groups are one as well. For in the end, they are all about the beginning. From the beginning they have always been about the end. For our lives are and always will be bound up together in the Alpha and the Omega. ~Dr. R. C. Sproul Jr.
--David
"We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone." ~John Calvin
.
Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Sola Scriptura
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria
Sola Gratia
Sola Scriptura
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria
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Clare73
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"Alone" refers to apart from faith's good works.
It is the faith itself that saves, faith's good works do not save.
All the glory for salvation goes to the work of God, absolutely none of the glory goes to the work of man.
It means that your good works are not what forgives your sin, but rather it is your faith in and trust on the person and atoning sacrifice (blood, Romans 3:25) of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sin and right standing with God's justice; i.e., "not guilty," declared righteous with the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to you in justification, apart from faith's works (Romans 3:21, Romans 3:28), just as God's righteousness (Romans 1:17; Romans 3:20) was imputed to Abraham by his faith, apart from his works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3, Romans 4:5).
It is by faith of the rebirth, not by faith's required works, that your sin is forgiven, you are made right with God and permanently saved from damnation. The works of obedience in the Holy Spirit are the sanctifying (not saving) process throughout the Christian life of the saved, and are the proof of their faith being genuine and not counterfeit.
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Soyeong
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Luther taught that we are justified by faith alone insofar as there are no works that we can do to earn our justification, however, he also taught that faith is never alone insofar as the same faith by which we are justified is also expressed by doing good works. This is essentially what was being said in Romans 3:27-31, where we are justified by faith apart from works of the law, however, our faith does not abolish our need to obey God's law, but rather our faith upholds it.
The issue is that there can be many reasons for doing good works other than for the purpose of earning our justification as a wage, especially because God's law was never given as a means of earning our justification, which why there are so many verses speaking against that misunderstanding of the goal of the law, so we should not mistake those verses as speaking against our justification requiring us to choose to do good works for some other reason, such as faith. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that faith is one of the weightier matters of the law, so only those who have faith will obey it and will be justified by the same faith, which is why Paul could say in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified while also denying in Romans 4:4-5 that our justification can be earned as a wage. Our salvation is from sin (Matthew 1:21) and sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), so living in obedience to God's law through faith is inherently the content of the gift of Jesus saving us from living in transgression of God's law.
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I would strongly suggest that you never begin a paragraph with the words “Luther taught.” Did you know that he hated the Jews and his writings provided the justification that the nazis needed to begin Holocaust? If not, you have no business responding to a post on the internet.
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disciple Clint
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Soyeong
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Yes, I was already aware of that fact, though this forum makes no rule about needing to have knowledge of that fact in order to have any business posting here. The title of this thread is "Faith Alone" which one of the five solas that Luther is famous for, so what he taught should be relevant to this thread. I firmly believe that it is still possible to learn much of value from someone that I strongly disagree with in other areas. The fact that Luther became anti-Semitic towards the end of his life by no means negates the truth of everything that he taught. If it matters to you, I am a Jew by birth.
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Clare73
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Abraham believed the promise (Genesis 15:5), and his faith was imputed to him as righteousness apart from his good works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3, Romans 4:5).
The NT presents saving faith as faith in and trust on the person and atoning sacrifice (blood, Romans 3:25) of Jesus Christ (the Promise) for the remission of one's sin and right standing with God's justice; i.e., "not guilty," declared righteous by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ in justification, apart from faith's works (Romans 3:21, Romans 3:28), just as God's righteousness (Romans 1:17; Romans 3:20) was imputed to Abraham by his faith, apart from his works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3, Romans 4:5).
NT saving faith is not a general faith in God, it is a specific faith in Jesus Christ.
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fhansen
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Faith is both a supernatural gift, and our choice, to accept and live by that gift. It can be weaker or stronger; it’s meant to grow. It means knowledge of and relationship/union with God and dependence upon Him as we place ourselves in line with Him and His will. It’s a daily choice, or series of choices, to remain in Him, proven and confirmed by how we live our lives, strengthened as it’s exercised.
Faith is the first right step for man in his becoming just/righteous because believing is, simply, the right or just thing to do, and true righteous for man comes only via that relationship with Him. Through faith, God becomes our God again, the God whom Adam essentially denied, and so lost fellowship with.
Jesus came to reveal the true God, so we may know and be reconciled with Him- so we may believe in, hope in, and, ultimately and most importantly, come to love Him. As that love is perfected, our righteousness is made complete.
Once freely justified by God, we’re expected to walk in His righteousness that He now imparts to us, living by the Spirit in obedience to His will, in an obedience born from that love.
Faith is the beginning and foundation of all that.
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