Faith without works is faith without love

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Hello brothers & sisters in Christ. There have been so many threads on faith and works and I’ve noticed that in these discussions one thing that often gets overlooked and is very rarely mentioned which I believe is at the very root of salvation and works which is love for others. What really drives a Christian to do good works? When we receive the Holy Spirit we are given a new heart. One of compassion and genuine love for others. I believe it is this love that drives us to do good works. It is Christ’s love living inside each and every one of us. When we love someone we are eager and pleased to help them especially in times of need. When I see examples in the Bible pertaining to rebuking or condemnation for lack of works or fruit I see the root cause is lack of love. In John 15 the parable of the vinedresser we see that the branches that do not produce fruit are cut off from the vine (Jesus) then thrown away to wither and thrown into the fire. Jesus continued in His message to say

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:7-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Again in a parallel verse in 1 John 3

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:16-24‬ ‭NASB‬‬

So when we talk about faith without works what we’re really talking about is faith without love for others. Doing works is not about earning salvation it’s about helping those in need out of compassion and love. That’s why faith without works is dead. That’s why the goats were condemned. Jesus didn’t say the goats were condemned because they didn’t really believe. He said they were condemned because they didn’t do good works. But look at the examples given.

“for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:42-43‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Can we really say we love others if we let them go hungry with offering food? Or thirsty without offering them water, or clothes, or visiting them in times of trouble and heartache? That’s not love at all. Love is not selfish. Notice in James 2 the same examples are given.

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:15-16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

How can we say we love someone and let them go hungry into the cold with no warm clothes?

I hope this helps some who believe works are not necessary for salvation to have a more open mind and open heart to Christ’s teachings. Yes we are saved by faith but not by faith alone. Does anyone believe we are saved by faith without love?
 
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com7fy8

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I’ve noticed that in these discussions one thing that often gets overlooked and is very rarely mentioned which I believe is at the very root of salvation and works which is love for others.
Our Apostle Paul says we need "faith working through love" (in Galatians 5:6). And yes this love is "for others", but also this love has us loving our Heavenly Father and Jesus our Groom. This is intimate love, not distant and impersonal.

I suspect there are people who love in theory, perhaps assisting people, but they are unable to personally relate with various people. So, this love is not only about needs being met.
 
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fhansen

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Hello brothers & sisters in Christ. There have been so many threads on faith and works and I’ve noticed that in these discussions one thing that often gets overlooked and is very rarely mentioned which I believe is at the very root of salvation and works which is love for others. What really drives a Christian to do good works? When we receive the Holy Spirit we are given a new heart. One of compassion and genuine love for others. I believe it is this love that drives us to do good works. It is Christ’s love living inside each and every one of us. When we love someone we are eager and pleased to help them especially in times of need. When I see examples in the Bible pertaining to rebuking or condemnation for lack of works or fruit I see the root cause is lack of love. In John 15 the parable of the vinedresser we see that the branches that do not produce fruit are cut off from the vine (Jesus) then thrown away to wither and thrown into the fire. Jesus continued in His message to say

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:7-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Again in a parallel verse in 1 John 3

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:16-24‬ ‭NASB‬‬

So when we talk about faith without works what we’re really talking about is faith without love for others. Doing works is not about earning salvation it’s about helping those in need out of compassion and love. That’s why faith without works is dead. That’s why the goats were condemned. Jesus didn’t say the goats were condemned because they didn’t really believe. He said they were condemned because they didn’t do good works. But look at the examples given.

“for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:42-43‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Can we really say we love others if we let them go hungry with offering food? Or thirsty without offering them water, or clothes, or visiting them in times of trouble and heartache? That’s not love at all. Love is not selfish. Notice in James 2 the same examples are given.

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:15-16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

How can we say we love someone and let them go hungry into the cold with no warm clothes?

I hope this helps some who believe works are not necessary for salvation to have a more open mind and open heart to Christ’s teachings. Yes we are saved by faith but not by faith alone. Does anyone believe we are saved by faith without love?
As Augustine put it, "Without love faith may indeed exist, but avails nothing."
And Paul in 1 Cor 13, "...if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing."

Love is what man's justice consists of, which is why the Greatest Commandments are what they are. Faith, by establishing communion with God, is meant to lead to love, to this justice, but does not accomplish this on its own. And, yes, love acts, by its nature, which makes sense out of such passages as Matt 25:31-46.
 
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BNR32FAN

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As Augustine put it, "Without love faith may indeed exist, but avails nothing."
And Paul in 1 Cor 13, "...if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing."

Love is what man's justice consists of, which is why the Greatest Commandments are what they are. Faith, by establishing communion with God, is meant to lead to love, to this justice, but does not accomplish this on its own. And, yes, love acts, by its nature, which makes sense out of such passages as Matt 25:31-46.

Yes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is useless if we don’t adhere to His guidance. I don’t believe that a person is saved by being sealed with the Holy Spirit. I believe we are given the Spirit so that we can be saved because without the Him indwelling within us we would not know the way to salvation. His guidance gives us the indwelling conviction and higher prerogative of law of soul. This is part of the very definition of the Greek word pisteuo or believe.

believeth

G4100


G4100


Lemma:

πιστεύω


Transliteration:

pisteúō


Pronounce:

pist-yoo'-o


Part of Speech:

Verb


Language:

greek


Description:

1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in a) of the thing believed

1) to credit, have confidence b) in a moral or religious reference

1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul

2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith

3) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith

2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity a) to be intrusted with a thing


Grammar:

from πίστις; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.


Occurrences in Bible:

264


Occurrences in Verses:

220


KJV usage:

believe (239x), commit unto (4x), commit to (one's) trust (1x), be committed unto (1x), be put in trust with (1x), be commit to one's trust (1x), believer (1x).

Pisteuo also means to commit. Looking at the word pistos which means believer we see a similar definition pertaining to trustworthiness and faithfulness.

believers

G4103


G4103


Lemma:

πιστός


Transliteration:

pistós


Pronounce:

pis-tos'


Part of Speech:

Adjective


Language:

greek


Description:

1) trusty, faithful a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust c) that can be relied on

2) easily persuaded a) believing, confiding, trusting b) in the NT one who trusts in God's promises

1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead

2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation


Grammar:

from πείθω; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful:--believe(-ing, -r), faithful(-ly), sure, true.


Occurrences in Bible:

67


Occurrences in Verses:

62


KJV usage:

faithful (53x), believe (6x), believing (2x), true (2x), faithfully (1x), believer (1x), sure (1x), not tr (1x).

These are both derived from the Greek word pistis which is translated to faith. Again the definition encompasses more than just acknowledging something to be true but also faithfulness, fidelity, and trustworthiness.

faith

G4102


G4102


Lemma:

πίστις


Transliteration:

pístis


Pronounce:

pis'-tis


Part of Speech:

Noun Feminine


Language:

greek


Description:

1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it a) relating to God

1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ b) relating to Christ

1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God c) the religious beliefs of Christians d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same

2) fidelity, faithfulness a) the character of one who can be relied on


Grammar:

from πείθω; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.


Occurrences in Bible:

244


Occurrences in Verses:

228


KJV usage:

faith (239x), assurance (1x), believe (with G1537) (1x), belief (1x), them that believe (1x), fidelity (1x).

I think when you put all this together it can be summed up in the word devotion. Devotion in itself is not a work but a state of mind or heart. Love inspires devotion which in turn inspires works, obedience, and respect. When I read the scriptures I see all of these qualities strongly emphasized.
 
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