Why Justification is by Faith Alone

[JulieB67]

they are led by the Holy Spirit.

This is kind of my point. And if one is led by the Holy Spirit, you will naturally have works because you are "following the Spirit" and not following the flesh.

 

[RobertPate]

This is kind of my point. And if one is led by the Holy Spirit, you will naturally have works because you are "following the Spirit" and not following the flesh.

Right. "For we are his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them" Ephesians 2:10. It is all of God.

 

[Soyeong]

​

In this case you did cherry pick to support what may be your MJ belief that the "goal" (TLV) of the Torah has something to do with obeying as many of the 613 Torah laws as possible; while ingnoring verse 28 (TLV). When Paul says that "our faith upholds it" he is not referring to the 613 Jewish laws/commands of Torah observance ...

Romans 3:28 (TLV)
28 For we consider a person to be set right apart from Torah observance.​

Being you agree with verse 28 then what "law of faith" do you believe Paul is referring to as the principle law of faith being he is not including the 613 commands/statues of Torah Observance.

​

What "law" are you referring to? So as Messianic Christians we both agree Paul is not referring to the 613 Hebrew laws/commands, but rather another principle "law of faith" that leads to righteousness. It's obvious it's not the 613 laws as Rahab was a Canaanite woman unfamiliar with the 613 Torah laws (Hebrews 11) ...

"By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,
because she welcomed the spies with shalom." (11:31 TLV)​

How would you explain the principle "law of faith" in your own words by which Abraham was justified as righteous as well as the other patriarchs, the Israelites when they crossed the Red Sea on dry land (faith in action) and even Rahab the inn keeper and prostitute.

As you read through Hebrews 11 how would you explain this "law of faith" to both Jew and non-Jew so as to be more inclusive than the TLV and CJB ...

31 Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah. (TLV)
31 Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah. (CJB)​

Here's another translation that's more inclusive than the Jewish Torah ...

31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. (NLT)​

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him His way that he might know Him and Israel too, and in in 1 Kings 2:1-3, God taught how to walk in His way through the Torah. In Jeremiah 9:3 and 9:6, they did not know God and refused to know him because in 9:13, they had forsaken the Torah, while in 9:24, those who know God know that He delights in practicing steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in all of the earth, so delighting in expressing those and other aspects of God's nature in obedience to the Torah is the way to know God, and the Son, who is the exact image of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3). In 1 John 2:4, those who say that they know Christ, but don't obey his commands are liars, in 1 John 3:4-6, those who continue to sin in transgression of the Torah have neither seen nor known him, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the Torah, which is eternal life (John 17:3), which is also why Jesus said in Matthew 19:17 that the way to enter eternal life is by obeying God's commandments. So both the context surrounding Romans 10:4 and the broader context supports that knowing Christ is the goal of the law.

The people who did the TLV interpreted "works of the law" in Romans 3:28 as referring to "Torah observance", however, I did not ignore verse 28, but rather I made the case that it was not referring to anything that God has commanded, which is why I think that they were incorrect. Yes, Paul was saying in Romans 3:31 that our faith upholds the 613 commandments of the Torah.

While, it is true that Abraham believed God, so he was justified (Genesis 15:6), it is also true that he believed God, so he obeyed God's command to offer Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), so the same faith by which he was justified was also expressed as obedience to God, but he did not earn his justified by his obedience as a wage (Romans 4:4-5). In James 2:21-24, it quotes Genesis 15:6 to support saying that Abraham was justified by his works when he offered Isaac, that his faith was active along with his works, and that his faith completed his works, so he was justified by his works insofar as they were an expression of his faith, but not insofar as they were earning a wage. In Romans 2:13, Paul said that only doers of the Torah will be justified, so there must be a reason why our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the Torah other than in order to earn it as a wage, such as faith insofar as Romans 3:31 says that our faith upholds the Torah.

 

[AbbaLove]

Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption alone and not based on the merits of our works. (Romans 3:24-28; 4:5-6)

The inference of Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter) with some translation headings: "Faith In Action". Just one example of many was when Jonah finally relented and did what GOD had instructed him to do in the first place preaching in Nineveh with the people turning from sin (evident action resulting in change).

Your use of NT scripture to support your doctrinal belief that the "law of faith" can actually be passive (i believe, that i believe, that i believe) doesn't ring true. Take Paul for example as he was anything but passive. By "works of the Law" i take it that Paul is referring to the 613 Torah laws which few, if any Jews, were ever able to fully follow. Eventully leading to the Jewish diasporas.

Romans 3:27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:​

David was by no means "passive" when he slew Goliath. The "law of faith" invariably includes action as prompted by His Spirit (not our works). Is there not a scripture (law of faith) verse(s) that is more active than passive (as with the above verses you cited).

 

[Guojing]

The only thing that I am looking forward to is the return of Jesus.

But do you believe in the pre-trib rapture of the Body of Christ, that was my question.

 

[RobertPate]

But do you believe in the pre-trib rapture of the Body of Christ, that was my question.

The Bible teaches that when Jesus appears we will appear with him, Colossians 3:4.

 

[FenderTL5]

Your opinion.

I said, "It's not the Bible contradicting itself, it's you that contradicts Scripture."
Let's put this to the test. The title of this thread is: Why Justification is by Faith Alone
your OP says

No one will enter heaven that has not been justified by faith alone. We are justified by faith alone..

There is no scripture, not one, that says we are justified/saved by faith alone. That last word is all you, not Bible.
It's not there except for the one time Holy Scripture literally says the opposite
"17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead..
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."
I stand by my comment it is you contradicting Scripture.
Faith is never alone but supported by something else in a synergistic fashion.

 

[pescador]

I said, "It's not the Bible contradicting itself, it's you that contradicts Scripture."
Let's put this to the test. The title of this thread is: Why Justification is by Faith Alone
your OP says
There is no scripture, not one, that says we are justified/saved by faith alone. That last word is all you, not Bible.
It's not there except for the one time Holy Scripture literally says the opposite
"17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead..
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."
I stand by my comment it is you contradicting Scripture.
Faith is never alone but supported by something else in a synergistic fashion.

People always turn to James' epistle to justify salvation by works. However, faith is a gift of God, whereas works are human effort. Not everyone can "work".

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

 

[AbbaLove]

People always turn to James' epistle to justify salvation by works. However, faith is a gift of God, whereas works are human effort. Not everyone can "work".

Only by the "works" of His "Gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)​

There is no scripture, not one, that says we are justified/saved by faith alone.
"17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead..
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

Faith is never alone but supported by something else in a synergistic fashion.

Isn't a GOD-kind of Faith supported by an act/unction (synergy) that is a combination of one's faith and at least one of the nine supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). The following scripture verses do support NT faith by the Father/Son's "grace" with the most often scripture being John 3:16. Other scriptures implying "faith alone" = righteousness (justification) are ...

Acts 16:31; Romans 3:28; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; 3:24; Ephesians 1:13; Philippians 3:9.​

In Galatians 2:16 (imo) Paul is referring to the 613 laws in the Hebrew/Jewish Torah. Also in Galatians 3:24 when Paul says, "the law was our guardian until Dhrist came" (imo) he is referring to the 613 laws of the Torah. These 613 Hebrew/Judaic laws were never given for pagan gentiles to follow (e.g. circumcision, Temple worship, Feasts of the Lord, etc, etc, etc).

The fullfillment of these 613 laws are summed up by Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:30-31. In verse 31 of Romans 3:28-31 Paul is referring to Matthew 22:40 (the Whole Law); whereas in Romans 3:28, is not Paul referring to the 613 Mosaic laws (The 613 Mitzvot)

Romans 3:28-31
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.​

Paul believes the whole "Law" (Matthew 22:40) is not impossible for a gentile to follow and be counted as righteous. Even the "faith" of Rahab, the prostitute (Hebrews 11:31) was counted as righteousness (it only takes a mustard seed of faith).

 

[Der Alte]

Galatians 2:16
(16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
James 2:14
(14) What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
James 2:17
(17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:18
(18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:20
(20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:22
(22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
James 2:24
(24) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:26
(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 

[RobertPate]

Galatians 2:16
(16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
James 2:14
(14) What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
James 2:17
(17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:18
(18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:20
(20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:22
(22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
James 2:24
(24) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:26
(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James placed too much emphasis on works. James was a judaizer. A Judaizer is one that believes in Jesus but also believes that you must keep the law of Moses. The book of James was directed to law keeping Jews, not to Gentile believers, James 1:1.

James was the head of the church in Jerusalem. He wanted to circumcise Gentile believers, Acts 15:1-22. Paul and Barnabas contended with him.

James also sent men to spy on Peter and Barnabas to see if they were eating with Gentiles, Galatians 2:11-21.

 

[Der Alte]

James placed too much emphasis on works. James was a judaizer. A Judaizer is one that believes in Jesus but also believes that you must keep the law of Moses. The book of James was directed to law keeping Jews, not to Gentile believers, James 1:1.
James was the head of the church in Jerusalem. He wanted to circumcise Gentile believers, Acts 15:1-22. Paul and Barnabas contended with him.
James also sent men to spy on Peter and Barnabas to see if they were eating with Gentiles, Galatians 2:11-21.

You are seriously mistaken. Here is what James said in Acts 15

Acts 15:13-22
(13) And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
(14) Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
(15) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
(16) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
(17) That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
(18) Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
(19) Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
(20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
(21) For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
(22) Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:​

 

[RobertPate]

You are seriously mistaken. Here is what James said in Acts 15

Acts 15:13-22
(13) And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
(14) Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
(15) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
(16) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
(17) That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
(18) Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
(19) Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
(20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
(21) For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
(22) Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:​

I am very familiar with the book of James. Because of the protest of Paul and Barnabas James relented, but not without laying more law on the Gentile believers, Acts 15:29.
I am sure that James came to know the Gospel and justification by faith taught by Paul at a later date.

 

[Soyeong]

People always turn to James' epistle to justify salvation by works. However, faith is a gift of God, whereas works are human effort. Not everyone can "work".

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

God is trustworthy, therefore His law is also trustworthy (Psalms 19:7), so to obediently rely on the gift of God's law is to rely on God, not on human effort. If I were lost and asked someone for directions, then I would be putting my faith them by relying on their instructions, and it would not be given credit where it is due to think that by doing that I was relying on myself to save myself from being lost. In Ephesians 2:8-10, we are new creations in Christ to do good works, so while we do not earn our salvation by our works, doing good works is nevertheless intrinsically content of the gift of Jesus saving is from not doing good works. 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 it is inherently part of the concept of Jesus saving us from not living in obedience to it.

 

[Soyeong]

Christians are justified by faith alone, because they are justified by Christ alone. Jesus justifies the ungodly, Romans 4:5 and reconciles them and the whole world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19.

The book of James was not directed to Gentile believers, it was directed to law keeping Jews, James 1:1. James was a Judaizer. A Judaizer is one that believes in Jesus, but also like you, believes that you must keep the law of Moses. If works, laws or obedience justified then Jesus lived and died in vain.

When you have to disregard books of the Bible in order to maintain your theology, then you are not allowing the Bible to inform it, and you really ought to reconsider it. In Romans 2:13, Paul said that only doers of the law will be justified, so he was in agreement with James about that. In Romans 4:4-5, Paul denied that we can earn our justification as a wage, so there must be a reason why our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law other than in order to earn it as a wage. In other words, there can be many reasons for obeying God's law, so there is a world of difference between these two statements:

1.) Our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law.

2.) Our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law in order to earn it as a wage.

While the Bible repeatedly denies #2, it repeatedly supports #1, and this is a nuance that you are refusing to acknowledge.

The Bible does not say that we are justified by faith alone, but rather that is a phrase coined by Luther, and he meant something different by it than what you are insisting. In Titus 2:11-14, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, so God graciously teaching us to obey His law for how to do those works is itself the content of His gift of saving us from not doing those works. Furthermore, in Titus 2:14, Jesus gave himself to redeem from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to God's law is the way to believe in what Jesus accomplished through the cross, while returning to the lawlessness that he gave himself to redeem us from is what would mean that he died in vain.

 

[Soyeong]

Ever wonder why you are quoting Paul in this post?

Learn to rightly divide the word of truth.

Before Paul, faith requires a work to be shown by man to God.

After Paul, faith no longer requires work (Romans 4:5).

While Paul denied in Romans 4:4-5 that we can earn our justification as a wage, he also said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, so there must be a reason that our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law other than in order to earn it as wage, such as faith insofar as Romans 3:31 says that our faith does not abolish God's law, but rather our faith upholds it. This is the way that it has always been, so diving things before and after Paul like that is wrongly dividing the word of truth.

 

[RobertPate]

While Paul denied in Romans 4:4-5 that we can earn our justification as a wage, he also said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, so there must be a reason that our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law other than in order to earn it as wage, such as faith insofar as Romans 3:31 says that our faith does not abolish God's law, but rather our faith upholds it. This is the way that it has always been, so diving things before and after Paul like that is wrongly dividing the word of truth.

Works, laws and religion count for nothing in the New Testament. The only thing that God recognizes under the New Covenant is faith, mainly faith in Christ and his Gospel, Romans 4:5.

 

[Soyeong]

Works, laws and religion count for nothing in the New Testament. The only thing that God recognizes under the New Covenant is faith, mainly faith in Christ and his Gospel, Romans 4:5.

Please interact with what I said about Romans 4:5 rather than just repeating it.

 

[RobertPate]

Please interact with what I said about Romans 4:5 rather than just repeating it.

You cannot earn your salvation by what you do. Salvation is a free gift from God, Ephesians 2:8. A free gift cannot be earned or deserved, otherwise it would not be a free gift.

 

[Soyeong]

You cannot earn your salvation by what you do. Salvation is a free gift from God, Ephesians 2:8. A free gift cannot be earned or deserved, otherwise it would not be a free gift.

God's law was never given as a means of earning our salvation as a wage even if someone managed to have perfect obedience to it, but that doesn't mean that we don't need to obey it for the purposes for which it was given. In Ephesians 2:10, we are new creations in Christ to do good works, so while we do not earn our salvation as a wage by our works, doing good works is nevertheless intrinsically part of the concept of being saved from not doing good works.

The content of a gift can itself be the experience of doing something, such as giving someone the opportunity to drive a Ferrari for an hour, where them doing the work of driving it does not detract from the fact that the opportunity to drive it was completely given to them as a gift. In a similar manner, the content of God's give of eternal life is the experience of knowing Him and Jesus (John 17:3) and the gift of God's law is His instructions for how to have that experience. In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him His way that he might know Him and Israel too, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law, which is eternal life (Romans 10:2-4).