Justified/Saved by Faith & Faith Alone

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Mar 4, 2020
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Um, no. "Sola scriptura" long-predates easy believism, and it had nothing to do with money or "getting people into church".


People don't want to come to church to hear falsehood. Repentance is hard because it undermines pride. Jesus is the way. The broad road is for all those who reject Him.


Uh huh...
Repentance isn’t a one-and-done deal then you’re free to go sin all you want. Repentance is demonstrated by works, hence the requirement for works. True repentance is manifested in works and it’ll probably require a lifetime of effort. Hence easy-believism is a scam.
 
Mar 4, 2020
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Word of mouth, rumors, or is there proof of this accusation? When did this begin? The great preachers of the 18th and 19th century all believed in faith and no works.
You kinda answered my question referring to relatively recent preachers on the scene preaching easy-belivism. Of course, I’m sure they would have said Jesus taught easy-believism, but Jesus said a lot of things and most of it was not “anything close to just believe and you’re done.”
 

FlyingDove

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2017
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Agree, this is the central thesis.

Yes it is written to believers and not some people who only superficially believed.
Post #389 points out Hebrews 10 context isn't about NT believers loss of salvation due to sin. It also cites Parable of the Sower:

Mark 4:
14 The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Luke 8:5 (A) A sower went out to sow his seed:

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

(MY NOTE: The sower is the Holy Spirit the seed is Gods Word/Christ's Once For All time sin atoning sacrifice & the soil is the human heart).

The epistle is written to both saved & unsaved Hebrews. The severe punitive warning (vs 29) is aimed at Hebrews that had herd & understood Christ's sacrifice. Yet, they still continued to bring animal sin sacrifices to the Temple Priests, in order to avoid persecution. Note, what happened to Stephen (a true believer, Acts 7:54-60) for standing up for his faith.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Repentance isn’t a one-and-done deal then you’re free to go sin all you want.
Agreed... but who is claiming that it is that?

Repentance is demonstrated by works, hence the requirement for works.
No, repentance is acknowledging that you have sinned against God, and choosing to avoid that sin in the future. "Works" are a manifestation of the faith already present, not of repentance.

True repentance is manifested in works and it’ll probably require a lifetime of effort. Hence easy-believism is a scam.
You have "faith" and "repentance" mixed up, so your concept of "easy-believism" (sic) is flawed.

Genuine faith in God through Jesus Christ results in good works.

Genuine repentance from sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ results in a transformed character much less likely to repeat sinful behaviour.

The two are related but are certainly not synonymous.
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
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So are you arguing one must endure through thick and thin, to keep spiritual salvation?
In their belief in Jesus, of course. Otherwise they cannot be saved, since that belief in Jesus, is the core doctrine of Christianity.
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
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You did not answer my question

Can I believe Jesus yet not trust him??

does this happen?
Belief in Jesus and trust in Jesus is the same thing.

Do you believe that that Jesus died for your sin?

Do you believe that Jesus reconciled you to the Father?

Do you trust that Jesus died for your sin?

Do you trust that Jesus reconciled you to the Father?

I do not think that someone whom believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus (is saved). Could then not trust that Jesus was not resurrected.
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
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You kinda answered my question referring to relatively recent preachers on the scene preaching easy-belivism. Of course, I’m sure they would have said Jesus taught easy-believism, but Jesus said a lot of things and most of it was not “anything close to just believe and you’re done.”
Unfortunately for you and a thousand others. The primary gospel message is that easy belief in Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Or can we quote your interpretation below.

It is a hard road the Christian road, no joy folks. You must repent of all your sins and only when you have achieved, that holy man status. Then you are really considered to be a Christian and you are then saved. I know you can do it. Unless you overcome your sin you can't be saved.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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James 2:20 “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely says-claims (key word) they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)
 

Everlasting-Grace

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2021
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Belief in Jesus and trust in Jesus is the same thing.

Do you believe that that Jesus died for your sin?

Do you believe that Jesus reconciled you to the Father?

Do you trust that Jesus died for your sin?

Do you trust that Jesus reconciled you to the Father?

I do not think that someone whom believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus (is saved). Could then not trust that Jesus was not resurrected.
ok.

So I have just believe. and I am saved. even though I do not have faith;. and I can go on living however I want based on my lack of faith?

please say you do not believe this
 

Everlasting-Grace

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2021
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James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely says-claims (key word) they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

What does it gain(Gk Ophelos - to gain, profit, Advantage, benefit) If you CLAIM (Gk-Lego to say, to admit, to talk, to tell) you have faith, but that "claimed" faith does not produce works. Can THAT Claimed faith save you?

In no place does James state that they ever had faith. Thats why he called it dead, useless, worthless, can it saved? No. because it has no life
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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Repentance isn’t a one-and-done deal then you’re free to go sin all you want. Repentance is demonstrated by works, hence the requirement for works. True repentance is manifested in works and it’ll probably require a lifetime of effort. Hence easy-believism is a scam.
The Greek word for "repent" is "metanoia" (noun) and "matanoeo" (verb) you see as defined in the Strongs #3340, 3341: to think differently or afterwards, reconsider. To change one's mind.

https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/G3340/metanoeo.htm#:~:text=Strong's #3340: metanoeo (pronounced met-an-o-eh'-o) from 3326 and,i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction):--repent. Thayer's Greek Lexicon:

Repentance basically means a "change of mind" and the context must determine what is involved in this change of mind. Where salvation is in view, repentance actually precedes saving faith in Christ and is not a totally separate act from faith. It is actually the same coin with two sides. Repentance is on one side (what you change your mind about) and faith in Christ is on the positive side, the new direction of this change of mind. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same experience of receiving Christ. (Acts 20:21)

Certain people misunderstand the term "repentance" to mean "turning from sin" to the extreme which means from that moment on we live a sinless, without fault or defect, flawless, absolute perfect life, 100% of the time, yet repent does not mean sinless perfection. (1 John 1:8-10) The word "repent" basically means to "change your mind."

The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions. Acts 26:20 declares, "I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." This is the fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8), not the essence of repentance (change of mind). I have heard certain people say, "if you want to be saved, repent of your sins, turn from your sins." If turning from your sins means to completely stop sinning, then people can only be saved if they completely stop sinning and in that case, none of us will be saved because none of us are sinless, without fault or defect, flawless, 100% of the time.

Salvation by works (hard-believism) is a scam. (Romans 4:2-6; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9)
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

What does it gain(Gk Ophelos - to gain, profit, Advantage, benefit) If you CLAIM (Gk-Lego to say, to admit, to talk, to tell) you have faith, but that "claimed" faith does not produce works. Can THAT Claimed faith save you?

In no place does James state that they ever had faith. Thats why he called it dead, useless, worthless, can it saved? No. because it has no life
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The comparison of the human spirit and faith converges around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body exhibits no indication of life, so fruitless faith exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. (Ephesians 2:5-10)

Works-salvationists put the cart before the horse and teach salvation by faith and works. They seem to believe that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith (which would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree). Yet something that is dead cannot produce anything. Faith is the root of salvation and works are the fruit. No fruit at all would demonstrate there is no root.
 

Chester

Senior Member
May 23, 2016
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That goes without saying, but there has to be a response on our part and that response is faith.
So then it is not by "faith alone" --because we have to avoid the "that goes without saying" to explain truth.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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So then it is not by "faith alone" --because we have to avoid the "that goes without saying" to explain truth.
It's by faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone (by trusting in Christ alone for salvation) and not based on works we are saved (Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9) yet authentic faith in Christ does not remain alone "barren of works." (James 2:14-26)
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
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Acts 26:20 declares, "I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."
This is a command given to them, not a forgone conclusion of their behaviour.

The fact that they are being preached/told to "prove their repentance" is because it does not happen automatically.
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
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James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The comparison of the human spirit and faith converges around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body exhibits no indication of life, so fruitless faith exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. (Ephesians 2:5-10)

Works-salvationists put the cart before the horse and teach salvation by faith and works. They seem to believe that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith (which would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree). Yet something that is dead cannot produce anything. Faith is the root of salvation and works are the fruit. No fruit at all would demonstrate there is no root.
Not sure about connecting works and fruit. :unsure:
A tomato plant can be barren of fruit and still have roots.
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
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James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely says-claims (key word) they have faith, but lack resulting evidential works, then they demonstrate that they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)

Wow, so you would be willing to state a person is not saved by some unknown level of good works that must be evident.:eek:
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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Wow, so you would be willing to state a person is not saved by some unknown level of good works that must be evident.:eek:
It's not about an unknown level of good works. It's about a bare profession of faith that results in no good works at all. Don't be so dramatic.