Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 12/14/2007

Question
I am a catholic searching for the truth. I am currently talking to one of my
best friends about her religion (Baptist). I was wondering if you could answer
me the question of where in the bible is the faith alone doctrine. My friend
was not able to answer this question as well as I would have hoped but
answered it well enough to make me look into it to try and understand this
concept more clearly. I, being Catholic, completely believe that everything in
the bible is the word of God and anything that contradicts it is wrong.
Because of this I firmly believe that faith is absolutely necessary to be saved;
However, I have not found a single passage to convince me that faith ALONE
is the only thing needed to be saved. I have searched the bible and have only
found the words faith alone placed together in one scriptural passage and
this passage completely contradicts the faith alone teaching (James 2:24: “…
and not by faith alone”). I received many passages from my friend that assure
that faith is needed to be saved which I believe but I was given no passage
saying that faith ALONE is all that is needed to be saved. Please help me
understand your beliefs more clearly and please provide scriptural references.
Thank you for your time and may God bless you.

Answer
Hi Anthony,

Thank you for this great question.  I am so glad that you are searching the scriptures for the answers.  You will not go wrong as long as you keep looking in the Bible!

I see that you searched for the phrase faith alone.  Let us not only consider the phrase, but the concept.  What else would one trust in other than faith?  Pne could trust in another Deity, we understand this to be invalid according to scriptures.  What else could one trust in?  He could trust in works.  He could trust in faith and works.  I will give you scripture to demonstrate that salvation cannot come from works and that it cannot come from a mixture of faith and works.  If I can demonstrate that from scriptures, then there is but one alternative, faith alone, without works.

1.  The 10 Commandments and all the other OT laws were not made to make us holy, but rather to expose our sin.  It is a diagnostic tool to tell us about our sin.

Romans 3:19-21
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2.  If we have ever broken any of the 10 commandments, then we are guilty of them all.

James 2:10-11
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

3.  The price for our sin is death, the second death is Hell.  This is what we all deserve.

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Notice that everyone that has ever lied deserves this second death!  Remember, the only way to pay for sin is death... If we try to pay for sin with our good works, then we are offering the wrong payment.

Now let us visit our Romans passage again.  Since the law can only serve as a diagnostic tool, God had to show us salvation apart from the law (good works)

Romans 3:21-25
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;   
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So, God's righteousness is given to all who believe in Christ's death and resurrection alone for salvation.  Notice that the Bible is clear not to mix faith in God with trusting your good works to merit heaven.

Galatians 2:21
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Notice this verse shows us that one cannot mix faith and works as a means to merit heaven:

Romans 11:6
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the foundational truth of the gospel is a repentance (turning away) from trusting in dead works and turning instead to God in faith.

Hebrews 6:1


... not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So we have seen a great deal of scriptures that point to the fact that works and faith cannot be combined in order to merit salvation.  But what about your passage from James 2?  If you took that verse alone or a few verses from that passage alone especially the one about faith without works is dead.... it would seem that God's word is contradicting itself.  We know that God does not contradict Himself so, either there is a different interpretation to the vast amount of scriptures that indicate that works cannot enable one to merit heaven, or these few verses from James can be explained in another way.

We already saw that James 2:10-11 clearly tells us that if anyone breaks any of the law, he is guilty of breaking all of the law.  It would seem funny then that he would tell us to just keep trying anyway... even though it is already futile.

It is very important to understand that the entire discourse of the last part of James 2 was from the perspective of one man looking at another man, not from the perspective of God looking at our hearts.

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.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I can't show you my faith!  I can only show you the EVIDENCE of my faith.  True saving faith PRODUCES works as EVIDENCE of salvation.  

2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

So, from man's perspective, Abraham DEMONSTRATED his faith by works.  He did not earn salvation by works.  It is always wise to compare scripture with scripture.  We see how Abraham obtained righteousness... faith alone.

Romans 4:1-8


What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don