Preacher Deception Faith Alone And No Works?

[TitusTwoWife]

I won't be debating anyone about this video but I thought I'd share it anyway simply because I love the ministry.

 

[David]

I won't be debating anyone about this video but I thought I'd share it anyway simply because I love the ministry.

There is a real warning in this video, but the warning needs to be aimed where Scripture aims it.

Yes, false conversion is real. A man can say “I believe,” talk about grace, claim faith, and still be dead in sin. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” ~Matthew 7:21. Mere words do not save. A profession with no new life is not saving faith. It is an empty mouth talking over an unchanged heart.

James is not attacking true faith. He is exposing fake faith. He says, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” ~James 2:14. Notice the issue: “though a man say.” James is dealing with a man who claims faith but has no evidence of life. “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” ~James 2:17.

Dead faith does not lose salvation. Dead faith never had life.

So yes, if a person claims Christ but has no repentance, no hatred of sin, no desire to obey Christ, no love for the brethren, and no fruit of the Spirit, Scripture gives that person no comfort. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him” ~Titus 1:16. That is not weak Christianity. That is a false profession.

But this video goes wrong when it starts speaking as though works become part of the basis of our justification before God. That is where the gospel gets muddied.

Works prove living faith. Works do not justify the ungodly before God.

Paul says, “to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” ~Romans 4:5. That is plain. God justifies the ungodly by faith, not by works. Titus says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” ~Titus 3:5.

So obedience follows salvation. It does not become the ground of salvation.

The video says Abraham was not justified by works initially, but was justified by works afterward, and then applies that to us. That is dangerous language. James is not teaching that works finish what faith began. James is showing that Abraham’s works proved his faith was real. “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” ~James 2:22. His obedience revealed living faith. It did not become the blood of Christ. It did not replace grace. It did not complete the finished work of the Savior.

Christ said, “It is finished” ~John 19:30. Hebrews says, “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” ~Hebrews 10:12. If Christ’s sacrifice for sins is finished, then stop talking as though man’s obedience completes his justification.

The video also says “everybody was justified.” No. Scripture does not teach that every person is savingly justified. Jesus said, “he that believeth not is condemned already” ~John 3:18. Romans says the righteousness of God is “unto all and upon all them that believe” ~Romans 3:22. Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient, but justification is not applied to unbelievers apart from faith.

This is what scripture actually says, without men's opinions changing the meaning. To the man hiding behind “faith alone” while living in sin: your faith is dead. You have not found grace. You have exposed a false profession.

To the man making works part of the ground of justification: you are not protecting holiness. You are confusing the gospel.

Both errors are deadly. One turns grace into empty talk. The other turns obedience into a false foundation.

The Bible does not teach push-button salvation, where a sinner mouths words and remains dead in sin. But the Bible also does not teach works-based justification. True faith rests in Christ alone and produces obedience. False faith talks about Christ while remaining barren.

Christ saves. Faith receives. Works follow.

If works never follow, the faith was dead. But if works are made the basis of justification, Christ’s finished work is being dishonored.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” ~Romans 5:1.

 

[Yesua888]

Dead faith does not lose salvation. Dead faith never had life.

Works prove living faith. Works do not justify the ungodly before God.

"Works do not justify the ungodly before God" ...

This hits hard (for me that is) because I know of a particular man who claims to be athiest (who says 'I do not believe in God' and often quotes what the church and catholic priests do in the house of God). I can see his qualities and "good works" that imho exceed many "christian values" ... however, that alone will not save them!

Sobering fact ...

 

[TitusTwoWife]

The other turns obedience into a false foundation

I believe obedience is essential to faith. I don't see 'faith alone' in the Bible except as a negative in James. "Faith without works is dead. "

I believe faith alone was Martin Luther's mistake in trying to correct the Catholic Church.
Many Scriptures say we are to add to our faith virtue and other things. I really don't think faith alone is biblical.

 

[bobinfaith]

I believe obedience is essential to faith. I don't see 'faith alone' in the Bible except as a negative in James. "Faith without works is dead. "

I believe faith alone was Martin Luther's mistake in trying to correct the Catholic Church.
Many Scriptures say we are to add to our faith virtue and other things. I really don't think faith alone is biblical.

Good morning, TitusTwoWife;

Martin Luther was a man of God, priest in the Catholic Church until he refuted the teachings of the Catholic Church and Pope Leo X. His work, the Ninety Five Theses eventually got Luther excommunicated.

I'm sure it was very emotional and intense for Luther especially the climax of serving as priest and getting kicked out of the Catholic Church. But by his "faith" God led him to author the Protestant Reformation movement in 1529. This broke many believers to break away from many of Catholicism doctrines which were highly dogmatic.

You are correct that faith alone isn't the most important aspect but it is vital and intermixed with love, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation amongst other important attributes in our relationship with God.

Our faith, despite our sufferings pleases God, because we believe that he exists and He answers those who earnestly seek him.

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

Hebrews 11:6, 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. - RSV

God bless you, TitusTwoWife.

Bob

 

[David]

I believe obedience is essential to faith. I don't see 'faith alone' in the Bible except as a negative in James. "Faith without works is dead. "

I believe faith alone was Martin Luther's mistake in trying to correct the Catholic Church.
Many Scriptures say we are to add to our faith virtue and other things. I really don't think faith alone is biblical.

The Bible settles this directly. Justification before God is by faith alone, apart from works or anything we add. That's not Luther's invention—it's Paul's clear teaching repeated across his letters.

~Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." ~Romans 4:5 adds, "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." The ungodly are declared right with God by believing, not by first adding obedience, virtue, or anything else. ~Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it plain: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Salvation is a gift received by faith. Works cannot be part of the root.

James 2 does not contradict this. James says "faith without works is dead" and "faith apart from works is useless" because he's exposing fake faith that claims belief but produces nothing. Real faith is alive and shows itself. But James uses the same Abraham example Paul does. Abraham was counted righteous when he believed God's promise (~Genesis 15:6), years before he offered Isaac (~Genesis 22). The later obedience proved his faith was genuine—it didn't justify him. Paul and James agree: faith alone justifies; true faith works. They answer different questions. Confusing them turns the gospel into something Scripture never says.

The "add to your faith" passage is ~2 Peter 1:5-7: "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control..." Peter tells believers who already have faith to grow in these qualities. He is not saying add them to become justified or to complete salvation. The foundation is already there: "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us" (~2 Peter 1:3). Growth flows from faith; it doesn't earn what faith already received.

Scripture never says obedience or added virtues are essential to justification. It says the opposite. ~Galatians 2:21: "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." ~Galatians 3:3 asks, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Paul fought this exact error in the early churches—people wanting to add law-keeping or works to faith. He called it another gospel (~Galatians 1:6-9).

Obedience is essential for the Christian life, but not as the foundation of salvation. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (~John 14:15). Love flows from being saved, not to get saved. ~Romans 6 shows believers have died to sin and now walk in newness of life because they are united to Christ by faith. The New Testament calls us to obey as those already redeemed, not as those trying to earn redemption.

The Bible is silent on "faith alone" being a mistake or unbiblical. It teaches it plainly in the passages above and many others (~Romans 5:1, ~Titus 3:5, ~Acts 13:39). Adding anything to faith as the ground of justification changes the gospel into works-righteousness, which Scripture rejects. True faith trusts Christ alone for righteousness and then produces fruit. That is what the whole New Testament presents.

 

[TitusTwoWife]

~Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." ~Romans 4:5 adds, "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." The ungodly are declared right with God by believing, not by first adding obedience, virtue, or anything else. ~Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it plain: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Salvation is a gift received by faith. Works cannot be part of the root.

"
One of the biggest mistakes that Christians make is not doing good works. We are saved by grace through faith, and that is a gift that is given to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. However, we are also created in Christ to do good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV

Saved people do “not” do good works in order to get saved, but saved people are saved to do good works. In other words, if we are saved, there are good works that God has prepared for us to do."

---alan ballou

I am tempted to do a whole discourse on why faith alone isn't biblical but it goes against my convictions of being feminine, meek, and quiet. I think if Scriptures presented in the OP video don't convince someone that faith alone won't cut it, my arguments won't either.

 

[David]

"
One of the biggest mistakes that Christians make is not doing good works. We are saved by grace through faith, and that is a gift that is given to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. However, we are also created in Christ to do good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV

Saved people do “not” do good works in order to get saved, but saved people are saved to do good works. In other words, if we are saved, there are good works that God has prepared for us to do."

---alan ballou

I am tempted to do a whole discourse on why faith alone isn't biblical but it goes against my convictions to be feminine, meek, and quiet.

I agree with this part completely. Saved people are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. That is exactly what ~Ephesians 2:10 says.

I have never believed that a person can truly be saved, born again, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and then have no fruit, no obedience, no good works, and no change. That is not biblical faith. That is empty profession.

The issue is not whether saved people do good works. They do. The issue is whether those good works are the root of salvation or the fruit of salvation. Scripture puts them after salvation, not before it.

~Ephesians 2:8-10 gives the order clearly: saved by grace through faith, not of works, then created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Works do not save us, but saved people walk in the works God prepared for them.

Jesus said, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” ~Matthew 7:19. He also said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” ~Matthew 7:20. Fruit does not make the tree alive. Fruit shows the tree is alive.

James said, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” ~James 2:17. I agree with that fully. A person who only mouths the words but has no living faith is not saved. They have a claim, not conversion.

But we also need to say the other side clearly. There are people who do religious works and think those works will save them, but Jesus says they will still be lost. In ~Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus said, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?... and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” They had works. They had religious activity. They even claimed to do it in His name. But they did not belong to Christ.

That is the danger of making works the foundation. Works can never replace knowing Christ by faith.

Paul also warned about Israel having zeal for God but not according to truth, saying they were “going about to establish their own righteousness” instead of submitting to “the righteousness of God” ~Romans 10:3. That is what happens when people trust their obedience, morality, religion, or good works as the basis of being right with God.

So yes, if a person has no good works, no obedience, no fruit, and no evidence of spiritual life, I do not believe Scripture gives us reason to say they are saved. They may have said the words, but they never truly believed from the heart.

But good works can also be done by people who are not saved and are trusting those works instead of Christ. That is why the line has to stay clear. Christ alone saves. Faith receives Him. Good works follow because the person has truly been made alive.

Your desire to give a "whole discourse" against faith alone would be defending a false teaching. The Bible never teaches that faith alone is unbiblical or Luther's mistake. It teaches the opposite, plainly and repeatedly. ~Romans 4:5 calls God the one "who justifies the ungodly" by faith, before any works.