Many have come to the notion that
that faith alone can save man. "One has
only to believe in the Son of God to gain
eternal life. They cite the verse John
3:16 to support their contention:
For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. (NKJV)
Many people are easily swayed by what appears to
be a convenient formula of salvation. But, does
the Bible sanction such belief? Can faith alone
save man?
01F.1
How did Apostle James emphasize that a man must
do something in relation to faith?
In James
2:14, Apostle James admonish the early
Christians, this is written:
What does
it profit, my brethren, if someone says
he has faith but does not have works?
Can faith save him? (NKJV)
Apostle
James is showing
the believers, how useless their faith would
be if not coupled with works.
01F.2
How did Apostle James show the insufficiency of
faith without works?
In James
2:17, he further stated, thus:
Thus also faith by itself, if
it does not have works, is dead. (NKJV)
Again in
verse 20, again, he says:
Fool!
Would you not like to know that faith
without deeds is useless? (NKJV)
The verses
simply says: "Faith alone" is not sufficient for
salvation.
Faith without works or deeds is dead or
useless.
01F.3
What is needed to make a perfect kind of faith?
In James
2:22, Apostle James made his point clear:
Do you see that faith was
working together with his works, and by
works faith was made perfect? (NKJV)
Faith must be
accompanied by works to make it perfect.
Surely, no one would want to have faith
classified as dead.
01F.4
What should a man do to make his faith perfect
for salvation?
In Matthew
7:21, the Lord Jesus Himself said:
"Not everyone who says to
Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven. (NKJV)
Man must do
the will of God, so he can be saved and thus
enter the kingdom of heaven.
01F5
What is God's will that should be fulfilled by
men so as to enter the kingdom of heaven?
In Ephesians
1:9-10, Apostle Paul made it clear:
having made known to us
the mystery of His will, according to
His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself, that in the dispensation of
the fullness of the times He might
gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and
which are on earth in Him, (NKJV)
It is God's
will and purpose that all be gathered
together or be united in Christ.
Man must
follow the will of God if he is wants to be
saved.
___________________
"Faith alone is not sufficient for salvation"
Hence , Faith must be accompanied by works to make it perfect.
And that is to follow the will of God that all
be gathered together in Christ.
Supplementary Topics:
Topics 28A to 28H - God's master plan for salvation
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