What do you think about saving faith in Jesus?
by Travis Moody
Part 3
Some people say that because this verse says, "He who does not believe will be condemned," disbelief is the only
basis of condemnation. These same people also conclude that if condemnation was the result of not being baptized,
the Lord would have said, "he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned. The reason that the Lord
does not say, "but he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned," is because Jesus says in John 3:18,
"he who does not believe is condemned already..." So, one who does not believe is already condemned. The Lord
does not have to say, "and is not baptized."
This verse can be paralleled to the statement, "He who eats and is filled shall be satisfied, but he who does not eat
shall be hungry." It does not have to be said, "He who does not eat and is not filled shall be hungry, " because if a man
does not eat, he will never be filled. Also, let's look at Galatians 3:26 it says, "For you are all sons of God through faith
in Christ Jesus." Yes, I accept this passage. We are sons of God through faith in Jesus.
But let's look at the next verse (27). It says, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
The Greek work "For" in verse 27 is yap gar gar: A primary particle which means: "to introduce the reason." So the
bible says that we are sons of God by faith, but why? Verse 27 introduces the reason why they are sons of God by
faith, and it says that it is because they had been baptized into Christ. So, this verse does not teach faith only! It
teaches that in order to be a son of God, one must be baptize into Christ, and through doing that one becomes child of
God. I also realize that one who teaches the false doctrine of faith only is likely to go to Ephesians chapter 2 and say
that works are condemned. We shall address this issue now.
First of all, scripture cannot contradict scripture. So, if we assume the understanding that Ephesians 2 condemns
works and that James commands works, then there is a contradiction. Luckily for us, there is a clear answer: Ephesians
2 does not condemn works; it, on the contrary, proves the necessity of works!
When Ephesians 2 says that we are not saved by works, it is referring to the works of man! The works that James
talks about that save, are works of God, not man. This is what Paul is saying in Ephesians 2:8-9,"For by grace you have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." The
Ephesians were saved through faith. What kind of faith? Was it living or dead? A dead faith cannot save. So if the
scriptures say that the Ephesians were saved through faith, then we know that it must have been living! If they were
saved by grace through a 'living' faith, then they must have had works according to James 2:17. But what works did
they have?
Look at Eph. 1:1,3,7,11. All of these verses say that the Ephesians where 'in Christ'. So, before Paul tells them
that they were saved by grace through faith in chapter 2, we learn that they were already in Christ back in chapter 1.
They were already in Christ because of something they had one in the past. But what was it that they had already done
to be in Christ? How does a person get into Christ? Galatians 3:27 says, "For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ have put on Christ." So, a person is baptized into Christ-that is how one gets into Christ. Therefore, that is how
the Ephesians must have done it. So, in Ephesians 2, when Paul tells them that they had been saved by grace through
faith, it was because they had been baptized into Christ just like the Galatians in Chapter 3. THus, proving that a saving
faith is only saving when it is accompanied with works - just like Abraham in James 2:22, "Do you see that faith was
working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?"
You may be wondering then: what works is Ephesians 2:9 referring to when the word of God says, "not of works."?
Paul said in verse 8,"... not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." The point Paul was making was that the Ephesians were
saved by grace through faith, a faith that included work; but those works were not works that they had come up with-
"not of yourselves". Then in verse 9, Paul says again that it was not of works of man or works that they had come up
with, because if they were works of man, then man would have room to boast. So, verse nine says that the works that
saved them were not of man. Then where were they from?
Paul tell us where the saving works came from in the very next verse(vs 10), "For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So, the saving works are
said to NOT have come from men in verse nine, and in verse ten, Paul tell us where they DID come from. It says that
they were prepared by GOD, not man, beforehand that we should walk in them. You may be wondering about the
phrase 'created in Christ Jesus'. You may be saying, "I thought the only way into Christ was through baptism?. The
answer, is in the phrase "created in Christ Jesus for good works".
The word "for" in the Greek is epi, which here means "(because) of". So, Paul says here that the Ephesians were
"in Christ" because of good works that God had come up with. Even here, the Bible truth of salvation by faith plus works
is upheld and sustained.
James 2:22 says, " Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" The word
"perfect" in the Greek is teleioo which means "to complete, that is, (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in
character): consecrate, finish, fulfil, (make) perfect." So faith is only made "complete" (perfect) when it as accompanied
by works commanded by God.
Therefore, if a man teaches salvation by faith only and without works, then, essentially, that man is teaching
salvation by a faith that is not only dead, but also incomplete. He also teaches a doctrine that is contrary to the will of
God.