Faith Alone - Yes - Almost
A few days ago televangelist Jim Bakker and Lance Wallnau tried to argue that Trump is a Christian simply because so many pastors have led him in the Sinner's Prayer. Wallnau says, "I'm sure one of 'em stuck." However, this is a misnomer as the Bible knows of no “sinner’s prayer.” Scripture speaks only of the call of Jesus to trust in him and to follow him and to do so requires repentance. This means changing how we live, reorienting our lives to God. The fruit of repentance can be observed. As Jesus said, "By their fruit you will recognise them."
At the time of the reformation Martin Luther rightly emphasized salvation by faith alone. However, because of the corruption he saw in the church he struggled with the book of James. He referred to it as an epistle of straw. With the church’s abuse of indulgences I can see why he struggled as James clearly articulates, “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (2:24). Ouch!
One of the great debates in the church has been the relationship between justification and sanctification. I’m not going to get into that here other than to say they both matter and are connected.
As a Christian in the reformed tradition of the church I wholeheartedly accept Paul’s statement in Ephesians that, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast” (2:8,9). No question about it, we don’t earn our salvation, such a thought is anathema to my tradition. However the very next verse reads, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (2:10)
Good works are still an essential part of being a Christian. You can’t be a Christian without following the way of Christ. Without doing the things Christ would have us do.
Christians, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
Please remember that, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).
I mean, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:18-19).
Can I be clear, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).
Come on now, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13).
Jesus is wondering, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Because, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21)
Finally, Jesus explains with a parable, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’” (Matt. 25:34-36)
Surely Paul gets it? Well maybe he heard what Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). So now he can tell the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). And the Philippians, “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (Phil. 3:17). And the Thessalonians, “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example” (2 Thess. 3:7). As he reminds the Galatians, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6)
Having said that he then writes to Timothy and reminds him, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). And then he writes to Titus and tells him, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good” (Titus 2:7)
I suppose I could go on with Peter’s call to Christians to, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).
So let’s get on with showing the world we are Christians by living the way of Jesus in the world.
