Faith: Dead or Alive? - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Faith: Dead or Alive?Slide2

Q: Can faith alone (without works) save?

A: No! Faith alone cannot save!Sola Fide!

Faith: Dead or Alive?Slide3

Martin Luther

“In comparison with these [Paul’s and Peter’s letters] the epistle of James is an epistle full of straw....

”

“[It] contradicts Paul by teaching justification by works.”

Faith: Dead or Alive?Slide4

Romans 3:28

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works

of the Law.

James 2:24

You see that a man is

justified by works

and not by faith alone.

Paul v. James?

Romans

4:5

But to the one who

does not work

, but

believes

in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…

.Slide5

Roman Catholic

Works required to merit

eternal life

Reformed/CalvinistWorks required to prove

eternal

life

We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is not alone

4

ways to reconcile James & PaulSlide6

Roman Catholic

Works required to merit

eternal life

Reformed/CalvinistWorks required to prove

eternal life

Arminian

Works required to

keep

eternal life

4

ways to reconcile James & PaulSlide7

“If

any one saith… by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema

.”

Council of Trent, Canon 14

Roman CatholicSlide8

“...our Church teaches we can end up ‘losing’ the salvation God has begun in us, and the consequence of this in the age to come is our eternal destruction in Hell.”

UMC.org

ArminianSlide9

“Put your faith in Him. Accept the incredible gift of the cross, where Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserve and gives to us the life, healing, and redemption that come only through grace

.”Francis Chan, Erasing Hell

Reformed/CalvinisticSlide10

“Put simply, failing to help the poor could damn you to hell

.” Francis Chan, Erasing Hell

Reformed/CalvinisticSlide11

Roman Catholic

Works required to merit

eternal life

Reformed/CalvinistWorks required to prove

eternal life

Arminian

Works required to

keep

eternal life

Free Grace

Works required for the

justified

to become

sanctified

4

ways to reconcile James & PaulSlide12

What is the meaning of “faith”?

Faith is content

Faith is an

eventFaith is a

process

Faith

alone cannot

save

Acts

16:31

“

Believe in the Lord Jesus,

and

you will be

saved....”Slide13

What is the meaning of “faith”?

What is the meaning of “save”?Past – I have been delivered

Future – I will be delivered

Present – I am being deliveredFaith

alone cannot

saveSlide14

Salvation in James

James 5:15

...the

prayer offered in faith will

restore [lit. “save”]

the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him

up....

James

5:20

...he

who turns a sinner from the error of his way will

save his soul from death

and will cover a multitude of sins. Slide15

Proverbs 16:17-18

The

highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

he

who watches his way preserves his life

.

Proverbs

19:16

He

who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die

.

Also

see

Genesis 32:30; 1 Samuel 19:11; Proverbs 13:3;

Ezekiel 18:26-

27

Salvation in JamesSlide16

James 2:12-13

James 3:1

Judgment in JamesSlide17

James 2:12-13

James 2:14-26

James 3:1

Judgment in JamesSlide18

Faith

alone (immature, without works) cannot save you from a useless life and a

merciless judgment

Mature faith (expressed through good works) is necessary for salvation from a useless life and a merciless judgment

.

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life

and a merciless judgment

for the eternally secure Christian.

The argument of James 2:14-26Slide19

Five statements

of the argumentFaith separated from works...

2:14 – can’t save

2:17 – is dead2:20 – is useless

2:24 – can’t justify

2:26 – is dead

Five illustrations

of the argument

One argument, 5 illustrationsSlide20

Faith

and works are inseparable for salvation from a useless life and a merciless judgment

for the eternally secure Christian

.“dead” ≠ non-existent“dead” = useless, of no benefit

Illustration #1: a believer in need (2:14-17) Slide21

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life and a merciless judgment for the eternally secure Christian

.

Diatribe (Rom. 9; 1 Cor 15)

Punctuation was not inspired

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide22

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide23

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool

18

But

someone

may well say, “

You

have

faith and I

have

works

.” (NIV ends here

) Slide24

18

But

someone

may well say, “

You

have

faith and

I

have works.

Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (NAS ends

here

)

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide25

18

But

someone may

well say, “

You

have

faith and

I

have works.

Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works

. 19 You

believe that God is one. You do

well;

the demons also believe, and

shudder.”

(BGFST ends

here)

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide26

18

But

someone

may

well say, “

You

have

faith and

I

have works.

Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works

. 19 You

believe that God is one. You do

well;

the demons also believe, and

shudder.”

20 But are you willing to recognize,

you

foolish fellow

, that faith without works is useless?

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide27

18

But

someone (an objector) may

well say, “

You

have

faith (

only, without works

) and

I

have (

faith and

) works.

Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my

works (

faith can be demonstrated with or without works. I will illustrate to prove my point

).

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide28

19 You (

James

)

believe that God is

one (

you are orthodox

).

You do

well (

you do good works

;

James 2:8; Mt. 5:44; 12:12; Luke 6:27; Acts 10:

33);

the demons also believe, and

shudder (

they do no good works. So you see that faith and works can be separated

).”

20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide29

19 You (

James

)

believe that God is

one (

you are orthodox

).

You do

well (

you do good works

;

James 2:8; Mt. 5:44; 12:12; Luke 6:27; Acts 10:

33);

the demons also believe, and

shudder

(

they do no good works. So you see that faith and works can be separated

).”

20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Illustration #2 (2:18-20) : an argumentative fool Slide30

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life and a merciless judgment for the eternally secure Christian

.

Abraham’s chronologyFaith “perfected”

“Friend of God”

“Justified”

#1 – declared righteous by faith alone

#2 – declared righteous by faith AND works

Illustration #3 (2:21-24): Abraham, friend of God Slide31

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life and a merciless judgment for the eternally secure Christian

.

Rahab “saved” her familyRahab

earned a good reputation

Illustration #4 (2:25):

Rahab

, the harlot Slide32

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life and a merciless judgment for the eternally secure Christian

.

the body = faiththe spirit = works

Illustration #5 (2:26): a dead body Slide33

Faith and works are inseparable for salvation from a

useless life and a merciless judgment for the eternally secure Christian

.

We have perfect assuranceWe have great responsibility

ApplicationSlide34

Fireside Room

@briangfisher

Q/A after 11am serviceSlide35

Faith: Dead or Alive?