Finding the Balance

"A man is not justified by the works of the Law

but through faith in Christ Jesus."

Galatians 2:16

What will a man not be justified by? "Works of the Law." What kind of works? "Of the Law!" This is important for us to note and to grasp. Why? Because, while this statement is true:

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law."

Romans 3:28

This statement is also true:

"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

James 2:24

In the passage from Romans 3:28, there is an important distinction to be made. The same distinction we made in Galatians 2:16. A man is justified by faith apart from what? "Works of the Law." What kind of works? "Of the Law!" I am curious how my Reformed brethren have missed this fact for centuries. I understand how Dispensational-based faiths have missed it, because they are lawless to begin with. After all, according to their theology, as long as you simply believe in Jesus, you can continue to live like the Devil and still make it into Heaven. Repentance, obedience, and holiness do not actually mean a thing.

While the Reformed credo of "Sola Fide" states that we are justified by faith alone, without the need for works of any kind, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that it is "not by faith alone." If they want to refine what is actually mean by "Sola Fide," then I welcome hearing it. But as it is typically defined everywhere I search for it, it is in direct contrast, and contradiction, to the Bible. And as such, I reject it.

Our only rule of faith and practice is the Word of God. We have . . .

       no creed to defend,

       no denomination to maintain, and

       no confession to bind our minds.

"What do the Scriptures teach?" That is and must be our only concern. If the plain teachings of Holy Scripture appear to destroy or contradict our understanding of any doctrine, then let us relinquish the doctrine, or acknowledge the fact that our minds are both depraved and minuscule, and bow to the revelation of God.

—Don Fortner

Now, Romans 3:28 flows into the discussion of chapter 4, wherein Paul uses Abraham as his example to prove that justification is by faith. But James also uses Abraham as his example to prove that justification is by works. Paul says, "if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God" (Rom. 4:2). But James asks, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?" (James 2:21), to which the obvious answer is, "Yes!" He continues with this telling statement: "You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected" (v. 22). Faith alone is useless, worthless, dead, and in vain. Faith and works must go hand in hand. James says that Abraham's "faith was working with his works," and that "as a result of the works, faith was perfected," or completed. In other words, faith without works is imperfect and incomplete.

Ask yourself, when Abraham offered Isaac up as a sacrifice, what kind of "work" was he committing? Was it a "work of the Law," to which Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:28 address? Of course not! The Law would not exist for another 400 years! Was it a good deed, those works that we were created for and ordained to do (Eph. 2:10)? Of course not! So what kind of "work" was it? It was a work of faith. Faith in action. Living faith.

People who claim that "everywhere in the Bible, faith is always contrasted against works of any kind" do not know their Bible! When Peter asked to walk on water, his stepping out of the boat was a work. When the woman with the issue of blood believed that touching Jesus' garment would heal her, her reaching out to touch it was a work. Both were works of faith. Faith in action. Living faith. 

Catholicism teaches that we are saved based upon our own merits. Sola Fida (and anyone who holds to it), as far as I have been taught and have found through my research, teaches that we are saved based upon our faith alone. Both are false and incorrect! Read James 2:14-26 some time. The first couple of verses are talking about good deeds, which follow after salvation. These are the "works" that we were created for and ordained to do (Eph. 2:10). But Abraham's offering Isaac as a sacrifice was by no stretch of the imagination a good deed.

While we were created for and ordained to do good deeds, they can quickly fall into the same category as "works of the Law." C. J. Mahaney defined legalism as: "seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through my obedience to God." In other words, anything that is viewed as or used for gaining some kind of favour or acceptance from God is legalism, and it will only damn you. Allow me to make myself perfectly clear: You cannot earn favour with God! Period.

Anytime you do something in order to gain acceptance from God, you are on a slippery slope. That is works-based salvation. There is nothing you can do that will put you in right standing with God. Jesus was the only person who could do anything, and He did it. We accept it by faith, and that faith is demonstrated through our actions. Repentance, obedience, and striving for "the holiness without which no one will see God" (Heb. 12:14) are a part of that faith. They may be things you do, but they are works of faith. Faith in action. Living faith.

If by the use of "Sola Fide" they are including works of faith (faith in action; living faith), then I am in full agreement with it. But, if by the use of it they mean what every site and book I have encountered describes it, as a mere mental/heart faith without action of any sort, then, I am sorry, but I disagree fully. It contradicts the Scriptures themselves, which use the precise words, "not by faith alone," but it also contradicts every instance of faith seen in the Bible.

The balance on this issue is found between the two extremes. On one hand, you have the extreme taught by Catholicism. On the other hand, you have the extreme taught by Dispensationalism. I do not advocate legalism of any kind. But I do advocate repentance, obedience, and holiness as taught in the Bible.

Facing Reality and Truth

"Pursue . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

"Nothing unclean . . . shall ever enter into [Heaven] . . ." Revelation 21:27

Dispensationalism and Charismatic churches teach the lie about "carnal Christians," as if there are two classes of Christians. There are not! You are either a Christian or you are not. You are either holy, or you are carnal and worldly. It is impossible to be both. Those who teach the lie of a "carnal Christian" should try reading their Bible closely some time and paying attention to what it actually says, because it contradicts their doctrines of demons.

Romans 8:13 says, "for if you are living according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." The flesh and the Spirit are constantly contrasted and opposed to one another. Being of the flesh is always negative, while being in the Spirit is always positive. As long as you are living in and according to the flesh, your destiny is eternity in Hell. If you submit to the Holy Spirit and conform your life to that of Christ, practicing holiness and putting sin to death, your destiny will be eternity in Heaven.

A "carnal Christian" is living according to the flesh. Ergo, these people will die and spend eternity in Hell. A "carnal Christian" is not pursuing holiness, let alone the holiness required in order to see the Lord. Ergo, they will never see the Lord. A "carnal Christian," living according to the flesh and lacking holiness, is unclean. Ergo, they will never enter Heaven.

Ergo, they were never "Christian" to begin with

Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Nothing impure or unclean will ever enter into Heaven. "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Cor. 13:5). If you are genuinely a Christian, you will pursue/strive for that holiness that will enable you to see the Lord. The Greek word means to suffer persecution "for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord"; to press forward "for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Bank on this fact: there is no such thing as a "carnal Christian." It's an oxymoron; a contradiction in terms. This is an excuse used for the sinful behaviour of false converts who have been Pope-ishly declared to be "Christian" when no transformation has ever taken place in their lives.

The Role of Prayer

In Acts 6, the elders addressed the problem of widows who were not being cared for by appointing believers to care for them so that the apostles could devote themselves "to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). Biblical churches emphasize the ministry of the Word. The centrality of preaching is never disconnected from fervent, faithful prayer. In Acts 6, prayer comes before the preaching. Prayer is the power behind ministering the Word.

Pray for God's people (the church). Pray for the people within your local church. Pray that they will receive and understand the teaching of the Word, and that the Holy Spirit will guide them as they apply it. Pray that the members of your local church (and the church in general) will deal with sin, forsake ungodliness of all forms, and grow in sanctification, Christ-likeness, and usefulness. Bring before the Lord any and all specific needs, spiritual and otherwise, of the members of God's church (local and otherwise). Pray that God's Word will have free course in your local church, that the biblical truth preached and taught will go forth unobstructed (2 Thess. 3). There is a profound and urgent hunger for in-depth Bible teaching.

True Christians pray, and want to pray more effectively.

The Consent of Fools

by Charles Spurgeon

Any kind of fad which rules the hour, draws a mad crowd after it. No matter how absurd or ridiculous the mania, the worshipers of fashion cry: "These are your gods!" Yes, Satan is marvelously well obeyed by his servants!

Yet many of you church people look around on society—to follow its customs and fashions.

You watch the general current—and then float upon it.

You study the popular breeze—and shift your sails to suit it.

You ask: "Is it fashionable?"

If it is fashionable, then you must do it.

Fashion is the law of multitudes—but it is nothing more than the common consent of fools!

To follow the fashions and customs of the times, is to be an enemy of God.

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world, becomes an enemy of God!" James 4:4

The Root and Foundation of All Theological Mistakes

by Charles Spurgeon

I believe that it is a mistake about God Himself, which has been the root and foundation of all the mistakes in theology. My conviction is that Arminian theology, to a great extent, makes God to be less than He is.

The basis and groundwork of Arminian theology lies in attaching undue importance to man—and giving God the secondary place.

I do not believe in an atonement which is admirably wide, but fatally ineffectual. I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all for whom it was intended—than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it.

Again, to think that my Savior died for those who were or are in Hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all people; and that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners themselves—conflicts with all ideas of divine justice.

Where Is Christ In Your Theological System?

by Charles Spurgeon

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself." Luke 24:27

"These are the Scriptures that testify about Me!" John 5:39

Take this Book and distill it into one word—and that one word will be JESUS! The Bible itself, is but the body of Christ, and we may look upon all its pages as the swaddling bands of the infant Savior—for if we unroll the Scripture, we come upon Jesus Christ Himself.

Where is Christ in your theological system? He Himself is . . .

     the Doctor and Doctrine,

     the Revealer and Revelation,

     the Illuminator and the Light of men.

He is exalted in every word of truth, because He is its sum and substance.

He sits above the gospel, like a prince on His own throne.

Doctrine is most precious, when we see it distilling from His lips and embodied in His person.

Sermons are only valuable, in proportion as they speak of Him and point to Him!

Free Will

Why is the idea of "free will" so important to people?

To deny the perfect freedom of the human will is to acknowledge the fallenness and incapacity of humanity. People love to hear that the human race is "basically good" and "full of potential," and that if you would simply follow your dreams faithfully, you can be or do whatever you want. We hear these lies all the time! Our minds are saturated with the elevation (worship) of human free will.

In the King James version, one of the things Paul says in Colossians 2:23 about false religion, he calls it "will worship." This captures the essence of where all false religion ultimately points—the worship of the human will, the worship of self.

The heretics Pelagius, Joseph Arminius, and Charles Finney all taught in one way or another that you do not need God for your salvation, your sanctification, or for anything else. You have the power to effect it in and of yourself. So when the Bible commands you to "repent and believe," despite it also stating that man is unable to do so, you have the power to repent and believe in and of yourself. And when the Bible commands you to "Be holy, for I am holy" and to "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," you do not need Jesus to help you because you have the power to be holy and perfect in and of yourself.

Why is the idea of "free will" so important to people? Because they do not want to admit the depravity of their own heart. Though they know the thoughts and intents that flow through their mind on a daily basis, and how wicked they know themselves to be, nevertheless they want to attempt to deny this and pretend that it does not exist. They want to believe themselves "basically good," despite their thought life convicting them otherwise. The idea of "free will" puts man in charge and does what man has always desired—to worship self.

Christians who believe in the idea of "free will" do so at the expense of the words of Jesus and the truth of God's Word. Jesus Himself made it clear that "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44), and that "no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father" (John 6:65). Romans 6 makes it clear that man's will is slave to sin and the devil. John 3 makes it clear that you need to be born again from above, which eliminates any participation on man's part in being regenerated and born again spiritually. Not only that, but John 1:12-13 also makes it clear that you do not become a child of God by (1) natural descent, (2) human decision [i.e., the human will], or (3) human declaration. Likewise, Romans 9:16 makes it clear that it does not depend on (1) man's will, or (2) man's efforts. Romans 9:19-23 ought to be a sobering realization to anyone who truly loves God.

Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus is the author (initiator) and finisher (perfecter) of our faith. Philippians 1:6 states that what God begins in us He will finish by bringing to completion. There are literally dozens upon dozens of passages in Scripture that the Arminianist (the Christian who advocates the idea of "free will") must ignore and/or discard in order to argue for the concept of "free will." Why do they do this? Because they want man to be at the helm; they want man to be in charge. When you begin to accept the truth that all humanity deserves to spend eternity in Hell, and that without the grace of God choosing to save you for no other reason than God's glory, then you will worship God like you have never done so before. There was nothing in you that merited salvation. You did not deserve it. It was God's goodness, grace, and pleasure that chose to save you for no other reason than God's glory. Apart from Jesus, you are nothing!

"By grace you have been saved" (Eph. 2:5, 8), "not of yourselves" (v.8).

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ADDENDUM:

It actually exists!!! Here is a set of highlighters. Do you notice the black one on the right? That's called a (hide)lighter. It covers up text, though still remaining legible. After copying the page, it becomes illegible. This is the Arminian's tool of trade for reading and studying the Bible. In fact, it is the tool of trade for every denomination and every Christian who does not strictly adhere to the Word of God as their sole and final authority on all matters pertaining to doctrine, congregational practice, family life, and personal holiness. If it disagrees with their theology, they just (hide)light it. *POOF!* No more pesky verses that contradict their position.

Choice Quotes from Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The tragedy of sin, is that it affects man in his highest faculties.

Sin causes us to become fools, and behave in an irrational manner.

Modern man, far from being ruled by reason, is ruled by lust and passion.

The man who refuses to face the fact of his own death, is a fool!

The more Christian a person is, the simpler will that person's life be.

I'd rather hobble into Heaven, than walk into Hell!

God is nowhere more hidden, than in most churches!

Some tend to think that Christianity is a matter of being nice.

But niceness is purely biological. One dog is nicer than another dog!

We must never parade ourselves!

Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian.

When a man truly sees himself, he knows that nobody can say anything about him that is too bad.

The trouble with man is not intellectual—but moral.

If you claim to love Christ and yet are living an unholy life, there is only one thing to say about you: You are a bare-faced liar!

To divorce forgiveness of sins from the actual living of the Christian life, is nothing but rank heresy!

Christians are generally at their best, when they are in the furnace of affliction and being persecuted and tried.

If you are not holy, you are not a Christian.

There are no shortcuts in the Christian life—no simple remedies.

Nothing we do in the Christian life, is harder than prayer.

The state of the world today, is nothing but an appalling monument to human failure.

Intellectual pride is the last citadel of self.

We have come to realize that a man can be educated and cultured, and still be a beast!

The biggest hoax in the world for the last 150 years, has been the theory of evolution!

The natural man is always looking at himself and admiring himself.

I would rather make bricks without straw—than try to live the Sermon on the Mount in my own strength.

No difficulty in believing the gospel is intellectual—it is always moral.

The whole trouble in life, is ultimately a concern about self.

A man is not a Christian unless he can say with Paul, "I am what I am by the grace of God!"

Many who go to the psychiatrist are like the woman in the Gospels—they are nothing bettered, but rather grow worse!

There is little difference between a fashion parade, and a dog show!

By definition, a Christian should be an enigma to every person who is not a Christian.

The first sign of spiritual life, is to feel that you are dead!

Painted Pageantry To Go To Hell In!

by Charles Spurgeon

"You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Many people think that, when we preach salvation, we mean salvation from going to Hell. We do mean that, but we mean a great deal more.

We preach salvation from sin. We say that Christ is able to save a man; and we mean by that, that He is able to save him from sin and to make him holy—to make him into a new man.

No person has any right to say, "I am saved," while he continues in sin as he did before. How can you be saved from sin, while you are living in it?

You will always know whether you are delivered from the guilt and condemnation of sin, by answering this question: "Am I delivered from the love of sin?"

It is faith that saves us—not works. But that faith which saves us, always produces works.

Does the world satisfy you? Then you have your reward and portion in this life. Make much of it, for you shall know no other joy!

If your religion does not make you holy, it will damn you! It is simply painted pageantry to go to Hell in!

If you have lived like the wicked, then you will die like the wicked, and be damned like the wicked!

Your Best Life Now

Many Christians disagree with the "Your Best Life Now" and the "Health, Wealth, and Prosperity" theology—or at least they say they do, but they sure do not live like it.

If you know anything about humans, human behaviour, and the human mind, if you pay attention to any of it in the least, you know precisely how mankind operates. For example: As soon as a preacher says that it is not wrong to have money or to own possessions, which is true, what is the first thing people start to do? Accumulate (or try to accumulate) these things for themselves. They are self-seeking, trying to enhance their fleeting vapour-of-a-life in this world even though it is not their home, they are just passing through, and they cannot take it with them when they die.

What was it that Acts 2:45 and 4:32 had to say? There are countless dozens of other passages I could pull out here, but the rebellious and disobedient will only push them to the side or try to weasel out of them by some way or another. Some of the happiest and most fulfilled people on the planet are those who have very little to their name. Do you believe the Bible? Do you obey it? Or do you secretly believe, and clearly live out, "Your Best Life Now" and the "Health, Wealth, and Prosperity" theology by your daily actions?

For these individuals, the words of Christ have fallen upon deaf ears.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21