How to refute the Idea that we are saved by faith alone?

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Wanttobechaste

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I am debating with an Anglican (he says that he has fundamentalist beliefs too), and I am having a tough time convincing him that we are not saved by faith alone, but that we are saved by grace, faith, and works. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone please give me some help?
 
my favorite passage is matthew 25 31-46

there’s lots others but that my fav
 
You can refute it through the bible:

From Scripture supporting that good works as well as faith is required for our entry into heaven is the following.

St Paul wrote:

“So, my dear friends, you have always been obedient; your obedience must not be limited to times when I am present. Now that I am absent it must be more in evidence, so work out your salvation in fear and trembling.” Philippians 2: 12

St James wrote:

"Take the case, my brothers of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of llife, then what good is that?: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.
This is the way to talk to people of that kind: 'You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds–now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.

You believe in one God–that is creditable enough, but the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Do realise, you senseless man, that faith without works is useless. You surely know that Abraham our Father was justified by his deed, because he offered Isaac on the altar? There you see it; faith and good deeds were working together; his faith became perfect by what he did. This is what scripture really means when it says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this was counted as making him justified; and that is why he was called the friend of God. You see now that it is by doing something good, and not only by believing, that a man is justified." [James 2: 14-24]

Jesus also demonstrated that good deeds are necessary:

“It is not those who call me ‘Lord, Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my father in heaven.” [Matthew 7:21]

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.” [Luke 6:45-49]

St Paul wrote:

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” [Galations 6:7-9]
 
Trishie said:
You can refute it through the bible:

From Scripture supporting that good works as well as faith is required for our entry into heaven is the following.

St James wrote

"Take the case, my brothers of someone who has never done a single good act but claims that he has faith. Will that faith save him? If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of llife, then what good is that?: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.
This is the way to talk to people of that kind: 'You say you have faith and I have good deeds; I will prove to you that I have faith by showing you my good deeds–now you prove to me that you have faith without any good deeds to show.

You believe in one God–that is creditable enough, but the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Do realise, you senseless man, that faith without works is useless. You surely know that Abraham our Father was justified by his deed, because he offered Isaac on the altar? There you see it; faith and good deeds were working together; his faith became perfect by what he did. This is what scripture really means when it says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this was counted as making him justified; and that is why he was called the friend of God. You see now that it is by doing something good, and not only by believing, that a man is justified." [James 2: 14-24]

I have shown him this passage but he either ignores it or misinterprets it. He will say that it means that we are saved by faith but that if we have faith we will do good works but that those works don’t actually save us. I don’t know how to respond to that.

“It is not those who call me ‘Lord, Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my father in heaven.” [Matthew 7:21]

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.” [Luke 6:45-49]

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” [Galations 6:7-9]
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Thanks, I will show him those passages.👍
 
theblindlead said:
my favorite passage is Matthew 25 31-46
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Absolutely, in fact that is the strongest biblical argument for faith and good works.

Jesus uses the criteria of acts of practical kindness in the judgement of souls.
 
Wanttobechaste said:
I am debating with an Anglican (he says that he has fundamentalist beliefs too), and I am having a tough time convincing him that we are not saved by faith alone, but that we are saved by grace, faith, and works. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone please give me some help?
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From James 1 too:

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 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.

jloughnan.tripod.com/thinksav.htm

The “Justified-by-Faith-Only” Theory

We have all met the good and sincere religious enthusiast who is ready to inform everyone willing to listen that he is “only a sinner saved by grace.” He is a believer in “justification by faith alone.” Given the opportunity, he would probably go on to say that he believes in “full, free and present salvation;” full salvation, because Christ has done all on his behalf; free salvation, because he need not, and in fact cannot do anything of himself towards it; present salvation, because he is already saved.

True, he is still a “sinner”; nothing can alter that. But provided he has faith in the sense of trust in Christ, he is in God’s grace; not that there is any reality called grace within his soul - in that sense he is a “graceless” being still - but because God looks upon him with “favour” where before he had been the object of God’s “disfavour.” The change is solely in God’s disposition towards him because he has complied with the condition: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Acts 16:31.

BASIC PROTESTANT THEORY
 
theblindlead said:
my favorite passage is matthew 25 31-46

there’s lots others but that my fav
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Which righteousness entitles us to enter heaven? In Matthew 25:31-46 the sheep are welcomed into heaven while the goats are sent to hell Verse 46 boldly says that the righteous will go to eternal life. Are they declared righteous or made righteous (hence are righteous)? Verses 35 and 36 tell us that they did righteous acts, i.e. they did not use Christ’ righteousness to cover their unrighteousness or to make their unrighteous things appear righteous (before God). 1 John 3:8 defines righteousness as “He who does right is righteous, as he [Christ] is righteous”. Certainly to believe in Christ is one act that leads to righteousness – but it is not the only one. The phrase “He who does right” implies our cooperation. The goats are condemned to hell because they did not do righteous acts or they are not unrighteous (1 Corinthians 6:9). They are not declared unrighteous but they are indeed unrighteous…vivacatholic.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/infused-righteousness-versus-imputed-righteousness-which-one-entitles-us-to-enter-heaven/
 
Wanttobechaste said:
I am debating with an Anglican (he says that he has fundamentalist beliefs too), and I am having a tough time convincing him that we are not saved by faith alone, but that we are saved by grace, faith, and works. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone please give me some help?
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There is only ONE time in the entire bible where the words “Faith” and “Alone” associate. Here:

“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by** faith alone**.”
James 2:24
 
Matthew 21:28-32
But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son,
go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father ? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
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So saying ‘I believe’ and then walking away without any change in your life is like the second son. But ignoring Christ and doing everything he calls us to do, is a road to salvation.
 
Wanttobechaste said:
I am debating with an Anglican (he says that he has fundamentalist beliefs too), and I am having a tough time convincing him that we are not saved by faith alone, but that we are saved by grace, faith, and works. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone please give me some help?
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Faith is doing something, or an acttion on our part. therefore, even if we perform an ACT of faith, we are doing a work. Or we can’t be saved by doing nothing. And if we are doing an act of faith, then we are the ones doing it, and it therefore is a work on our part. So it is a contradiction in itself so say we don’t need work but faith only.

Just a thought, or a work.
 
fred_conty said:
Faith is doing something, or an acttion on our part. therefore, even if we perform an ACT of faith, we are doing a work. Or we can’t be saved by doing nothing. And if we are doing an act of faith, then we are the ones doing it, and it therefore is a work on our part. So it is a contradiction in itself so say we don’t need work but faith only.

Just a thought, or a work.
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Thanks! I’ll bring that up and see what he says.
 
Evan said:
So saying ‘I believe’ and then walking away without any change in your life is like the second son. But ignoring Christ and doing everything he calls us to do, is a road to salvation.
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I don’t think ignoring him is a road to salvation, even if we do everything he wants us to. The other son repented for ignoring Him.
 
Wanttobechaste said:
I am debating with an Anglican (he says that he has fundamentalist beliefs too), and I am having a tough time convincing him that we are not saved by faith alone, but that we are saved by grace, faith, and works. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone please give me some help?
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Man’s innate bankruptcy is profound.

Therefore, God MUST BE the first actor in the salvation process. If God waited for us to ask for grace before he gave it, He would wait forever.

God acts upon man by grace.

That grace comprising the initial act of God asks for … what?

Love.

Is that love somehow essentially distinct from good works?

To the core, that love is good-works-ready, from the very first moment of that love’s existence.

If it is not good-works-ready to the core, it is not love.

Is there a distinction between a decision to get off one’s tail to do a good work when necessity calls, and a decision to begin getting off one’s tail to do a good work because necessity is calling.

Not a distinction worth a darn.

Why would God make a distinction? He wouldn’t.

When the Holy Spirit, through Paul, says that salvation is by “faith,” He meant, “Salvation is by loving works willingness.” We should all agree on that.

Proof: The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Jesus clearly condemns the faith-without-works of the priest, and the faith-without-works of the Levite, but clearly applauds the works-ready love of Mr. Non-belief, the Samaritan.
 
Uzziah1 said:
Man’s innate bankruptcy is profound.

Therefore, God MUST BE the first actor in the salvation process. If God waited for us to ask for grace before he gave it, He would wait forever.

God acts upon man by grace.

That grace comprising the initial act of God asks for … what?

Love.

Is that love somehow essentially distinct from good works?

To the core, that love is good-works-ready, from the very first moment of that love’s existence.

If it is not good-works-ready to the core, it is not love.

Is there a distinction between a decision to get off one’s tail to do a good work when necessity calls, and a decision to begin getting off one’s tail to do a good work because necessity is calling.

Not a distinction worth a darn.

Why would God make a distinction? He wouldn’t.

When the Holy Spirit, through Paul, says that salvation is by “faith,” He meant, “Salvation is by loving works willingness.” We should all agree on that.

Proof: The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Jesus clearly condemns the faith-without-works of the priest, and the faith-without-works of the Levite, but clearly applauds the works-ready love of Mr. Non-belief, the Samaritan.
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:confused::confused::confused:
I don’t understand most of what you said here. Can you simplify it a little? Thanks!
 
If we are saved by faith alone, then where is it in the Bible that says that?
That is a extremely important statement when our whole salvation depends on only our faith, and it should be stated in the bible very clearly if this is the case.

Just another thought.
 
fred_conty said:
If we are saved by faith alone, then where is it in the Bible that says that?
That is a extremely important statement when our whole salvation depends on only our faith, and it should be stated in the bible very clearly if this is the case.

Just another thought.
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There are lots of verses where it APPEARS to say it in the bible that he will bring up.
 
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