The Balance Between Faith and Works

The Balance Between Faith and Works The Standard of God 1:17 In the Gospel, the +R of God is revealed from faith to faith; the +R shall live by faith 2:5 God s judgment is +R & will be revealed in the day of wrath 3:5-6 Our +R does not demonstrate God s +R, the God who inflicts wrath is +R 3:10 There is NONE +R 3:21 apart from Law, God s +R is manifested, being witnessed by the Law & Prophets 3:22 God s +R thro faith in Christ is for all who believe 3:24-26 Christ s death demonstrates God s +R in passing over sins previously committed so that God might be just & justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus 4:3 Ab s faith in God was reckoned to him as +R 4:5, 13 anyone who believes in God, his faith is reckoned as +R 4:6 +R is reckoned apart from works 4:11 circumcision = seal of the +R of Ab s faith in God How Abraham was Saved/Reckoned +R By Faith, Apart from Works (4:1-8) By Faith, Apart from Circumcision (4:9-12) By Faith, Apart from Law (4:13-15) By Faith, In Accordance with Grace (4:16-17) By Faith, Apart from Circumstances (4:18-25) v17-18 Faith Begun and Developed Acts 7:2-5 First Call in Ur Gen 12:1-9 Second Call in Haran (2090 BC) Gen 15 Covenant Cut Gen 16 Ishmael born (2079BC) Gen 17 Circumcision given (2066 BC) Gen 18:10-15 Isaac s birth announced (2066 BC) Gen 21:1-7 Isaac born (2065BC) v19 Faith Tested v20 Faith Strengthened v21 Faith Perfected Gen 22:1-19 Abraham Tested v22 Faith Rewarded Heb 11:17-19 v23-25 Faith s Witness Copyright Cecilia Perh 2003 The Place of Works James 2:14-26 The 3 Kinds of Faith * Faith without Works / Dead Faith (v14-17) * Useless Faith / Demonic Faith (v18-20) * Working Faith / Dynamic Faith (v21-26) Galatians 3:5-8 God provides His Spirit & works miracles among you by hearing with faith, NOT works of the Law Galatians 3:16-17 the seed is Christ Ephesians 2:8-10 Saved by grace through faith for good works Titus 2:11-14 - God s grace teaches us to deny ungodliness & worldly desires & to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for Christ s second coming Titus 3:5-8 God saved us not by works, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration & renewing by the Holy Spirit, by being justified by His grace so that those who have believed may be careful to engage in good deeds

James 2:14-26 Faith without Works / Dead Faith (v14-17) 14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. Useless Faith / Demonic Faith (v18-20) 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? Working Faith / Dynamic Faith (v21-26) 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Galatians 3:5-8 5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, All the nations shall be blessed in you. Galatians 3:16-17 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Titus 2:11-14 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 3:5-8 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Things that Neither Prove Nor Disprove True Faith 1. Visible Morality (Matt 19:16-22, the rich young ruler; Matt 25:1-13, the 10 virgins) 2. Intellectual Knowledge of God s truth (Pharisees & Scribes; Rom 2:17-24) 3. Religious Involvement (Pharisees & Scribes, Matt 7:21-23; 25:1-13) 4. Active Ministry in Christ s Name (Judas Iscariot; Heb 6:4-8; Mt 7:21-23) 5. Conviction of Sin (people in mental asylums; Felix in Acts 24:25; Matt 13:3-23, sower & 4 soils) 6. Assurance of salvation (people in other religions who are totally convinced that they are saved; Rev 3:17; James 1:22; Matt 7:21-23) 7. Experience of past decisions for Christ Some Reliable Proofs of Salvation 1. Love (agape) for God the direction, if not the perfection (John 14:15, 21, 23; Rom 5:5) 2. Love for His people (1Jn 5:1-3; 1 Pet 1:22) expressed in sacrificial giving (1Jn 3:16-18) 3. Love for His Word (1 Pet 2:1-3) 4. Repentance from sin and hatred of sin (2 Cor 7:9-10; Prov 28:13; Acts 2:38; 3:19) 5. Genuine Humility (Matt 5:3; 16:23) 6. Devotion to God s glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14; Phil 1:21; bondservant ) 7. Prayer (Rom 8:15, 16, 26-27; 1 Thess 5:16-18) 8. Selfless Love for other, especially for other Christians (1Jn 3:9-16; 4:7-8) 9. Separation from the world (John 17:15-18; 1Jn 2:15-16) 10. Spiritual Character and Growth (Matt 5:2-12; Gal 5:22-23) 11. Obedient Living (1Jn 2:3-5, cf. 3:10); obedience to His Word (Ezek 36:27 cf Rom 8:7) 12. Sound Doctrine (Rom 6:17; 1 Tim 4:6) Copyright Cecilia Perh 2003