DOES “FAITH” RULE OUT OBEDIENCE?

A. Ralph Johnson

 

Hebrews 9:15-17; Rom. 7:3, 4.

 

        A.    Was anyone responsible to the terms of the New Testament before Christ died?

 

                “It doth _________ avail while he that made it liveth.”

 

        B.    Did the thief on the cross live before, or after the giving of the New Testament?

                (cf. Jn. 14;26; Lk. 24:47-49; Ac. 1:4, 5, 8; 2:1-4.  The Holy Spirit gave the New Testament.)

 

James 2:14-26.

        A.    Are we “justified” (or “saved” vs. 14) by “faith ONLY”? (vs. 24)

 

                “Ye see that a man is justified by works and ________ by faith only.”

 

        B.    How is faith “made perfect? (2. 22)

 

        C.    What kind of faith is it that has no works?  (2:20, 26)

 

        D.    Is it possible for faith to be “living” without works?  (2:26)

       

                “As the body apart from the __________ is _________, so faith without works is _______.”

 

Rom. 6:17,18. (Note that this is speaking of baptism  (6:3-8, 11)

 

        Did they become “freed from sin” by “faith only” or, by “obedience from the heart to the form of doctrine”?

 

Hebrews 5:9

        To whom did he become the “author of eternal salvation”?

 

1Peter 1:22

        How did they purify their souls?

 

Galatians 3:26,27.

        Does it say we sons of God by “faith only”?

       

John 3:36 (cf. the Revised Version)

        A.    Does this say that “he that believes ONLY has eternal life?” (cf. 3:5, 16, 21)

 

        B.    Is the belief spoken of here a “dead,” or a “living” faith? (cf. James 2:14-26)

 

QUESTION IN POINT:

        In any given passage of scripture--

                (a)   Does a consideration of one step in salvation, without specifically citing all of the others                            necessarily rule out the importance of any others?

                (b)   Do  all of the things said in all of the scriptures about all of the steps of salvation simply                                   supplement each other?

       

 

 

 

 

        EXAMPLE:

                       

            We are “saved” by.....              

1.     Jesus  (Mtt. 1:21)

7.    grace (Eph. 2:8)

2.     ourselves (Ac. 2:40; cf. 2:38)

8.    blood (Rev. 1:5)

3.     mercy (Tit. 3:5)

9.    faith  (Acts 16:31)

4.     works (Jas. 2:24, 14)

10.  repentance (2Cor. 7:10)

5.     preaching (1Cor. 1:21)

11.  confession (Rom. 10:10)

6.     the gospel (1Cor. 15:1, 2)

12.  baptism (I Pet. 3:21; Mark 16:16)

 

        Are these all separate and distinct ways of salvation, or is only one of them to be accepted as the way of salvation and all others discarded, or--ARE THEY SIMPLY ALL A PART OF THE ONE WAY OF SALVATION?  Instead of insisting that one of them excludes all others because all of the others are not mentioned in any one passage, is it not more reasonable and less contradictory to accept them all as simply supplying additional truth about the subject of salvation?