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CONSCIENTIOUS CONFIDENCE

I did notice that these exact Scriptures you quoted three times in your essay so apparently you think they prove faith alone. We will see that they don't

The word "faith" is used about 400 times in the N.T., so the conscience may be confident that it is a force to be reckoned with. At various times, faith is raised to the sky in contrast to works, and thus, with consistent regularity, Scripture is adamant that salvation is apart from any good works whatsoever, leading us to confidently conclude we are saved by faith alone or not at all...

(Rom 3:20, 28, 4:2-8, 4:13-14, 10:4, 5:1, 11:6; Galatians 2:16; 3:11, 5:4; Phil 3:9; Titus 3:5; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 2:8-9).

Yet, astonishingly, every religion on Earth without exception believes their helpful heavenly hands will save them to one degree or another, showing that Jesus was right; the road to destruction is wide and broad and many will decide to walk that path (Matt 7:13). Only those who confidently trust in the exclusive merits of Christ alone are saved.

But when the Apostle says that man is justified by faith and freely, [Rom. 3:24, 5:1] these words are to be understood in that sense in which the uninterrupted unanimity of the Catholic Church has held and expressed them, namely, that we are therefore said to be justified by faith, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God[Heb. 11:6][1]

1Tim. 6:17-19:

17 As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, 19 thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.

Now, about you saying there are numerous Scriptures that talk about faith. So, even if there are 500 verses that talk of faith, that does not cancel out Jesus saying 'if you want to enter life keep the commandments', and 'you are my friend only if you keep the commandments.' Every single book of the New Testament except the book of Philemon teaches that one can lose salvation. James says one is justified by works and not by faith alone. Every single judgment scene, where one gets in, based on what one does, or does not do, is epitomized by Matthew 25:31-46, John 5:28-29, Romans 2:6, Revelation 20:13, Revelation 22:11-13. Not one judgment scene where they get in by faith alone. Peter says Baptism saves you, 1 Pet. 3:21. That does not cancel out the doers of the law will be justified, Romans 2:13. The end of sanctification is eternal life, Romans 6:22. Justification's definition we have seen is one being made righteous, Rom 5:19. Those Scriptures that speak about faith do not exclude these other ones and somersaults, leaps and bounds do not cancel out these Scriptures. They go along with each other and the Catholic outlook makes them sync together.

Romans 3:20, 3:28 says one can not be justified by works of the law. Now some Catholic apologists will try to limit works of the law to ceremonial laws, Mosaic laws, I do not, however, it includes the Mosaic law. In Romans 3:20 it refers us to not being justified by works of the law, right after saying the whole world, Jew and Gentile are held accountable to God. All people have a conscience, so all people have a law unto themselves, know right from wrong. So even those who don't know the Mosaic requirements from the Old Covenant have a law of conscience. Gentiles as well as Jews who go by the law, whether it be the Mosaic law, or the law from one's conscience, that term 'works of the law' would encompass anybody who attempts to just keep the law by themselves and their own power. That is what Paul is saying that will not save anybody. Romans 3:28-30, when Paul says not saved by 'works of the law' at that point he is talking about circumcision, Mosaic law, because, he says God of the 'circumcised' and 'uncircumcised'. Paul also condemns those who are boasting about themselves, so those who are self-congratulating themselves on keeping the law.

In Romans 4:2-8, he refers to the faith of Abraham and David, and uses terminology that does away with boasting, as though one attempts to get justified by earning salvation. The examples he shows, when seen in the context of their lives, shows David and Abraham, as people who had been already been justified, shows that justification is an ongoing process. I go through the wording of these passages in Romans 4:4-8 in separate papers.[2]

Now, James White in his book, The God who Justifies, insists that Paul mentions that Abraham was only justified in Genesis 15:6, and Paul supposedly says that when Abraham is justified in a point at only one time in Genesis 15:6, he can not allow him to have been justified prior to that, and apparently thinks Hebrews 11 is talking about Abraham in Genesis 12 as being a pagan or something, since the whole faith alone position, is utterly dependent on Abraham being justified only at Genesis 15. He realizes Catholics and others who reject the faith alone, justification is a forensic action only position, use the Hebrews 11 Scripture. It shows that Abraham was justified prior to Genesis 15, and shows it is ongoing action, he must say that this assessment is wrong. Let us see how he proves Abraham was not a believer before Genesis 15 when he notes that people refer to Genesis 12 and Hebrews 11 as Abraham was already a justified person:

So what can be said in response? The writer to the Hebrews says that Abraham acted in faith in responding to God's call to leave Ur of the Chaldees. However, saving faith always has an object, and the object of saving faith in Abraham's life was the promise given him in Genesis 15, not Genesis 12. And as we will show in our exegesis of James 2, the justification spoken of there is in a completely different context than that of Romans and Galatians. Still however, the argument carries weight for many who are seeking a way out of the biblical teaching on the subject…

The fundamental error of the argument thus presented is really quite simple: it is not an argument from Scripture; it is an argument against Scripture…

It is a flawed argument. Paul's entire point is based upon justification being a forensic declaration that takes place one time in the believer's life. If, in fact, justification is ongoing, or repetitive, or iterative, then Paul's entire point collapsed, and one can almost hear the laughter of his Jewish opponents…

Paul cannot be saying that Abraham was again justified in Genesis 22. And the justification that was his in Genesis 15:6 cannot be a "re-justification" after having been initially justified in Genesis 12, since this, too would undercut Paul's entire position with his opponents. They could then point to Abraham's act of obedience in leaving Ur as evidence against Paul's stated thesis. Justification is by grace through faith without works. Justification, then, must be a point-in-time declaration, not a process that is repeated, or else Romans 4:1-8 is not inspired Scripture. To say otherwise is to make a complete mockery of the entirety of Romans 4.[3]

Because this has turned out to be a much longer paper than I wanted this to be, I want to tailor this down to Abraham, and actually take a look at Romans 4:2-4 itself. Romans 4:5-8 opens up a whole bunch of arguments that does not help White's view, because then we have to look at David's life and so forth and the exact wording of Paul there, so for the purposes of this paper, I just want to focus on Romans 4:2-4:

2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 4 Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.

There is absolutely nothing in this passage that speaks about condemning all works and obedience in reference to justification before God. You would say that this is just a necessary sign that one is a Christian. This is the same writer in this very letter, who says the doers of the law will be justified (2:13), will be judged according to works (2:6) obedience leads to righteousness (6:12-16), and where we are the ones who fulfill the righteous requirement of the law, (8:4), and must put to death the deeds of the flesh (8:12-13), and repeats that one can keep the commandments (13:8-10) but reiterates again one must continually put on Christ so one can fight the lusts of the flesh (13:12-14). Paul teaches that God makes one righteous in justification (Rom. 5:19) to actually undo the sin of Adam, and thus makes it an ongoing justification. To make this as a one-time forensic declaration invalidates the rest of this letter to the Romans, as well as biblical history, which we will next look at.

With all that said, White actually believe Hebrews sees Abraham as a pagan, or at least an unbeliever. What does Hebrews 11:6, 8 say?

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.

1: Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3: I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." 4: So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 14:19-20:

19 And he blessed him and said, " Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; 20: and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"

There is nothing in this passage that says that he accepted God as Savior and then there is a forensic, legal crediting of righteousness. Paul exactly explains a little later in Romans 4:17-22 why he was termed as 'reckoned to him as righteousness' in verse 3:

Romans 4:17-22:

17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" --in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be." 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness."

You pointing to Romans 4:13-14 does not help you at all. In Romans 4:13-16 he shows that law brings wrath, because again, the law, in and of itself, provides no power to keep law, and will leave you condemned before God. However, as mentioned law is not done away with, the law of the Spirit we must keep, in order to get to heaven. I've already looked at Romans 5:1 by just reading the rest of that passage which shows grace is poured out, infused, faith hope and love, Romans 5:5. Hope & love must go along with that faith or it achieves nothing. Faith alone is not enough for salvation, besides the time of initial justification. Romans 10:4 says everyone who has faith will be justified but the term there is a continuous faith, the tense there is, not a one-time occurrence. Everyone who is believing. And Romans 10:3 the contrast is to those who establish their own works. Anybody who establishes works on their own power, of course, is condemned, the Catholic Church affirms the necessity of grace, not one who has righteousness on their own power.

Then I wonder if you bring up Galatians 5:4 which condemns those who continue to insist on circumcision (v. 12) if you actually read the whole verse. He says in v. 12 those who justified by law should castrate themselves. Did you not look at the verses following verse 4? Or even verse 4 itself?

Since you brought it up, let us look at it:

Gal. 5:4-6:

4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.

Next Paul writes that circumcision counts for nothing, showing that most likely when he is speaking about the law, he is talking about those going back to the Mosaic law, they will not be justified. However, he shows what must accompany faith, through the Holy Spirit, faith must work with love. So, love must accompany that faith, or that faith does not justify. So, faith alone is destroyed just by that passage itself.

This reminds us of another passage that destroys faith alone theology, 1 Cor. 13:2:

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Galatians 2:16 and Galatians 3:11 show that one is not justified by works of the law. Now I have a detailed study of works of the law on Galatians 3:10-14, which Paul quotes some Old Testament verses:[4] The context is Paul is excluding works of the law, and works of the law do not include grace empowered obedience.

Now Philippians 3:9 you quoted as well. James Buchanan, in his work on the necessity of imputation brought that up, and on my article refuting his work, I addressed that specific passage. I'll bring up what I wrote there, on Philippians 3:9: First a look at Philippians 3:8-14 passage in context:

8 Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul does write that having a righteousness based on the law is worth nothing before Christ. Righteousness that has its source the law indeed does not avail. That matches what he wrote in Romans 3. The system of law indeed saves nobody. The system of grace supplants the system of law. Paul had earlier mentioned how he tried to live by the law as an observant Pharisee, where he attempted to in effect earn salvation (Phil. 3:4-7). He now sees that attempt to gain salvation as rubbish (v. 8). In the immediate context in Phil. 3, we see references for the need to persevere. The righteousness that comes through faith in Christ is vastly better and sufficient to bring salvation. The law wasn't be able to do that.

The verses following 8 and 9 show indeed that salvation is a future event. He writes that through faith he may know him. Future tense. Yes, Paul knows him now, but it is still a quest to know him in the future (v. 10). In Paul's mind, this is not guaranteed for him. He points in this very passage that he is in the race that he declared he must run in 1 Cor. 9:24-27. He must strive to attain the power of his resurrection (v. 10). Paul then writes that he wants to share in his suffering (v. 11). What is the purpose of sharing in his suffering? More rewards in heaven? No. Paul had written in Rom. 8:17 that we would be heirs to be with Christ, provided we suffer with him. Here in Philippians he lays down the same condition. We must imitate Christ. so if possible (v. 11) he may attain the resurrection of the dead. If justification is merely a one-time past event where one's salvation is secure, Paul's letter makes absolutely no sense. He spells out not only the salvific efficacy of suffering here (as in Rom. 8:17), but also writes that if possible, he may obtain the resurrection from the dead. It is clearly no guarantee at all. Phil. 3 does not fit Buchanan's theory of an imputation of an alien righteousness of Christ where one's salvation is set in stone, totally falls by the wayside, when Paul's uses the words if possible. Paul follows this up in v. 12 by writing that he has not already attained this or am already perfect. He is not perfect in any sense yet. However, if Paul had attained perfection through Christ's imputed righteousness, he would indeed have achieved perfection. Paul could have written, "practically we sin all the time, but positionally we are perfect". However, Paul does not write this. Instead, he sees his own salvation as something to strive for. He writes that he needs to achieve the end of attaining this resurrection from the dead by making it his own (v. 12). He must press on in order to achieve this and reach for attaining this goal (vv. 13-14). Here he is applying his concept spelled out earlier of working out his salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12-16. In Phil 2 besides saying one must work it out through the grace of God and His good pleasure, Paul wrote in order to achieve salvation one must hold fast to the word of life, Phil. 2:16. So contrary to Buchanan, this passage destroys the concept of imputation.[5]

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another; 4 but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit , 6 which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

You next brought up 2 Timothy 1:9. I want to look at the context.

2 Timothy 1:6-15:

6 Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. 8 Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, 10 and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; 14 guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. 15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phy'gelus and Hermog'enes.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

You brought up Ephesians 2:8-9, as a proof text for salvation by faith alone. I have written extensively on this passage, in a separate paper, but I will briefly summarize here. You must look at the whole background to the passage to understand what Paul is getting at, that is why my study of that passage focused on Ephesians 2:1-10. Remember, Paul wrote in Romans 5-6, that justification is a making righteous, not merely declaring righteous. Similarly, as in the background to Titus 3, Paul writes in Ephesians 2, a little more comprehensively that apart from Christ we were dead in sins. I want to take a look at a little section I wrote in this, but much more documentation and analysis is available there:

This whole background to the verses 8-10 tells us a lot. First, Paul explicates that He made us alive (v. 1), when in the past we were dead in trespasses and sins, v. 1. Before Christ came, and before being made alive in Christ, we were dead because sins separated us from Him. We once lived according to the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind. By our actions, we were by nature children of wrath. So thus, ontologically we were truly unclean. Both Catholics and Protestants use this verse (v. 3) to show the effects of original sin. Apart from Christ we walk according to our passions. God, who is rich in mercy (v. 4) makes us alive together with Christ by grace (v. 5). How is He rich in mercy, by just turning away from how sinful we are and instead looking at Jesus Christ's perfect righteousness, as the Protestant apologists & Confessions say? No, He did not declare us alive, He made us alive. By what? His grace. So, verses 4 and 5 show us that there is a real ontological change, not a mere declaration of a change. This is a change of being into an ontologically righteous person. Thus, infusion of grace, in order to make us truly righteous, is specifically implied.

He also raises up with Christ in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (v. 6). He does not declare us raised up with Christ, we are actually raised up to be with Him.

That is the background to the verses we are keying in on here. Remember grace is what makes us alive together in Him. It detached us from the bondage of sin, according to verse 5. That explicitly coincides with both Trent and the Catechism.

Then we go to verse 8: For by grace you have been saved by faith. We remember that when Paul wrote that we are saved by grace in v. 5, he wrote that this grace made us alive, and separated from the bondage of sin (similar to when Paul wrote: He who has died has been justified (freed) from sin (Rom. 6:7). He has thus already laid down the transformative nature and power of grace. Grace is not a covering, or a mere imputation of Christ's righteousness to our account. Nonetheless, it is not our own doing. This transformation is a gift indeed given to us by God. It originates from God and is not our own doing, as Paul writes in v. 8. We do not work our way to heaven. We can not approach God through boasting, as he writes in v. 9. This shows that foundational to our relationship with Christ is our total reliance upon Him to transform us. We can not transform ourselves by our own power. Thus, we can not boast. Thus, when it says, it is not of works, lest anyone should boast, it says we do not work to earn salvation. It is God's gift to us that ontologically transforms us, not us transforming ourselves. If we did it by ourselves, then we could boast. If we approach God through our own boasting and self-reliance, we are condemned (v. 9). Nevertheless, the point here by Paul is that we must approach God humbly and be utterly reliant upon His mercy and grace, before we can approach Him for salvation. We are saved through His power alone. We do not boast about ourselves. But God raises us up to be sons called to holiness.

In v. 10, Paul continues this outlook on salvation. He writes that we are His workmanship. Our work in his grace is His work in our lives. In v. 10 here, Paul does not write, OK, now I move on to sanctification, and thus, now we do good works to prove that we are already saved, or something to that effect. Verse 10 is not some new category from which Paul digresses from the whole section on salvation. Instead, he now states the kind of works which do profit unto salvation, as opposed to that which does not. We are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, according to Paul. Now in His grace and under His mercy, and in His power, we shall now walk in Him. This is what profits unto salvation. It is by grace that we are saved. It is not by works done under our own power. The gift of God which profits to salvation is thus not only faith as mentioned in v. 8, but works empowered by grace as well.[6]

Finally, after you quoted all these Pauline verses in a failing attempt to prove faith alone, you pointed to Jesus in saying that broad is the path to destruction and narrow is the way to eternal life, Matthew 7:13-14. You pointing to Jesus does not prove, nor buttress faith alone. We already have seen in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, points to the fact that we must have our own righteousness (aided by God himself) in order to attain Heaven, already quoted. But in Matthew 7, He points us to what gets us into heaven, it surely ain't faith alone. Who gets to heaven? Does Jesus say only those who believed in faith alone and gets my righteousness imputed to them? He says beware of false prophets, I would say, John Calvin, Chemnitz, Spurgeon, etc. fit that category, Matthew 7:16. Wolves in sheep's clothing. In Matthew 7:17-20 Jesus says only those who bear fruit, i.e., good works, will get to heaven, those who do not have good fruit, i.e., good works, will be cut down and thrown into the fire, v. 19. Jesus goes directly into a judgment scene in Matthew 7:21-26, the ones who get to heaven are those who do the will of the Father, and only those who do the will of the Father. That is the criteria. He says that only those who hear and obey, only those will get to heaven. One must stand fast on the rock, and weather the storm that comes upon it. That is the criteria. Not faith alone.

[2] These two articles are Romans 4:4-8: Proof for Justification by Faith Alone?...by Matt1618 and here Romans 4, David and Abraham - One Time Imputation Or Process?.

[3] James White, The God who Justifies: the Doctrine of Justification, Bethany House Publishers, Bloomington Minnesota, 2001, pp. 221-222.

[4] GALATIANS 3:10-14, WORKS AND LAW…Matt1618

[5] Justification: Imputation or Making Righteous: A Response to James Buchanan Claims on Imputation, Part 1, by Matt1618

[6]Ephesians 2:8-10: Proof for Justification by Faith Alone? An Examination by Matt1618

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The Favorite Faith Alone Verses of Protestants: Do they Really Teach Faith Alone?: An Examination...by Matt1618... This text may be downloaded or printed out for private reading, but it may not be uploaded to another Internet site or published, electronically or otherwise, without express written permission from the author.