<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document • Faith AND Works Are Necessary For Salvation
(Part Three)
• James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.

• Introduction
• The comfort doctrine of “Faith Only” is cherished by millions.
• Those who hold to this doctrine have proven they do not care to obey God in any way other than the way they want to worship Him.
• So much of the New Testament teaches the necessity of Faith AND Works.
• Let us see some what is taught in the Bible.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• Jesus and Apostles Teach that Works are Necessary for Justification
• Matthew 5:2-11 - Jesus' teaching of the beatitudes goes beyond faith - being pure, merciful, and peacemakers are all good works.
• They are acts of the will that are necessary for a right relationship with God.
• Matthew 5:16 - Jesus confirms this by teaching, "let your light shine before men that they may see your 'good works' and give glory to God."
• Good works glorify God and increase our justification before the Father.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• Matthew 5:39-42 - give your striker the other cheek, give away your cloak, and go with him two miles.
• This is faith in action, not faith alone.
• Matthew 5:44-47 - this means even loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.
• Love is a good work, an act of the will.
• Matthew 6:12 - forgive us our sins, not by how much faith we have, but as we forgive those who trespass against us.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• Matthew 7:19-23 - just saying "Lord, Lord" and accepting Jesus as personal Savior is not enough.
• We must also bear the fruit of good works.
• Matthew 19:16-22 - Jesus teaches the man to sell all he has and give it to the poor.
• It is not just about accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.
• We also need good works by keeping Jesus' commandments.
• Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31 - Jesus says You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
• Love is a good work - an act of the intellect and will.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• Mark 9:39 - Jesus said no one who does good works in His name will be able to soon after speak evil of Him.
• Good works justify us before God.
• Luke 6:46-47 - the Lord asks us to do what he tells us, and that is to keep His commandments, not just "accept" Him as personal Lord and Savior.
• Luke 6:20-38 - again, beatitudes, the love of enemies, giving to the needy, forgiving, bearing fruit - all these good works justify a man before God.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• Luke 8:21 - Jesus says that His mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.
• John 5:24 - note that "eternal life" here means sanctifying grace (the life of God within us).
• We can choose to fall from this grace.
• John 5:36, 10:37-38 - Jesus emphasizes that His works testify to who He is.
• We must imitate Christ's works to be more fully united with Him.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• John 5:39-42 - knowing the Scriptures is not enough if you do not have love in your heart.
• John 8:31-32 - Jesus requires works even from those who believe in Him.
• Mere belief is not enough.
• John 13:34-35 - Jesus gives us a new commandment, that we love one another as He loves us.
• He commands love which is an act of our will.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• John 14:15 - Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
• This requires doing works, not just faith (and not faith alone).
• God’s and Christ's commands are works.
• John 14:21 – he who hears My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.
• This is doing good works for others.
• John 15:8 – Jesus requires us to bear the good fruit of works if we are to be His disciples.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• John 15:10 - if you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, as I have kept the Father's commandments.
• John 15:12 - this is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.
• Love is both a cause and the fruit of our justification.
• Romans 12:10 - Paul commands us to love one another.
• Love is a good work, an act of the intellect and will, not just a feeling.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• 1 Corinthians 3:8 – Paul teaches that he who plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor.
• 1 Corinthians 13:2 – Paul teaches that if our faith moves mountains, but we have not the works of love, we are nothing indeed.
• 1 Corinthians 13:13 - abide in faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
• Love is the greatest work which justifies us (not faith, and most importantly, not faith alone!)

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• 1 Timothy 6:18-19 - we are to do good and be rich in good works thus laying up a good foundation for a chance at eternal life.
• Titus 1:16 - people claim to know God, but their deeds deny Him.
• Like Jesus, it is our works that testify to our faith in Christ.
• 1 John 2:3-5 - and by this we may be sure that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
• This requires good works, not faith alone.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• 1 John 3:23 - God's commandment is to believe in His Son Jesus and love one another.
• Belief is not enough, but good works to perfect that belief.
• 1 John 4:7-21 - and this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

• What Does The Bible Teach?
• John gives us repeated exhortations to love one another.
• 1 John 5:2-3 - we know we love God and God's children when we keep His commandments.
• We need to love which is manifested in good works and not faith alone.
• 2 John 6 - we must love one another and keep Jesus' commandments.

• Conclusion
• We must cooperate with Christ's grace.
• We must combine our belief with works commanded of God to be worthy of the salvation that God offers.
• Faith AND Works are necessary for salvation.
• Are You Doing What Jesus and His apostles taught through the Bible?
• It is time to get busy doing the works of God.

By Carey Scott from material by John Reynolds

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