Faith That Does Not Avail

The Bible teaches there is a type of faith in Jesus that does not avail. Unfortunately, this is a faith that is prevalent among many. These are people who are decent in most respects, people who believe they are saved. They do believe that Jesus is the Son of God but they are irreligious. They do not attend worship services; they never read the scriptures; the good works they do are not done because of anything God said but rather because it seems good to them. They believe faith (alone) will save them. There is more to saving faith than just believing in Jesus, believing that he is the Son of God.

If faith alone, defined as believing that Jesus is the Son of God, could save by itself then even the demons would be saved for James says, "even the demons believe--and tremble!" (James 2:19 NKJV) What they believed was that there was one God but by studying the gospel accounts one also knows they believed in Jesus as the Son of God for they often confessed him. One such example is Mark 3:11, "And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out, saying, 'You are the Son of God!' " (NAS)

Another example is found in Luke 4:33-34 (NAS), "And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 'Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!'"

Yet another example is Luke 5:41 (NAS), "And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, 'You are the Son of God!' And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ."

But, it is not just demons that have faith that has not availed. John 12:42 proves beyond doubt there is a faith that lacks value. "Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God." (NAS) Would you say these believers were saved?

In the late chapters of the book of Acts, we find Paul being examined by one official after another on his way to Rome after being put in custody in Jerusalem. One of the first of these was Felix, the Governor. It is said of Felix that he had "a more exact knowledge about the Way," a reference to Christianity, (Acts 24:22 NAS). Then in verses 23-26, "And he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. But some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you.' " (NAS)

Paul preached faith in Christ Jesus and things that are entailed in that. If Felix did not believe why was he frightened? Did the faith of Felix save him? He evidently believed.

In the Parable of the Sower you find two of the four types of men who hear the word and believe and yet end up being condemned. Luke 8:13-14 (NAS), "And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

In verse thirteen Jesus says specifically that these people believe. Are they saved? How about that class of believers represented by the seed that fell among the thorns? Are they saved? The Bible clearly teaches men can be believers and yet remain unsaved. They have the faith that does not avail and not the faith that saves.

In the New Testament, the word "faith" and its synonyms can be and are used from time to time as a figure of speech called a synecdoche. What is a synecdoche? It is where one puts the part to represent the whole. In speaking of salvation, when it is said one is saved by faith and nothing else is mentioned, then it is understood that faith is used in an all-inclusive sense to include everything that naturally follows from the belief.

In his book entitled Hermeneutics, D. R. Dungan says, in discussing synecdoches, "This is many times the case with the salvation of sinners. The whole number of conditions is indicated by the use of one. Generally, the first one is mentioned-that of faith-because without it nothing else could follow." (Page 305)

Faith is the basis of Christianity. Surely, a man lacking faith in Jesus will not be concerned with obeying Jesus or keeping his commandments so why proceed with anything else? There is no reason to until faith is first established. But, when faith by itself is mentioned as the saving factor it is a use of the word as a synecdoche. It includes everything that flows from a living faith and is far more than mere mental assent or belief. When the word faith is used as a synecdoche in the New Testament it is a reference to saving faith.

There are two types of faith--the kind that leads a person to take action on his beliefs (a living faith) versus the kind that is merely mental assent (a dead faith). The latter kind can never save. James says, "But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" (James 2:20 NAS) Later, he says, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:26 NAS) Thus James confirms what has been said all along in this article--there is a kind of faith that leads to destruction.

When the Bible talks about being saved by faith it is talking about the kind of faith that has works (works of obedience), the kind of faith where the word faith is used to stand for and represent everything that Christ requires of us (the word "faith" or "believe" used as a synecdoche). We are told what does avail in Gal. 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working by love.” (NKJV) Faith cannot just set in one’s mind but must act. Act on what? Act on what God’s word directs you to do.

The faith that saves goes beyond obedience to just commandments that are pleasing to us. The faith that saves is willing to do whatever Jesus says and sometimes that can be tough. We live in a type of Christian environment today, if you want to call it that, that has rationalized every sin away. They tell you why this passage no longer applies to us today, why that one does not, and on and on it goes. They believe what they want to believe and discount the rest of scripture. Their faith is of the mental assent kind.

Jesus is "the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:9 NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15 NKJV) "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." (John 14:21 NKJV) "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." (John 14:23 NKJV) "He who does not love Me does not keep My words." (John 14:24 NKJV) Can a man have faith and go to heaven and yet not love Jesus? "If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha." (1 Cor. 16:22 NAS) That does not sound like such a man is saved to me.

The faith that saves is not a smorgasbord where one can go in and pick this or that, as you choose, to believe and obey. One must believe and obey all that Jesus taught directly or through the word of inspiration as found in the New Testament scriptures. Saving faith is faith working through love.

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Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation

One of the great dangers we all face in Bible study is taking a passage, isolating it from all the rest of scripture, and making it teach a doctrine it was never meant to teach.  One such passage is Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (NKJV)  We read that and immediately conclude that works are not essential for Christian salvation.  The only problem with that is that it is incorrect.

There is a vast difference between saying we are not saved by works (which is true as stated in the passage--one cannot earn his way to heaven) and saying works are not essential to salvation (saying one can sit back in his easy chair, sip tea, never raise a finger of obedience, and be saved).  The very next verse coming after the Eph. 2:8-9 passage, verse 10, reads, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (NKJV)

The individual who takes Eph. 2:8-9 as eliminating the need for good works is saying that even though we were "created in Christ Jesus for good works" we do not need to do them.  God will save us without them.  That is like saying in the parable of the vine and the branches (John 15) that one can be a branch that does not bear fruit and still be saved yet Jesus said, "every branch in me that does not bear fruit he (God--DS) takes away." (John 15:2 NKJV)  It is like saying in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) that one need not use his talent for God will not "cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness" (Matt. 25:30 NKJV) contrary to what Jesus said.

I was recently reading Matt. 25 talking about the judgment scene to come on the last day, the Day of Judgment.  The reading begins in Matt. 25:31 and continues through verse 46, the end of the chapter.  While it is too long to quote here I will summarize it for you.  Jesus is separating the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous.  What are the criteria being used to make the judgment?  Works!

Did you feed the hungry?  Did you give a drink to the thirsty?  Did you take in the stranger who needed a place to go?  Did you clothe the naked?  Did you visit the sick and the imprisoned?  The righteous did these things and entered into eternal life.  The unrighteous did not do these works and their place of abode is described as "everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46 NKJV).  They are called "cursed" and told to depart "into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:41 NKJV)

In the book of Romans, a book that talks much about justification by faith, we are told that on the Day of Judgment God "'will render to each one according to his deeds':  eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality." (Rom. 2:6-7 NKJV)  "Glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good." (Rom. 2:10 NKJV)  Are works involved in one's salvation?  Sounds like it to me.

James says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26 NKJV)  Is a man saved, can a man be saved by dead faith?  To ask is to answer.

Has God not given us works to do?  Was Jesus the only one required to work the works of God?  Peter said while at Cornelius' house, "In every nation whoever fears him (God--DS) and works righteousness is accepted by him." (Acts 10:35 NKJV)  Christianity is not just what you believe but also what you do and/or fail to do as the case may be.

In Matt. 7 we have Jesus speaking and making a contrast between the one who "hears these sayings of mine and does them" (Matt. 7:24 NKJV) and the one or ones "who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them" (Matt. 7:26 NKJV).  The difference is between a house that stands and one that falls, "And great was its fall." (Matt. 7:27 NKJV)  The difference between standing versus a great fall was doing.

Christianity is not just about what one believes.  Many have been led astray, swallowed false doctrine, and have become convinced that salvation is all about what they believe and very little about what they do or don't do.  Obedience is called into question by some as being salvation by works.  They are convinced they can disobey God or ignore his commands without consequence and receive salvation as long as they mentally believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

What James wrote ought to dispel that notion, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:24 NKJV)  James goes so far as to say, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17 NKJV)  Sin is the thing that condemns us and keeps us out of heaven.  To do good (James 4:17) is to do works.  The faith that saves is a very active faith involved in the continual doing of good.  It is by works that faith is made perfect (James 2:22).  "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17 NKJV)

The faith that saves is the faith that avails which is “faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:6 NKJV)  Are Christians to be servants?  If so does that involve service or works?  Do you think a Christian who will not serve or be a servant will be saved? 

We all know we cannot work our way to heaven, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration (baptism--DS) and renewing of the Holy Spirit," (Titus 3:5 NKJV) but when the faith we hold is a faith that leads us to disobedience rather than to obedience we ought to realize this is not the same faith held by Peter, James, John, Paul, and the other writers of the New Testament.

It is possible to "have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." (Rom. 10:2 NKJV)  A person who believes he can and will be saved by faith alone, pure mental assent alone, with no need to concern oneself with obeying commandments, is just as deeply in error as the man who believes he can do enough good works and obey perfectly enough to be saved.  Both hold and believe error.

I know as well as you that we are saved by the grace of God, the blood of Jesus, by faith, by gospel obedience, etc., but I also know we cannot be saved without works, works of obedience.  If so, if we can, Jesus was unjust in his judgment of those in Matthew 25 who failed to provide food, drink, clothing, etc. for those in need.  If one can be saved without works then Jesus did not judge justly in Matthew 25 and James is a false teacher.  It is really that simple.

I close with this, Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Heb. 5:9 NKJV)  We cannot obey him without doing the works he set out for us to do.  

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