OK.....let's make this simple. Please direct me to the Book, Chapter and Verse in God's holy word where it states that the ONLY thing a person needs for salvation is FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!
Don't get me wrong.....I am NOT saying faith is not needed. But what God's word NEVER says is that faith is the ONLY thing that is needed for salvation.
Let's look at some that have FAITH in Christ but will NOT have salvation....
Jam.2
[19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Now do you think these evil angels have faith in Christ? Do they not know who He is? Do they not know what He will do to them when He returns? Are they not aware of their end?
Of course they believe AND have FAITH in who Christ is AND what He will do to them!
James tells us they have faith, but are they covered under the blood of Christ? NO!
Now let's read what else James had to say about having faith......
[17] Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
[18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
[19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
[21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
[22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
[23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
[24] Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Now James says it takes MORE than faith for a man to be justified!
So again I ask you, although Rom. is about having faith, is faith ALL that is needed for salvation?
Paul said the following.....
Rom.3
[20] Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
[28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
And this is so very true! Man is NOT justified, in other words, have his sins forgiven, through the deeds of the law.
The problem most have is knowing WHAT law it is that Paul is talking about.
What LAW of God removed SIN, or made man guiltless, but still could not make the people perfect?
There is a list of things needed for salvation. We have already read some of them.....
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So we must call on the name of the Lord for salvation. But how does one get to that point? Paul tells us....
[14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Working backwards here First we needed a preacher to give the true word of God! Then you need to believe in the word that was given. Then you need to call on the name of Jesus. But what about the preacher? Let's read....
[15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
So it can't be just ANY preacher, but one sent by God.
Already God's word tells us it takes more that just belief and faith.
Now if you say or believe otherwise, prove it as the scriptures says.....
2 Tim.4 ... make full proof of thy ministry.
Ephesians 2
[sup]8[/sup] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [sup]9[/sup] not of works, lest anyone should boast. [sup]10[/sup] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
And here are the requirements of the law to stay saved.
Colossians 2
[sup]11[/sup] In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[sup][c][/sup] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, [sup]12[/sup] buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. [sup]13[/sup] And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, [sup]14[/sup] having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [sup]15[/sup] Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
[sup]16[/sup] So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, [sup]17[/sup] which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. [sup]18[/sup] Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not[sup][d][/sup] seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, [sup]19[/sup] and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
[sup]20[/sup] Therefore,[sup][e][/sup] if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— [sup]21[/sup] “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” [sup]22[/sup] which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? [sup]23[/sup] These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.