Is FAITH ALONE Enough?

[Enoch111]

Then how does a "faith alone" Christian act after salvation? Do they continue to sin or has Jesus taken away their sin and they are free as Paul and John claims.

Neither Paul nor John suggest that Christians become sinlessly perfect after conversion. So you wish to simply misrepresent them. Neither does the NT suggest that Christians should persist in sinning. So you need to get your Gospel from Scripture, and here is a good place to start (Titus 2:11-14):

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

 

[FHII]

One problem in many theologies is believing faith alone is enough for GOD. Peter criticized them for not growing further in the knowledge of Jesus and Christian living.

Read 2 Peter 1:5-11. How many people have heard a sermon on this passage. It should be brought from the platform every week during this critical time in history where so many false doctrines have been taught and believed! Those who believe faith alone is enough for God are lukewarm and God will spew them out of His mouth. Also Matthew 7:21-23

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This will guarantee that JESUS KNOWS US.

1stCenturyLady, faith alone is indeed enough! There are plenty of verses that say so,and I won't bring them up, because you know what they are. Even if I surprise you with a verse you haven't considered, it would still not solve the problem you have presented (which really isn't a problem).

I am very well aware of 2 Peter 1 and its one of my favorite chapters in the Bible! Peter gives us a list of things to add to faith (which means faith is the foundation). Peter always struggled with this... I cite his reluctance to eat unclean meats during his vision and Paul confronting him. No matter... Peter figured it out.

The problem is with how many look at faith. Many look at faith as "believing". It's more than that. Faith only comes by one way; there is only one way to get it, and that's by hearing the Word of a God through a preacher.

"Listening" is not the same as"hearing" in God's vocabulary. You don't hear unless you actively do so,and understand (or at least attempt to). And truly hearing requires understanding and acting on the info. This is seen in Romans 10, among other places.

Faith alone is enough to get grace. The problem is how we view faith.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Neither Paul nor John suggest that Christians become sinlessly perfect after conversion. So you wish to simply misrepresent them. Neither does the NT suggest that Christians should persist in sinning. So you need to get your Gospel from Scripture, and here is a good place to start (Titus 2:11-14):

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Paul and John do to as far as what Jesus accomplishes in us. Jesus did not fail. You fail in your lack of acknowledgement!

Paul: "We are dead to sin." John: "we cannot sin."

But it is possible if we choose to sin even after the desire to sin that Jesus took away is gone. How dumb. That is why the apostles do warn us. But it does not mean that we cannot remain without sin if we continue walking in the Spirit He gave us.
Romans 6:
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Here is your problem and why you are not free from sin, and probably never will be.
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Paul knew the truth of that verse so instead of just stating the fact that we are dead to sin, he also emphasized reckoning yourself (thinking of yourself) dead to sin.

You believe the false doctrines of demons, and thus you chose to justify your sin because you do not believe you have a choice. I live in the victory Jesus gave me, and will remain keeping myself pure for the same reason you won't. Proverbs 23:7. How foolish you and so many on these forums are. But there is nothing you can do to stop me from proclaiming the majesty of what Jesus accomplished, destroying the works of Satan in me and others, if not you.

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3

1 John 5:18
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

1 John 3:3
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Isaiah 26:3
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

1 Peter 1:16 "Be holy for I am holy."

 

[Behold]

But there is no way that after Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit and we are born again we can remain the same old sinner with a carnal nature. That is impossible.

Most , not all, but most of the people on this forum are trying stay saved, based on works, commandment keeping, and trying to be like Christ.
And THAT stuff, has nothing to do with Discipleship or Salvation.
So, are you saying that . 1.) all those who are carnally minded, who are teaching works and self effort and water baptism, and taking sacraments, as their idea of personal salvation are the "same old sinner, with a carnal nature" and are not born again??
ARe 2.) are they "fallen from Grace", having lost the true understanding of being purged from their old sins, having become a "new creation in Christ'. ?

Is it #1 or is it #2?

 

[WalkInLight]

Why don't you give us an exact verifiable quote(s) to show that this nonsense is being preached.

The term hyper grace gospel covers it.
What is hyper-grace? | GotQuestions.org

I did not believe anyone would follow this view until various teachers turned up and supported it.
One famous teacher is Joseph Prince from Singapore.

One such follower said simply a christian could murder someone, not repent, and they are saved and secure.
The missing point here is a believer though tempted and driven by emotion to sin, would be convicted and
come back to Jesus in repentance. If not, they have walked away from love and the Kingdom.

Dr Chris Kang’s Testimony about His 2-Year Journey with New Creation Church (2016-2018) and Why Hypergrace is not Biblical - Reverend George Ong

Here is testimony of people who have come out of this teaching and fellowship.

God bless you

 

[michaelvpardo]

One problem in many theologies is believing faith alone is enough for GOD. Peter criticized them for not growing further in the knowledge of Jesus and Christian living.

Read 2 Peter 1:5-11. How many people have heard a sermon on this passage. It should be brought from the platform every week during this critical time in history where so many false doctrines have been taught and believed! Those who believe faith alone is enough for God are lukewarm and God will spew them out of His mouth. Also Matthew 7:21-23

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This will guarantee that JESUS KNOWS US.

Faith is not simple belief. The book of Hebrews informs us that faith performs works, or the author wasted an entire chapter. Faith is acting according to belief. When you sit down in a chair, you have Faith that it will support your weight and that you won't end up on the floor in the debris of your chair.
"Faith alone" is only problematic for those who think Faith is the same as "assent." The historian Josephus gave assent to Jesus as the Son of God, but was by no means a Christian.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

Faith alone is not enough !
One needs the Faith that can move Mountains in fact ! that is more than faith alone in fact.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Most , not all, but most of the people on this forum are trying stay saved, based on works, commandment keeping, and trying to be like Christ.
And THAT stuff, has nothing to do with Discipleship or Salvation.
So, are you saying that . 1.) all those who are carnally minded, who are teaching works and self effort and water baptism, and taking sacraments, as their idea of personal salvation are the "same old sinner, with a carnal nature" and are not born again??
ARe 2.) are they "fallen from Grace", having lost the true understanding of being purged from their old sins, having become a "new creation in Christ'. ?

Is it #1 or is it #2?

You second question is silly and you don't know what that verse even meant in Galatians. It had to do with keeping the rites of circumcision and the Old ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant in order to be a saved Christian as the Christian Jews were trying to convince the Galatians in keeping. Going back to those old laws is "falling from grace." It has nothing to do with obeying the sacraments of Jesus in the New Covenant.

Anyone with a carnal nature is not born again because they do not have the Spirit of God indwelling them. Romans 8:9 We are not in the old carnal nature if we DO have the Spirit of Christ in us and belong to Him. Jesus has taken away our carnal nature that produced sin and in abiding in Him we do not sin.

 

[Taken]

Is FAITH ALONE Enough?
OP^

For what?

 

[Davy]

Faith on The Father through His Son Jesus Christ is the MOST important thing. But it is NOT enough to keep from the deception that is coming upon the whole world for our time, just prior to Lord Jesus' return.

The main warning Lord Jesus gave us about the 'end' was to not allow any man to deceive us. He showed that deception to a pseudo-Christ is going to be the main working for the end of this world. Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 warned about the deception of falling away to worship the coming false one also. Likewise so did Jesus again warn us through His Apostle John in Revelation 13:11 forward about the "another beast", one who appears LIKE a Lamb, but will speak as the "dragon" (Satan).

In Matthew 24:23-26, Lord Jesus warned about that false one coming that will work great signs and wonders so powerful in deception, that IF it were possible, would deceive even His very elect.

How then, is the new babe in Christ going to prepare today for that near coming event, if... they have not only continued in the Faith, but also disciplined theirself in study of God's Word, or are at least taught about those warnings for the end by one of Christ's disciples that is disciplined in His Word?

I was raised in a Preterist Church system, and they wrongly believe that most of Christ's Book of Revelation is already past history. Likewise they don't even teach endtime Bible prophecy, nor Old Testament prophecy that has yet to happen. They do believe in Jesus' future coming though, but that's about it, that and the need to have good works.

So how... are those in Preterist Churches like that going to be 'warned' about the coming Antichrist per Bible Scripture, since those Churches teach other things instead? Is their Faith alone going to warn them, since they aren't being shown about the coming pseudo-Christ that will play Jesus in the last picture showing of Jesus Christ Superstar? (maybe The Holy Spirit will when it comes time, hopefully).