If all you have to do to be saved is believe in Jesus (accept Jesus) , wouldn´t that imply that you have merited your salvation (by your act of faith), and that would be equivalent to salvation by works? Is Faith Alone then not a contradiction in itself?
Maybe ýou can get a clue from the greek word used for "believe":
Believe (pisteuousin = pisteuousis) in his name - “pistos” can in the NT refer to "a believer". But being a believer in the NT sense is not primarily an intellectual accept of a doctrine or a set of doctrines, but a matter of surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord, and in that sense, the idea of loyalty and unwavering commitment is part of it (faithful) It would be a contradiction in terms to talk about an "unfaithful believer”. (http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-greek/2003-February/024708.html)
Pistos is used 67 times in the New Testament., and. 57 times it is translated by the word "trustworthy" or its equivalent.
2007-04-29 11:08:54 · 10 answers · asked by jemayen 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
John 1:1 - see Bedeyah´s answer
2007-04-29 14:51:02 · update #1
Jesus should be the object of one's faith and in the Bible "faith alone" is not supported at all. The Bible speaks of the necessity of the faithful to be obedient and surrender to the law written on their heart drawn to faith by the Holy Spirit. It also speaks of the fruit of the spirit as being evidence of salvation and being filled by the Holy Spirit.
The "sinners prayer" that some endorse is an act of contrition initiated by the sinner which is a work, while Catholics attribute the call to faith as strictly the work of the Holy Spirit from which we surrender.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
2007-04-29 11:25:58 · answer #1 · answered by cristoiglesia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, yours is a great question i can tell you that. I think faith is necessary because there are a lot of things that we have to do. Things that we should resist. Faith is nothing without an object of which it acts upon. If I have faith that my Father in Heaven loves me, it gives me strength to do anything He thinks that I should do. See, I believe I have a plan for my life. I believe I lived in Heaven before I came to earth. And that I willingly came to earth eager to take on the challenges that I have and will have. Alot of people have attitudes towards challenges that say, why me? this is unfair and other things like that. Because I know and have faith that I once wanted this, I don't dwell on that kind of an attitude. Sometimes I do things without knowing why. They come out with great results, but I doubt I would've done them if I didn't believe that Heavenly Father would help me. If a test were extremely easy, would it matter that much to anyone? If God showed himself to everyone and then promised to help them, life would be extremely easy. We never have to really count on him keeping his word, and we never have to put any effort into getting to know him because he's already showed himself to all of us. Part of what makes life hard is that we don't know everything. We have to trust what we believe and thereafter we gain evidence. Having faith in God makes you stronger and more able to serve God and to reach your full potential.
2016-05-17 04:30:41 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hermeneutics is not just one word. Concepts are established throughout the Bible. Faith is not an act it is a relinquishing of man's will to the Grace of God.
MT 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
13 Regarding "just as," Jesus performed a miracle, not in proportion to the centurion's faith, nor because of the centurion's faith, but in content what was expected by the centurion's faith (cf. 15:28, where the emphasis is also on faith).
2007-04-29 11:31:57 · answer #3 · answered by j.wisdom 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jam 1:22 But be ye doers of the Law, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before Yahweh, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?
Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Jam 2:19 Thou believest that there is one Father; thou doest well: the DEMONS ALSO BELIEVE, and tremble.
Jam 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
2007-04-29 11:20:09 · answer #4 · answered by YUHATEME 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Salvation by works is believing such as mormons or JW"s believe, that you can only attain heaven by doing deeds.
Salvation by faith, is yes, accepting Christ into your heart. I don't see the similarities.
2007-04-29 11:12:55 · answer #5 · answered by Mulereiner 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No cos we believe Jesus is the source of our faith
2007-04-29 11:12:21 · answer #6 · answered by sonfai81 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Salvation is Grace (in Christianity, the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God) and the glory of it is that it IS unmerited. Our faithfulness is not required.
Our Faith is “in God” knowing that He is faithful. Our faithfulness will always be a question in this life because none of us are perfect.
SOLA FIDE
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2
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. Ephesians 2:8-9
The truth which we plead has two parts:
That the righteousness of God imputed to us, unto the justification of life, is the righteousness of Christ, by whose obedience we are made righteous.
That it is faith alone which on our part is required to interest us in that righteousness, or whereby we comply with God's grant and communication of it, or receive it unto our use and benefit; for although this faith is in itself the radical principle of all obedience,-- and whatever is not so, which cannot, which does not, on all occasions, evidence, prove, show, or manifest itself by works, is not of the same kind with it,--yet, as we are justified by it, its act and duty is such, or of that nature, as that no other grace, duty, or work, can be associated with it, or be of any consideration. And both these are evidently confirmed in that description which is given us in the Scripture of the nature of faith and believing unto the justification of life. - John Owen, The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith
Your argument is based on faulty logic because your premise is incorrect.
See also
http://www.the-highway.com/Justification_Packer.html
2007-04-29 12:14:12 · answer #7 · answered by John 1:1 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
How is god and Jesus one i still cant accept that and why is that we be live that the Jews are the chosen ones then we are not Jews i want to be live in one god and that's it
2007-04-29 11:15:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i believe by the spirit who lives in me... i'm a dead person, cuz i surrendered everything mind, body, spirit to my Father in Heaven... i live by faith & the breath of God that is in me
2007-04-29 11:20:57 · answer #9 · answered by Matthew 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
true conversion is also necessary with the indwelling of the spirit
2007-04-29 11:12:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋