by Jerry Senn
“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works.”
—Romans 3:28
In our sermon series on Romans, I came across the comments below regarding salvation by faith and works which may be helpful to the readers.
“Paul does not mean that works need not be performed, but that even when they are performed tolerably well, one is not…thereby justified in God’s sight. He is cutting the ground from under the feet of those who say, ‘I always do the best I can…I try to live a decent life…I pay my lawful dues, and what more can God expect of me?’
“Martin Luther, …perhaps first wrote of what he called, the doctrine of ‘faith only.’ He was criticized by some because they said he had added to the Scripture.” But, (according to FF Bruce,) in fact, he expressed Paul’s meaning accurately, it is by faith alone, and not by legal works [human efforts)…. When this is grasped, it can be seen that they have no ground for self-congratulation as they contemplate the way of salvation: it is by grace alone, through faith alone; to God alone be glory.’
“Yet, while justification in this sense is received by faith alone, ‘the faith which justifies is not alone’ …it is as Paul says in Galatians 5:6, “faith working through love’ and just how it so works in practical details is in Romans 12:1–15:13” (FF Bruce, Romans, 103–104).
We should add to these comments the very clear words of James:
“Do you want to be shown, …that faith apart from works is useless. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God’ – and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone…. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:20–24, 25, ESV).
Saving faith cannot be separated from nor considered completed, apart from a sincere expression. Faith must therefore be “active” to be genuine.
In Romans, Paul speaks of “works,” (as understood by Jews,) who believed their acceptance with God is determined by their blind observance of Moses’ law. He is teaching that God accepts works only when they flow from faith (Romans 14:23b).