Faith Alone

1. "According to Martin Luther, justification by faith alone is the article on which the church stands or falls." (12/8/11)
1. "Martin Luther elevated sola fide to the principal cause of the Protestant Reformation, the rallying cry of the Protestant cause, and the chief distinction between Protestant Christianity and Roman Catholicism." (12/8/11)
2. "The doctrines of the various Protestant denominations vary, but most includejustification by grace through faith alone, known as Sola Fide" (12/8/11)
2. The Bible clearly teaches that faith is necessary for justification but faith alone is not sufficient for justification.
3. The only verse in the Bible with the phrase "faith alone" is James 2:24
1. "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." James 2:24
2. This clearly teaches that we are not justified by faith alone
3. All of the verses that are used to try to prove the doctrine of justification by faith alone  show the importance of faith in justification but none of them contain the phrase "faith alone" 
1. Ephesians 2:8-9  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
2. Romans 3:28 "For we hold that one is justified by faith  apart from works of the law."
3. Galations 3:24 "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
4.  
4. The doctrine of Justification through "faith alone" was made up by Martin Luther and is not in the Bible.
5. Faith and works are inseparable. Works are an necessary aspect of faith in the same way four sides are a necessary aspect of a square. "Faith" without works is like a "square" without 4 sides. The phrase "faith alone" (without works) is nonsense. 
1. Martin Luther admired that faith is never alone, but did not see that this contradicts his own doctrin of justification through faith alone.
2. If you say that a conjoined twin is never alone than it makes no sense to speak of one of the conjoined twins doing something alone.
6. Things the Bible says are necessary for salvation/justification.
1. Good works/obeying the commandments.
1. Matthew 12:7 "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
2. Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."
3. Matthew 19:7 "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
4. Matthew 25: 41-46 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
5. Luke 10: 26-28 "He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
6. John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
7. Romans 2:6-13 "Who will render to each one according to his deeds. ... For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified."
2. Grace
3. Baptisms
4. Repentance
5. Forgiveness of others.
6. Mercy
1. Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
7. Faith is not even the greatest of the graces. Love is.
1. ". . . if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."  I Corinthians 13:2