What is Salvation by Faith?
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In the letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul taught that believers could not be saved by the
deeds or works of the Law of Moses, but are saved by the grace of God and by having faith in
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23-25).
Does did mean that all we have to do in order to be saved is believe that Jesus paid the price of
our sins, get baptized, go to church, give offerings and tithes, and eat the Lord's Supper?
Certainly, not! It simply means that we are not saved by doing any of the rituals of the Law,
which included rituals like animal sacrifices, offering for sin, circumcision, water purification
rituals like water baptism, fasting, oil anointing, tithing, observance of the Sabbath, celebration
of the Passover (the Lord's Supper) and many other rituals that were listed in the 613
commandments of the Law of Moses.
We are not saved by works (rituals of the Law or other Christian and Messianic rituals), but by
Grace which is the free gift that God has given us by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to
pay the penalty of our sins. We acquire this grace when we place our faith in Jesus and
according to this faith we begin to produce fruits of righteousness for the Lord.
Jesus said that "not every one who says to the Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. He said that in the day of His
return, "many will say to Him, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name?, and in your
name have cast out devils?, and in your name done many wonderful works?, but Jesus will said
to them, "I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice iniquity ( Matthew 7:21-23).
Although the Bible doesn't say that we are saved by performing good deeds like feeding the
hungry, taking care of the needy, visiting those who are sick and helping someone who is in
need, the bible clearly says that those who do not have mercy will not have mercy, and those
who do not have compassion will not have compassion. In fact Jesus said that those who did
not stretch out their arms to help those hungry, or thirsty, or in prison, or naked or sick will end
in the lake of fire.
"Then he shall also say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels: For I was hungry , and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you did not clothed me, sick, and in prison, and you did
not visited me. Then they will aske him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, Verily I say to you,
Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25:41-46)."
Are we required to do good deeds?
We certainly are! Jesus Himself, said that every tree (person) who does not produce good fruits
will be cut off and thrown in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 7:19). He also said that on the day of
His return many will say to Him "Lord, I cast out demons and did miracles in your name," and
He will said to them, "depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you."
One may say, "But we are in Grace and no longer bound by works?"
Even Paul who said that we are saved by grace through faith, also said that on the very same
day when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, He will come in
flaming fire to take vengeance on those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will be punished with a perpetual destruction from the
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ( 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Nevertheless, today many fleshy minded teachers still teach that a man has to do nothing in
order to be saved. Why is this happening?
The truth of the matter is that, just as Satan at the garden of Eden used the very word of God
to cause the fall of humanity, today he uses many false teachers who corrupt the message of
salvation in order to lead many to straight into the lake of fire.
But Jesus said "my sheep hear my calling, but do not hear the calling of the stranger."