Faith Cannot Stand Alone
Nov 17, 2007
A belief that seems to be very popular right now is that we can be saved by faith alone. Without a doubt, faith is an extremely important quality for a follower of God to have. His Word places a great deal of importance on it and we cannot be saved without it. However, there are a number of other things we need in order to be saved. Faith alone cannot save.
The fact that faith alone cannot save need not diminish its value. Jesus had a number of good things to say about faith. As recorded in Luke 17:6, Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” In Matthew 23:23, he referred to it as a “weightier matter of the law.” Jesus’ healing of a blind man is recorded in Luke 18. As Jesus healed him, he said, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well” (Luke 18:42). Among the benefits of faith is that we can be saved by it. We are justified by our faith in Jesus (Galatians 2:16; 3:24). We cannot earn salvation with our own good works, but we can be saved through faith, by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8).
Faith is terribly important. God’s word says that we are saved through it; therefore we know that it is essential for salvation. However, faith is not the only thing that is essential for salvation. Love is also essential. If we don’t love, then we don’t even know God (1st John 4:7+8) and we certainly don’t have Him abiding in us (1st John 4:12). Our faith amounts to nothing if we do not have love. The Apostle Paul wrote, “…though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1st Corinthians 13:2). If we want to be acceptable to God, then another thing we cannot do without is His word, the gospel of Christ. It is called “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). As we are told in James 1:21, it “is able to save [our] souls.” We can’t just hear God’s word, however. We have to do it (James 1:22). Therefore, obedience is another quality necessary for salvation. According to Jesus’ own words, we must do more than just believe and call on Him. We have to obey. As recorded in Matthew 7:21, He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Faith is but one of the requirements God has given us. It cannot save us alone and it cannot even stand alone (James 2:14-26). The Bible explicitly says that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). It also says that “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Believing in God and doing nothing else is not enough. Even demons do that (James 2:19). Instead of having a faith that tries to stand alone, we need to have a faith that is clearly shown in our works. Instead of having a dead faith, we need to have a working faith (James 2:21-24).
Chapter 11 of Hebrews describes a number of faithful individuals whose stories are found in the Old Testament. Each one’s faith was displayed by the works that he or she did. Noah built the ark by faith (Hebrews 11:7). Abraham obeyed God and traveled away from his home by faith (Hebrews 11:8-10). Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt by faith (Hebrews 11:24-29). These, and all the other examples from Hebrews 11, depict people whose faith was not just an idle belief, but a belief that drove them to follow the rest of the things that God expected from them.
Faith by itself is dead (James 2:17). Instead of having a dead faith, have a working faith that drives you to meet the other requirements of salvation.
The fact that faith alone cannot save need not diminish its value. Jesus had a number of good things to say about faith. As recorded in Luke 17:6, Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” In Matthew 23:23, he referred to it as a “weightier matter of the law.” Jesus’ healing of a blind man is recorded in Luke 18. As Jesus healed him, he said, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well” (Luke 18:42). Among the benefits of faith is that we can be saved by it. We are justified by our faith in Jesus (Galatians 2:16; 3:24). We cannot earn salvation with our own good works, but we can be saved through faith, by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8).
Faith is terribly important. God’s word says that we are saved through it; therefore we know that it is essential for salvation. However, faith is not the only thing that is essential for salvation. Love is also essential. If we don’t love, then we don’t even know God (1st John 4:7+8) and we certainly don’t have Him abiding in us (1st John 4:12). Our faith amounts to nothing if we do not have love. The Apostle Paul wrote, “…though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1st Corinthians 13:2). If we want to be acceptable to God, then another thing we cannot do without is His word, the gospel of Christ. It is called “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). As we are told in James 1:21, it “is able to save [our] souls.” We can’t just hear God’s word, however. We have to do it (James 1:22). Therefore, obedience is another quality necessary for salvation. According to Jesus’ own words, we must do more than just believe and call on Him. We have to obey. As recorded in Matthew 7:21, He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Faith is but one of the requirements God has given us. It cannot save us alone and it cannot even stand alone (James 2:14-26). The Bible explicitly says that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). It also says that “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Believing in God and doing nothing else is not enough. Even demons do that (James 2:19). Instead of having a faith that tries to stand alone, we need to have a faith that is clearly shown in our works. Instead of having a dead faith, we need to have a working faith (James 2:21-24).
Chapter 11 of Hebrews describes a number of faithful individuals whose stories are found in the Old Testament. Each one’s faith was displayed by the works that he or she did. Noah built the ark by faith (Hebrews 11:7). Abraham obeyed God and traveled away from his home by faith (Hebrews 11:8-10). Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt by faith (Hebrews 11:24-29). These, and all the other examples from Hebrews 11, depict people whose faith was not just an idle belief, but a belief that drove them to follow the rest of the things that God expected from them.
Faith by itself is dead (James 2:17). Instead of having a dead faith, have a working faith that drives you to meet the other requirements of salvation.