W. L. Totty
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn. 3:16.)
This verse not only declares the great love which God had for the human race, but it also states the means of escaping condemnation. However, this verse is, perhaps, perverted as much as any verse in the Bible or more than any other verse relating to salvation. Many denominations will use it in an attempt to make people believe that God meant that if a person would only believe in Christ, he would be saved; but this verse is far from teaching “faith only.”
Faith is one of the steps into Christ, but faith alone amounts to nothing. If faith alone would save, the devils would be saved, for James says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (Jas. 2:19-20.) The apostle John also said, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (Jn. 12:42-43.) There is no doubt but that those chief rulers believed on Christ for the Bible says they did, but their faith did not work. Jesus says, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:37.) Those chief rulers loved the praise of God, but they loved the praise of men more; therefore, they could not be Christ’s disciples. A person who believes on Christ but will not obey him is not saved.
James gives an illustration of how faith connected with works will save. He said, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?...Ye see then how that by works is a man justified, and not by faith only.” (Jas. 2:21-24.)
People who teach that faith alone will save are completely ignoring other plain statements in the Bible. Creeds and disciplines of men often contradict plain statements in God’s word; for example, in the Discipline of The Methodist Episcopal Church, 1928: “Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only is a most welcome doctrine, and very full of comfort.” (Page 7.) That discipline, written to direct the preachers of the Methodist Church, says that the doctrine of “faith only” is very full of comfort; but to the person who knows and believes the Bible, there is no comfort whatever in the doctrine of “faith only,” because it is not taught in the Bible. God says that we are justified by works and not by faith only; yet, some teachers will say that one is saved by “faith only” and disregard the plain statement of James that we are not saved by faith only.
This is not to discredit the importance of faith, because it is impossible to please God without faith. (Heb. 11:6.) But there are other steps which an alien sinner must take in order to be saved. Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Lk. 13:3.) Again, repentance is unto salvation. (Acts 11:18.) To those who inquired what to do to be saved on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38.) Writing to the church at Rome, Paul said, “For with the heart a man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:10.) The apostle Peter, comparing the salvation of the people in the Christian age with that of Noah and his family, said, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…” (I Pet. 3:21.) The flood washed away the sins by destroying the sinners, which was a figure of our salvation. Peter says “baptism doth also now save us.” Some will say that baptism is the figure, but that is not true. The figure always precedes the fact of which one is speaking. The flood was the figure, and Peter was writing of our salvation. So, we find four things which God definitely says save us. We must, therefore, obey all those things in order to be saved.
When Christ apprehended Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus and told him to go into the city and there it would be told him what he must do, Saul believed Christ and repented of his sins; yet, when Ananias, the man appointed of God, came, he told Saul, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16.) If Saul had been saved when he believed, he would have had no sins to wash away.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mk. 16:16.) Faith and baptism are connected by the coordinate conjunction. It is a perversion of the truth to say: He that believeth is saved and shall be baptized. But, then, someone might say: Jesus said, “He that believeth not shall be damned,” and did not say he that is not baptized shall be damned. A parallel illustration is: He that eateth food and drinketh water shall live, but he that eateth not shall die. It takes both food and water to keep a person alive, but it takes the lack of only one to cause death.
We are baptized into Christ: “For as many of you as have been baptized have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27.) Baptism is the only thing that the Bible says puts one into Christ. If one can be saved without baptism, one can be saved out of Christ. But all spiritual blessings are in Christ. (Eph. 1:3.) Salvation is a spiritual blessing; therefore, we must be in Christ to be saved; and in order to be in Christ, we must be baptized. (Gal. 3:27.)
This shows that the doctrine of faith alone is not true. Let us believe and obey God rather than men.
—The Informer
Vol. 25, No. 32 May 21, 1972