By Bob Wilkin
O. O. (not 7) writes:
“You continue to see individual passages saying one is saved by faith. But nowhere do they say by faith alone.”
In January of 1996, I debated a Church of Christ evangelist on justification by faith alone. One of his points was that the only place in the Bible that speaks of justification by faith alone says it is not by faith alone (Jas 2:24).1
In fact, even that verse does not speak of justification by faith alone. It should be translated, “You see then that a man is justified by works and not only by faith.” The word monon is an adverb modifying justified, not an adjective modifying faith. Some English translations do get this right and translate monon as only (KJV, NKJV, MEV): and not by faith only. James says there is one justification by faith, before God, and a separate justification by works, before men. Compare Rom 4:1-2.
John 3:16 clearly states that whoever believes in Jesus will never perish but has everlasting life. The Lord did not need to list all of the things not required. He did not need to add the word alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says that regeneration (compare Ephesians 2:5) is by faith apart from works. Paul is clearly saying that faith is the only condition.
Over a hundred times in the Bible, faith in Christ is the only condition for regeneration and justification. Since there is no other condition, it is not inaccurate to say that justification and regeneration are by faith alone.
The issue is not that the Lord and His apostles need clarification. The issue is that people disagree with what they clearly stated. The Church of Christ evangelist’s objection is one of many arguments people use to reject justification by faith alone.
Here are three other ways people oppose justification by faith alone:
- Defining faith as turning from sins, commitment, and perseverance in obedience.
- Saying that faith alone results in initial salvation, but that perseverance in obedience is required to gain final salvation.2
- Teaching that faith alone results in probationary salvation, but that to keep it, one must persevere in good works.
I found an article at The Gospel Coalition website by a leading NT scholar, Tom Schreiner, that illustrates the first of those three additional ways to contradict justification by faith alone. It is entitled “Do Paul and James Disagree on Justification by Faith Alone?”3 Schreiner began his article with an excellent defense of justification by faith alone. He cited Rom 3:28, Rom 4:5, Gal 3:6-9, and Eph 2:8-9 to prove that justification is by faith alone.
But then he turned around and said that James shows that “intellectual belief doesn’t save” and that “Faith alone justifies, but only the kind of faith that inevitably produces good works.” He clarified, “James teaches that there is an organic relationship between genuine faith and works. If we truly trust Christ, that trust shows up in how we live. Works evidence our faith.”
Many have been conditioned to read statements like that and see nothing wrong with them. Justification is by faith alone, apart from works, and justification is by faith plus works. Both are true. The fact that makes no sense is lost because of tradition.
The Scriptures are clear. Whoever believes in Jesus for everlasting life is eternally secure. The sole condition is faith in Christ. Justification truly is by faith alone. That most people reject that— even people who profess to be Christians—bothers me.
Does it bother you?
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Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society. He and Sharon live in Highland Village, TX. He has racewalked ten marathons.
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1 Some English translations have “not by faith only” (KJV, NKJV, MEV). Most have “not by faith alone” (NIV, NET, NASB, HCSB, RSV, LEB, ESV, GNT).
2 Tom Schreiner and Ardel Caneday teach this in their book The Race Set Before Us, pp. 38-45. See especially the chart on p. 40.
3 See https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/do-paul-james-disagree-on-justification-by-faith-alone/.
