Today I received an e-mail from “Darrel” entitled “concern.”  Darrel is troubled that our congregational web site does not teach “salvation by faith alone.” 

Darrel asked me to examine more than 30 Scriptures to prove his claim that salvation is by faith alone, but every verse he cited speaks of being saved “by faith” instead of salvation by “faith alone.”

My reply to Darrel included the following statement:  “If you could show me where ‘faith alone’ is used in the Bible to describe salvation, I would be grateful.”

So far Darrell has not written back.  Maybe he has not yet looked at his e-mail or maybe he is searching for just one passage that supports his belief that salvation is by “faith alone.” 

“Faith alone” is found just one time in the New Testament; the NIV uses this exact wording in Jas. 2:24 to say “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

Many claim we ARE saved by “faith alone,” but God’s inspired spokesman says a person is NOT saved by faith alone.  Who will we believe—God or a man like Darrel? 

PS:  I received a follow-up note from Darrel, but he did not include a verse which says we are “saved by faith alone.” 

Remember:

Without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).

We cannot be a child of God without repentance (Lk. 13:3).

We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:12; Acts 8:36-38).

Finally we must be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

Have we done these things and are we living a faithful Christian life?