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FAITH ALONE?

The Bible commands us to:  2 Timothy 2:15  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  When we rightly divide the Word of God we find that what the Bible teaches and what man teaches are completely different and even contrary to the Word of God. 

The issue I would like to handle now is:

How are we truly saved?

The scripture I would like to open up and use is the following:

Matthew 25:14-30  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.  (15)  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.  (16)  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  (17)  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.  (18)  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.  (19)  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.  (20)  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.  (21)  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  (22)  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.  (23)  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  (24)  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:  (25)  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.  (26)  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:  (27)  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.  (28)  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.  (29)  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  (30)  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When many churches read and teach this scripture they come to the conclusion that the talent is the singing, dancing, playing, preaching. witnessing, or such like.  Many churches teach even I myself have been guilty of using this text to mean use your gift for the work of God. Truly this text is not about using your gift as much as it is about using your Salvation.   

Let me explain:  When interpreting scripture it is important that you read what is before the scripture and what is after the scripture.  When doing this you come to a better understand of what Jesus is saying.  Let us look at this all in Context.

1.  In Matthew 24 Jesus is telling His disciples what is going to happen before His advent.  Obviously some of the disciples have come to the conclusion that Jesus was to leave and then return.

  2.  When we get into the next chapter Matthew 25 Jesus begins to talk about what will happen when He comes back.  He will talk about who will go into heaven and who will not.  He begins by talking about the 10 virgins - 5 were brought into heaven and 5 were locked out.  So it will be those who are ready and waiting when He comes. 

3.  Now He comes to the parable of the Talents.  Those who multiplied and worked with what God gave them entered into heaven.  Those who just sat on it and didn't do anything with it was thrown into outer darkness.

4.  Then finally He talks about the sheep to His right and goats to His left.  Those who did something with what God gave them entered in those who didn't were sent to Hell. 

All of Matthew 25 is about who is entering into heaven and who is not entering into heaven.  The prerequisite for all of them is that they did something with what they had.  They did not just sit there with it.

If you were to ask someone what does it take to be saved:  Many will say believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.  Thou this is true it is incomplete.
 (NOW BEFORE CLOSING YOUR MIND YOU MUST UNDERSTAND SALVATION) 

Here is why that statement is incomplete?

THROUGH THE PARABLE OF THE TALENT AND MORE WE SEE SALVATION TO BE 2 PARTS.

THE FIRST PART OF SALVATION IS:

THE RECEIVING OF THE GIFT OR TALENT -

In John 3:15-16, " That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  (16)  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."

Notice the true interpretation and scripture says those who believe should not and not shall not.  There is a big difference.  The word interpreted should not is:
me¯
may  3361 - Should not

If Jesus meant shall not he would have said,  "hou - hoo  3757 - Will not"

Why is this accurate?  Just by the scriptures we read here we know that there are a lot of people who are believers in Jesus Christ.  I mean really believe but are going to Hell.   There will be even those who prophesy and cast out demons in the Name of  Jesus who will go to Hell due to their extra sinful work.  That is why Jesus says that those who believe in Me  SHOULD NOT Perish but have everlasting life.

Now with that to chew on.  Let me make it clear that the gift of God and of Salvation is just that a gift. 
It is not earned or a payment it is a gift.  Works can not get you the gift.  Ephesians 2:8-10 and more is very clear about that:

Ephesians 2:8-10  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  (10)  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So where is the problem, the problem is not receiving the gift the problem is keeping the gift.  Faith gets you the gift.  The servant in the Parable did not have to do anything to get the talent it was a gift.  The problem is not someone receiving the talent the problem is someone keeping the talent.

THE SECOND PART OF SALVATION IS KEEPING THE TALENT - WORKS

John 15:1-6  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  (4)  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (5)  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide (IF ANY MAN CONTINUE NOT) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

eh-an' may ** tis *** men'-o** en ** em-oy'
UNLESS ANY PERSON CONTINUE IN ME

Jesus makes it very clear that those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ become engrafted into the vine.  They become part of the vine and since they are part of the Vine they are expected to produce fruit.  Jesus says that those who do not produce fruit He cuts off and throws into the fire.  Just like those who didn't feed, clothe, visit, the others while they were on earth.  Jesus also says those who do not continue in Him are gathered and burned.  This shows that the Gift gets you into the vine but the works keep you into the vine. 

THE ARGUMENT:  Many may argue that a believer who does not produce works and does not do what God told Him to do is not saved in the first place.  They were never in the vine and they were never a true servant.

THE REBUTTAL:  This is a false assumption Jesus makes it very clear that those who believe are put into the VINE (SEE ALSO ROMANS 11)  but it is those who do not produce fruit or continue that are cut off.  If you were never saved in the first place they would not have been in the vine.  It is their faith that brings them into the vine and their non works that cuts them off.  The servant who received the talents was just that a servant.  How do you become a servant, by Faith.  When the Lord returned what happened?  He didn't produce and He was cast into outer darkness.  The Bible is very clear that there will be those who are saved and due to their works or non works will find themselves in Hell!  (SEE Matthew 7:21-23, Hebrews 10:26-31,  Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 21:28-31)

LET US NOW LOOK AT WHAT JAMES SAYS:

James 2:14-26  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  (15)  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  (16)  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  (17)  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  (18)  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  (19)  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  (20)  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  (21)  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  (22)  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  (23)  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  (24)  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.  (25)  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  (26)  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The word of God is very clear that Faith without works is dead. That salvation is two parts:  Faith being the first part and works being the second.  Many may argue that true faith will produce true works.  The answer to that is absolutely but the motivation for the works must come within the believer.  In other words if we are to believe and teach that if a person has faith that the faith by itself will move the person to do the works would be incomplete.  Even thou faith may be a push, it is minuet to the push the believer must do himself.   God would be unjustified by condemning those people to Hell because it would be very easy for them to blame the faith God gave them.  They can turn and say, "LORD the faith you gave me was no good and it didn't move me to do works."  The fact is it is the responsibility of the believer to expose the faith and put it to work and not by it in the ground or under their but on the the pew.

IN CONCLUSION,

There may be a lot of arguments concerning this doctrine.  Some may be very assumptive and some may be very speculative.  Yet the WORD OF GOD is so clear that Faith WITHOUT WORKS is dead.  I don't care if you are a Bishop or Pope with all the faith in the world. without works it is dead.  You may be a strong believer and stand strong for the Lord and your beliefs the fact is without faith it will do you no good when it comes to the time of Judgment.  This is what the WORD OF GOD TEACHES.  Anything less than that is assumptive, speculative, and an imitation.

IT IS OUR FAITH THAT GETS US SAVED!!!
IT IS OUR WORKS IN CHRIST THAT KEEP US SAVED!!!

TRUE FAITH WILL PRODUCES TRUE WORKS IF THE BELIEVER IS OBEDIENT!!!

EXTRA CREDIT - BONUS THOUGHT
I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN CHURCHES WHO TRULY BELIEVE IN JESUS AND GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY AND MIDWEEK WHO DO NOT CURSE, DRINK, AND ARE ALTOGETHER NICE PEOPLE BUT DO NOT  DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE LORD, that on the day of judgment they THEY WILL HEAR this:  MATTHEW 25 VERSES :41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  (42)  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  (43)  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  (44)  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  (45)  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.  (46)  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

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