6. We are saved by faith only. The Bible says Abraham’s faith was accounted unto him for righteousness.
Okay, Romans 4:3 – “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Paul is quoting from Genesis 15:6 and he tells us that Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. However, Paul doesn’t go into any detail about how it actually came about. But James does. James goes into explicit detail when he quotes Genesis 15:6. If we believe, it will be counted unto us for righteousness, but how is it counted for righteousness? It’s not just believing.
James asks in James 2:14, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” He spends the rest of the chapter answering this question. In verse 17 he says, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Then, he reiterates it in verse 20, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” In verses 22 and 23, James tells us that Abraham’s faith was made perfect by his works and that, because of his works, the Bible says, “Abraham’s faith was imputed unto him for righteousness.” There are two kinds of faith, saving faith, and dead faith. What is the difference? Works.
Hebrews 11:7 sheds some light on Noah’s salvation. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Faith caused Noah to move, but building the ark is what saved him and made him an heir of righteousness. By faith, he believed God, but obeying God’s word is what saved Noah. Had he not built the ark, Noah’s faith in God would not have saved him. It would have been mere dead faith.
The people in Acts 2 weren’t saved by faith only. Philip didn’t preach faith only in Acts 8. Paul wasn’t saved by faith only in Acts 9 (and 22), and Paul didn’t preach faith only to the Ephesians in Acts 19. Faith without works is dead.
But what about Abraham’s faith being imputed unto him for righteousness? James 2:21:“21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23And 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.” Genesis 15:6 was fulfilled when Abraham offered Isaac on the altar, not at the moment he believed only.
I don’t think we can put it any stronger than James. James 2:24 – “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” And don’t forget, he is still answering that question from verse 14.
One more point worth mentioning here is we are not saved by faith; we are saved by grace. Faith is how we avail ourselves of God’s grace, but faith without works is dead faith. There are no works to grace (God’s part), but there are plenty of works to faith (our part). Grace, God’s unmerited favor, gave us Calvary, the blood, and the gospel that began at Jerusalem. Nothing we ever do or fail to do will add to or take away from that grace. However, our faith, faith made perfect by our works, is obedience to the demands of that grace.