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Do You Have An Obedient Faith?
C.R. Sutton
Alien sinners are saved by faith! Such
passages as John 3:16; 3:36; John 5:24; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 10:43;
16:30; Rom. 3:25; 5:1-2; Eph. 2:8, etc. Every Bible believer
understands and accepts this fact. However, none of the above
Scriptures (or any other) teach that alien sinners are saved by
faith only.
To be saved by faith some other things must accompany it. In other words,
it must be a working faith. Without works it is dead! (See James
2:14-26). This is another way of saying that it must obey God. We
learn in the Scriptures what the Lord requires of us in our
obedience to Him.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Saviour! (See Mt. 1:21; Luke 2:11;
Acts 5:31; 1 John 4:14; 3:16). He died on the cross for the sins of
the world. (See Rom. 5:6-8; 1 Cor. 15:3; Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7, etc.).
To please and to have access into the grace of God and to be saved, it is
essential that we have faith in God and in Jesus Christ as the Son
of God. (See Heb. 11:6; John 20:30-31; Romans 5:1-2).
Since a faith without works is dead, passive, inactive. It will not save.
To be alive, faith must work. It must be active in obedience to God.
(See Gal. 5:6; Mt. 7:21; Heb. 5:8-9).
Sinners do not have the right to decide what will please God, give them
access into grace and save them. They must accept the conditions
that God has already given in His Word. The doctrines of "grace
only", "faith only", "pray the sinner's prayer", etc. are not taught
in the Scriptures. They are all doctrines that originated in the
minds of men. They cause people to remain lost. Faith must obey!
(See Rom. 1:5).
To have a saving faith a sinner must receive his faith by hearing the
Word of God. (See Rom. 10:17). His faith must cause him to repent of
his sins according to Lk. 24:47; Acts 2:38; 17:30-32, etc. The
sinner's faith must cause him to confess with his mouth Jesus as the
Son of God, as truly being Lord according to Rom. 10:9-10; Acts
8:37, etc. The sinner's faith must cause him to be baptized for the
remission of sins according to Acts 2:38; To be saved according to
Mk. 16:16; To get into Christ according to Rom. 6:3-4 and Gal.
3:26-27.
Do you have any obedient faith? If not, you have no true hope of
salvation. (CRS)
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