Faith and Works
A guest post by Chad Ramsey.
How “Faith” is Used in Scripture.
The word faith is used in more than one sense in Scripture.
Faith: The System of Doctrine.
At times it refers to the system of doctrine set forth in the New Testament. This is the way the term is used in Acts 6:7 where Luke states that “a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
Paul also used the term in this manner when he encouraged the Corinthians:
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
And Jude used the term faith to describe the system of doctrine set forth in the New Testament when he charged his audience “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Faith: A Trusting Response to God.
Elsewhere in the Bible, the term faith is used to refer to man’s trusting response to God and His word. It results, as Romans 10:17 declares, when one hears and does what God decrees.
Examples of individuals who acted in faith are listed throughout Hebrews 11. Noah built the ark “by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice “by faith” (verse 17). And Joshua and the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho “by faith” (verse 30).
Those who do not respond to God in faith cannot please him, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Without faith, we cannot enter God’s rest (Hebrews 4:1-2), access God’s grace (Romans 5:1-2), or defend ourselves against the devil’s attacks (Ephesians 6:16).
If we wish to become God’s children, we must respond to Him in obedient faith (Galatians 3:26-27).
Are Faith and Works Connected?
Despite Scripture’s clear description of faith as an obedient response to God, some have questioned whether faith and works are compatible. This objection is primarily based on the idea that our salvation does not result from our own meritorious efforts, or as the apostle Paul put it, salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9).
But a careful study of Scripture will show faith and works are not only compatible but also necessarily linked.
Making this point, James wrote:
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
Given James’s declaration, the question is not: Must faith be accompanied by works? It is, rather: What kind of works complement faith?
James 2:14-26 shows the works that are necessary to the faithful Christian life are works of obedience—actions that are made manifest only when one truly submits to God in faith.
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
I've always thought of works as proof of our faith. Without them, there's no real proof other than our word, and you know how that is ...
Great explanation of an often misunderstood topic... restacked it!