This post was originally written as a response to a letter from a friend. He had many questions about the relationship between faith and works. I thought it might help someone else, so here ya go:



"Wow, there are many different topics that you've addressed, and it would take a huge amount of space to answer each one adequately, but let me give it try. :)

First, the fruit question. Faith saves alone, but faith that saves is not alone. That is, it will be accompanied by some change (what we call 'repentance'). However, pineapple trees take 3 years or so to bear fruit from the time the seed is planted -- what I mean is that oftentimes, a person might not bear fruit for a long time but still be saved. As Jesus often said, "Judge righteous judgment," that is, not with your EYES alone.

A friend of mine is a good example. She was saved at age 4, and witnessed to people even at such a young age. She had a lot of rough stuff happen growing up, and she suppressed (I won't say backslid) the voice of the Holy Spirit within her. She got involved with drinking, and eventually moved in with her boyfriend (whom she later married). Several years ago, in her 30's, she turned back to God. She said, "I was always aware of the fact that I was saved. I never doubted it one time. He was always trying to get me back." But her actions didn't show it at all. Now? She reads her Bible, and loves Jesus.

For her, salvation was having Jesus inside, but she never surrendered to him as her Lord. No surrender equals no fruit.

Second, Abraham and Rahab. This is obviously a reference to the book of James. James does not contradict Paul, who insisted that we are saved 'not of works' (Ephesians 2:9). James merely clarifies for us the kind of faith that saves. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works; but saving faith will have works that accompany it.

When Paul speaks of justification by faith alone, he means that we ourselves are justified in the eyes of GOD simply by faith in Christ. James is speaking of being justified in the eyes of MEN; our works prove our faith is the right faith. This is clearly seen in the context of James 2 where he talks about meeting the physical needs of people.

Third, can a saved person still give in to the struggle with sin? Oh yeah. If we define sin as 'gossip' then we see believers doing it every day. If we define sin as 'not going into all the world' then we see believers doing it every day. We will all have areas of compromise until we are totally redeemed on that day.

4th, I think I touched on this already, but believers are believers, and nonbelievers are nonbelievers. A nonbeliever may ACT like a believer, but it won't make him a believer; it won't change his NATURE. Similarly, a believer may ACT like a nonbeliever, but it won't make him a nonbeliever; he can't change his new NATURE back to what his old nature was. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are PASSED AWAY (dead), behold, all things are become NEW." And they cannot be made old again.

So, with that said, a believer cannot 'backslide' into an unsaved position. Impossible. How can he cause God to remember sins that have been washed away? How can he un-join himself with Christ? How can he uncircumcise his own spirit? Impossible. (Backsliding is a term used in the Old Testament to refer to the nation of Israel walking in ways that didn't please God. Guess what? God never did fully cast out Israel!)

John declares that if a professing 'believer', through threat of persecution, turns his back on Christ, he was "no doubt" never one of us in the first place. This is the not the case of a believer backsliding, but the case of a wolf in sheep's clothing having his true colors revealed. (I John 2:19)

Jesus touched on this same thing in his Parable of the Soils. "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. " (Lk 8:13) This is NOT saving belief. They believed but it was similar to the faith of devils "who also believe and tremble" (James 2). They believe in a God, but not in his Son. Convicting faith but without saving faith. Just enough faith to realize they're lost, but not enough to accept the life preserver offered by God.

5th, how are we saved? "To as many as received him..." (John 1:12). Receive is a good word because it shows that we don't DO anything for salvation. This is not 'receive' in the sense of 'reaching out and taking a gift.' THAT implies some action on my part. It is rather like when a lump of hot wax 'receives' the imprint of a seal. The wax just lays there. In this sense, receive is more like "allow."

God wants to save us. He is pressing upon each of us, trying to save us, trying to woo us, convict us, draw us to himself. And we rebuff his advances. We hold up our hand and say, No.

Salvation is simply lowering your hand, and saying, "Yes, Lord, save me. Set your seal upon me. I will not fight you off any more."

Repentance is turning from our Self. It is turning from my own strength, and letting God be my saving strength. Confession is the announcement that Christ is in charge ("Lord", Romans 10:9-10). It is again a recognition that there is a new King in town. It is allowing the new King to have his way with me. Salvation is of the Lord.

6th, you are correct. We follow Jesus out of love. But it is not a duty. It is not the obedience of a slave to a new master, but the obedience of a dear little child to his loving Father. When we accept Christ, we accept his death as our death, and his life as our life. We are crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live, yet not us, but Christ liveth in us. So, obedience, and every good action, is not US living the Christian life; it is CHRIST living his own life through us. Not duty on our part, but resting. Fruit simply being borne by the Spirit within us.

7th, Can you walk away from God? "There is a sin unto death" (I John 5). No, you cannot walk away from God, if by this you mean 'lose your salvation.' When a believer disobeys God for a long time, God will just call him home -- "and for this cause many sleep" (I Cor 12). You can disobey God unto death, but "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. " (2 Tim 2:13). He cannot deny himself, and we are part of him, "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (Eph. 5:30).

8th, suicide is not an unforgivable sin. It is the sad response of a life that feels trapped and feels like it has no other way out. Does it show a lack of faith and trust in God? Sure, but no more so than any other sin. It's just that this sin is so permanent. We unfortunately judge others by what we SEE with our eyes, and so this one is huge-- dead bodies are hard to ignore. But spiritually, the person is still alive, still in the presence of God. And, yes, this sin was also laid on Jesus and forgiven at the time of salvation.

The sad part about suicide is that it robs God of an influence in this world, besides all the heartache for those left behind.



If this doesn't have enough verses, let me know. There are tons of the them and I can rewrite this. This is just off the top of my head while I'm watching 'iCarly.' LOL

Chris"