Originally posted by Godmetal:
My faith in Christ and his sacrifice on my behalf is what is going to make me righteous before God.
Agreed - but only in so far as that 'faith' is evidenced in corresponding actions!
Abraham, the 'Father of Faith', was reckoned as righteous when he stepped out and did something as an expression of his faith - not just when he said in his heart 'I believe that', but when he started to act like he did (James 2:21)! However, it was not his
effort at working hard to be good which justified him, but his trust in God (Romans 4:2). But he only truly began to trust God when he did something which demonstrated it! Thus all the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11 are commended for what they
did, which actively expressed their belief in God's promises and power. Contrary to Luther's addition to Romans 3:28, it is not by faith
alone that we are justified, but by faith and actions working together - our faith being 'made complete' by what we do; for
"a person is justified by what he does, not by faith alone" (Jas 2:22,24). Of course, this is not talking of 'earning merit' through legalistic observance of the Law, but about a 'slavery to righteousness' coming from obedience to the One in whom we believe and trust for our salvation. Putting it in Jesus' words, it is by our fruit (or lack of it) that we are recognised as righteous or otherwise. But we can take no direct credit for that fruit, which is produced by God's Spirit working through us as we surrender to Him. We recognise that we can do nothing to earn God's favour, but do not therefore give up and do nothing because we beleive He'll forgive us anyway. Rather, because we believe He not only forgives us, but frees us from the controlling power of our sinful nature, we step out and do what He asks, in 'faith' that He will supply the strength and ability to obey His own commands.
All of which is getting off my original point, which is not about the salvation of believers in Christ, but about the eternal destiny of those who do not know Him in this life. Are they condemned already, because they never accepted a Saviour of whom they have never heard? Or do they stand a chance of eternal life on the basis of their behaviour in response to what little they do know of God and His standards?
Anthony
PS From what I've just written, there is a clear "Why don't..." question being begged! "Why don't
sola scriptura Christians accept that
"By works a man is justified and not by faith alone"?" Or, putting it another way, "Why don't they believe the scriptural words of James above those added to scripture by Luther?"??