Justification Is by Faith Alone

Our Mini Concert and Raffle draws last October 15, 2014 was so very successful. We have given 30 consolation prizes and 3 major prizes. We were little bit worried in the afternoon because of the strong rain that lasted about 3 hours, but we praise the Lord it stopped exactly before we started the activities.
 

Tomorrow October 18, 2014 we will have a whole day breakthrough seminar, may the Lord will bless this event and on October 22-23, we will have a Ministerial Sports Fest and Youth Radical First Anniversary and Thanksgiving Celebration. This schedule was changed from October 20-30, 2014 due to advance semestral break.

On October 31, we will have our Fellowship and Revival in Makilala North Cotabato together with the Pastors of Anchored In Jesus Evangelistic Association.

Please uphold us in your prayer.

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Justification Is by Faith Alone
Originally written by Pastor Alberto Rendon 

I have been listening to the teaching  of the Pastor that I am following on the internet. He said that Salvation is by Grace Alone, and not by faith alone, because faith is not alone. I think he missed the point about salvation that is by faith alone and nothing more.



So if Salvation is by Grace alone, it seems that it does not need anything even faith or else salvation is not by grace alone. Right? But it was not biblical because salvation is on two sides. In the side of God, it is by his grace alone that man can be saved, but on the side of man it is by faith alone that he can receive salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephessians 2:8-9

When we say salvation is by faith alone, it is based on the side of man. But in the sense of two sides, salvation is by grace and by faith.

How about works? Works are not necessary for anyone to receive salvation, because salvation is a gift. If it is a gift, it does not need any work as payment, or else the gift should no longer be a gift at all, but a reward because you can receive it as the reward of your works.

If salvation is not received by faith alone because you need to work for it, then, how many volumes of the works you should have to do to merit salvation? Can we give a specific number of works for us to do in order to be saved? If there is a number of works to do in order to be saved, then if you cannot comply all the works required in order to earn salvation, you will never be saved.

That is why on our side, salvation is by faith alone.

At the moment you put your trust in the finished work of Christ for your salvation, you have that faith, and at that moment you have received salvation. Of course you have to hear first the preaching of the gospel of Christ or else you will not put your trust in His finished work for your salvation.

After you have heard and you are convicted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have realized that you are a sinner and you are responsible of your sin and you will receive a judgment because of that sin. And now, you realized that you are in need of salvation from the judgment of your sin, and you have seen nothing and no one that can save you from your sin except only Jesus Christ, then you accepted him that he is your personal savior and that he has already paid the penalty of your sin , at that moment you received salvation. At that point, you are on your saving faith.

Salvation is Received On the Moment of Saving Faith

Any moment after a person has received salvation dies, he is saved no matter what he has done because salvation is not based on works but on faith alone. In other words, he has done nothing to merit his salvation before he died except by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus, I believe he is saved it is because he has  already received salvation not because of his works, but through his faith on the finished work of Christ for his salvation. 

It is very clear that salvation is not of your works, but it is by God's grace and through your faith in the finished work of Christ for your salvation.

At the moment you have that faith, God in heaven declared, you are justified.  Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified (saved) by faith, (no additional works) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:.."

Sanctification is by Faith that produces Good Works

Justification and sanctification are the result of salvation as well as glorification. But sanctification will produce good works to show forth that you have been saved.

The reason the Holy Spirit is given is to aid for your sanctification, for without the Holy Spirit you cannot live a sanctified life.

We do not practice good works because we want to have a sanctified life, we do the good works because they are the results of a sanctified life.

Talking about good works, many people could have done many good works, but without the gift of salvation in their lives, their good works are nothing, but as filthy rags before God. Unless your life has already been sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ, the good works you are doing are not credited in the sight of God, as well.



Justification is Passive and Sanctification is Progressive

The Bible says, you have been declared justified, that means your case has been acquitted, you are no longer a criminal, because you don't have a case anymore, it has been settled. That is what it means passive.

But you still have to follow the rules of being a free man or woman. Following the rules speaks of sanctification, so your role as an acquitted man is to follow the rules, that's moving forward doing the things according to the rules. That is what it means progressive and that is what it means to live a sanctified life.

All of this starts when you put your trust on the finished work of Jesus Christ. And that is what it means faith. You have trusted in Jesus Christ that he has saved you through his death, you have trusted in Christ that you have been forgiven of your sins and you have been cleansed by the his precious blood. 

So in Christ alone (God's grace) and by Faith alone (your trust/faith) that you have been justified or saved. You are not only being justified, but your justified life is being sanctified so that you can produce good works that could be counted as good in the sight of God.