Is faith alone really enough for salvation?

Theology
21

Ah, Tillman—you just lit a whole theological bonfire and asked for marshmallows. So let’s roast this slow and steady.

You’re asking: Is it faith in doctrine that saves, or faith in God?

Here’s the kicker: You can’t separate the two without gutting both. Because faith in the real God means believing what He actually says. And what He says is doctrine.

You mentioned Abraham and Noah. Beautiful examples—but let’s not forget: when God spoke, they obeyed. They didn’t say, “Well, Lord, Your truth is kind of subjective.” Abraham didn’t shrug off sacrificing Isaac because the Canaanite faith had a different view of fatherhood. No—he trusted God’s word over every other voice, even his own.

Now let’s cut through the doctrinal fog.

Yes, churches disagree. Yes, some twist Scripture. But truth isn’t up for vote. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Not a truth. The truth. That’s doctrine. That’s dogma. That’s salvation.

So can you be wrong on some doctrines and still be saved? Sure. God’s not waiting to flunk you on a theology exam. But here’s the line: you cannot reject the gospel and still claim the grace. Deny Christ as Lord? Deny the cross as sufficient? Deny the resurrection as real? Now you’re not in the realm of “minor differences”—you’re in heresy country, and Paul already told us how to treat that (Gal. 1:8–9).

Salvation isn’t about getting every doctrine right—but it is about getting Jesus right. And Jesus didn’t leave that up to vibes and feelings. He gave us His Word. That’s not interpretation—that’s revelation.

So no, God doesn’t require you to pick the “correct church.” He requires you to bow to the correct Christ. And not just any “Jesus”—but the real one: crucified, risen, Lord of all.

So here’s the mic drop:

Saving faith isn’t just trust in “a god.” It’s trust in the God—on His terms, not yours.

And His terms are written. In ink. In blood. In Scripture.

Don’t look for a church that agrees with you. Look for a Bible that confronts you.

22

Oh, Seeker.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree.
I understand your opinion. As I am sure you understand mine. But I don’t think we are approaching faith from the same angle.

Any man can follow a cult, repeat the words of a book, do what they are told. That is not faith. That is blind obedience to God knows what.

I believe in the transformational power of the Holy Spirit, in having a living relationship with God, and the importance of a right heart before the Lord.

Only a man who knows Christ can understand this importance. The inside of your cup must be cleaned and filled with better things. And from this will good works overpour- not to stay right with God but because Christ lives within you. It just becomes who you are. No one who recieves the gift of life Christ gives can go unchanged by those riches. It is better than all the money in the world. Worth more too.

Love is very important to God. More than you seem to be able to give credit for. It is so hard for a rich man to be saved. When you have so much, you don’t understand the nature of giving as does one who has so little.

God gives from His abundance. And He gave us Christ. And Christ gave all. When you learn about sacrifice, valueing another person’s life, seeing people as though they matter just as much as you do, then you will stop trying to prove you are the better man in the room and fight for the well being of all. Empathy is a blessed thing and worthy to be sought.

If your heart does not have that love you so easily spurn, you are nothing.

23

Oh, Tillman.

I hear you loud and clear—and I actually think we’re closer than you realize. But let’s clear some fog off the mirror, because I’m not spurning love. I’m defending it. Biblical love. Christ-shaped love. The kind that doesn’t just hug sin—it dies to kill it.

Yes, love is essential. Paul said it plain: “If I have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2) But the same Paul also said, “Love rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor. 13:6) So if your “love” demands I stay silent while truth gets crucified by nice-sounding error… that’s not love. That’s treason in a tuxedo.

You say you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives? Amen! But the Spirit never transforms apart from the truth. Jesus said the Spirit would “guide us into all truth” (John 16:13), not away from it to chase vibes and mystical impressions.

Yes, the inside of the cup must be cleaned—but Jesus didn’t say “Just have a good heart and do what feels right.” He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

You speak of empathy, of valuing others, of sacrifice—and you’re right. All of that is the fragrance of a life indwelt by Christ. But none of it replaces the foundation: faith in the real Christ, as revealed in the real Word.

This isn’t about being the “better man in the room.” It’s about being the broken man before the throne.

So no, we don’t need to “agree to disagree” if we’re chasing the same Christ.
But if we’re redefining Him to fit different gospels? Then we’ve got more than different angles—we’ve got different altars.

Let’s not settle for poetic faith or philosophical fog.
Let’s kneel at the foot of the cross where truth and love bleed in the same place.

24

But is your “truth” actually TRUTH? The Pharisee thought they had truth. They never willingly espoused lies. They had Scripture. It was what they did with the “truth” that was so abhorent, making converts twice the resident of hell as they.

They would leave men to die at the side of the road, if those men were unclean, for the Law. That is a matter of the heart. This inability to do the correct thing in order to meet a Scripture’s requirement, forsaking the same men the Scripture was meant to serve. Dead mens bones in white washed tombs, unalive and unaware why. A contrite heart finds the way to Wisdom.

Quoting Scripture does not make your opinion “truth.” Not if your “truth” takes you away from God. David was a man after God’s heart. He sang songs dedicated to the Lord. You have to be like a child, willing to listen and learn. To see the the thing that you are missing.

You assume something isn’t true. You have yet to prove it is not. Not sure what you mean by vibes and mystical impressions. Or what you have against mystical tradtions. Spirituality is not all logic amd reasoning. There is a Spiritual component. That is what the Spirit in Spiritual refers to. Not of the body. Dealing with things the human mind cannot comprehend. Dealing with something that exists beyond your grasp. Something you cannot put into a box and define, or know with your senses.

And John 15 goes on to say,
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command

Love is not about feelings, or what feel rights. I have never said that. Your insinuation that this is what I said or meant is manipulative and false.

“Agape” love is unconditional sacrificial love. Christian love. It is the kind of love that doesn’t judge others for being gay or adulterers or whores.

It is the kind of love that unconditionally accepts them fully as they are, as they come to God, as you were accepted without question despite your own wretched sinful ways. No one is throwing your sins in your face everyday. Reminding you of everything you get wrong…Daily. So much stuff! You sinner, you.

Becauae you don’t go out of your way to call people sinners when you unconditionally love them. You don’t take a splinter out of someone’s eye when you can’t remove the log from your own. The log is your lack of unconditional acceptance and love, which keeps you from being right with God. Ao how could you correct anyone here?

You do not let the sins of others stand between you and them, or them and God. As Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross for your sins, He also did it for them. Even the sins they have not realized or dealt with yet. Love is what changes them, kindness, like hot coals. With time in relationship with God. Not badgering them to death with demands to change and do what is right. That is not unconditional love.

Nothing feels good about that kind of love. You are called to love everyone- even strangers, enemies, and the worst sinners.

It is the kind of love that requires that you sacrifice everything that keeps you from showing acceptance- your bigotry, your racism, your judgemental nature, whatever unforgiveness you hold against others who have sinned against you.

Of course you would balk at this kind of love. We want to be right. We want to look good. We want to Lord the sins of others over them to show how superior we are. How much better ee are… That is the sinful nature. We don’t want to care about the well being of other people, let alone the people on the other side of our wifi connection.

I reccomend you read about Agape love:

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Tillman, I appreciate your heartfelt response and the emphasis you place on love and compassion. Indeed, love is central to the Christian faith, and it’s crucial to approach discussions with both truth and grace.

You rightly highlight the dangers of legalism, as exemplified by the Pharisees, who prioritized rules over mercy. Jesus condemned such hypocrisy, urging us to embody genuine love and humility.

However, it’s essential to recognize that love and truth are not mutually exclusive. Scripture teaches that “love rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). This means that our love should be informed by and aligned with the truths revealed in God’s Word.

Regarding faith and works, James 2:17 reminds us, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” This doesn’t suggest that works earn salvation but that genuine faith naturally produces good works as its fruit. It’s a reflection of a transformed heart, not a means to achieve righteousness.

As for agape love, it’s indeed unconditional and sacrificial. Yet, even this love doesn’t dismiss the need for repentance and transformation. Jesus showed compassion to sinners but also called them to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

In our journey of faith, it’s vital to balance love with truth, ensuring that our compassion doesn’t compromise the foundational truths of the Gospel. Let’s strive to embody both, reflecting Christ’s character in all we do. Tillman, I appreciate your heartfelt response and the emphasis you place on love and compassion. Indeed, love is central to the Christian faith, and it’s crucial to approach discussions with both truth and grace.

You rightly highlight the dangers of legalism, as exemplified by the Pharisees, who prioritized rules over mercy. Jesus condemned such hypocrisy, urging us to embody genuine love and humility.

However, it’s essential to recognize that love and truth are not mutually exclusive. Scripture teaches that “love rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). This means that our love should be informed by and aligned with the truths revealed in God’s Word.

Regarding faith and works, James 2:17 reminds us, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” This doesn’t suggest that works earn salvation but that genuine faith naturally produces good works as its fruit. It’s a reflection of a transformed heart, not a means to achieve righteousness.

As for agape love, it’s indeed unconditional and sacrificial. Yet, even this love doesn’t dismiss the need for repentance and transformation. Jesus showed compassion to sinners but also called them to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

In our journey of faith, it’s vital to balance love with truth, ensuring that our compassion doesn’t compromise the foundational truths of the Gospel. Let’s strive to embody both, reflecting Christ’s character in all we do.

26

Saved by Grace Through Faith (Ephesians 2:8)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith…”

This verse is the heartbeat of the Gospel. Paul is saying: “Let me explain how you got here.”

You didn’t climb out of your grave. You didn’t write your own pardon. You didn’t resurrect yourself.

You were saved by grace—through faith.

Grace is the source, and faith is the channel. Grace is God’s unmerited, divine favor—His willingness to act on your behalf even when you deserved wrath. And faith isn’t a work—it’s a response. It’s the open hand that receives what grace freely gives.

And don’t miss this: even that faith didn’t originate with you. Paul says:

“…and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

Every part of your salvation—grace, faith, quickening, seating—is God’s gift from start to finish. It was planned by the God, purchased by His flesh on the Cross, and applied by the Holy Ghost.

You weren’t just a drowning man handed a rope—you were a dead man breathed back to life.

Not of Works—No Boasting Allowed (v. 9)

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

If works had saved you, you’d have something to brag about. You could say, “I earned this.” You could turn salvation into a competition, a résumé, a badge of religious merit.

But God shut the door on boasting. He removed every ounce of human pride from the equation. The ground at the foot of the cross is level—no one stands there on taller ground..

You can’t hang your righteousness on church attendance. You can’t attach your salvation to morality. You can’t trust in your own hands when the blood of Jesus is what saves you.

Let me say it plainly: Your works didn’t save you, and they can’t sustain you. You were saved by mercy, and you’re carried by grace.

That’s why the Gospel isn’t about performance—it’s about position. And when you’re seated in Christ, you’re secure not because of your grip on Him—but because of His grip on you.