Let me define the word religionist to refer to a person who is in fellowship with almost any set of doctrines provided that it is religious. (I say "almost" since we would expect some way-out doctrines, such as Satanism, to be excluded.) Populism is the intentional modification of doctrine to appeal to the masses. Thus, the term religionist populism is religionism gone to seed.
As we look around at the religious world today we would have to be blind not to see the drift in many, if not most, churches toward religionist populism. This lack of disciplined thinking is exactly what Jesus was addressing when he said (Mt. 7:13-14):
Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby, for narrow is the gate and straightened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
As is the case with most of Jesus' teachings, this does not conform to the conventional wisdom of our day. The idea that we can pick our own way of pleasing God is totally foreign to the bible. Whenever we see people attempting to practice this, they are condemned for it (e.g., Duet. 12:8; Jn. 4:22-24; Mt. 7:21-23).
In this issue we wish to address the errors of religionist populism. Our objective is not to be judgmental or to think ourselves better than others. As we enter into these studies, please read all of the biblical references in detail. Our only goal is to "teach them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you" (Mt. 28:19).
These bible study questions provide assistance to you in studying and teaching God's word. The answers are quite clear, and they prove that we can have the same understanding as the apostles had by reading what they wrote (Ephesians 3:4). We challenge you to open your bible and establish the truth.
An Analytical Study Of Romans Chapter Four
Preparation: Read Romans 3 and notice that the contrast is between the Old Testament law (summarized by the word works), and the gospel of Jesus Christ (summarized by the word faith). This is the key to understanding the verses of Romans 4:
1-2 Are the types of works under consideration here works for which a man could glory according to the flesh?
3 Does it say that Abraham did not act on his faith, e.g., had no works (faith only)? See Hebrews 11:8-10, 17.
4-5 Is the contrast here between obedience and disobedience, or is it between the motivation of faith in God as opposed to acting out of self-justification?
6-8 Read Psalms 32 and determine what it was that David did in order to obtain forgiveness. Are these works of self justification or actions motivated by faith?
9-13 Was circumcision representative of the Old Testament law?
14-15 Is this the law of works that Paul is contrasting with faith?
16-21 What was the result of Abraham's faith? Did he give glory to God? How? Review Hebrews 11:8-10, 17.
22- Read at least through Romans 6. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1)
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth our of the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). In this simple yet powerfully profound statement, Jesus tells us that we cannot be saved by just observing the portion of God's word which pleases us. We need all of it.
There are many things that the bible states that we are saved by. Please consider the following scriptures to verify that we are saved by: (1) grace - Eph. 2:8, (2) hope - Rom. 8:24-25, (3) faith - Jn. 3:16, (4) repentance - 2 Cor. 7:10, (5) calling on the name of the Lord - Acts 2:21, (6) faith and confession - Rom. 10:9, (7) faith & baptism - Mk. 16:16, (8) baptism - 1 Pet. 3:21, (9) acts of obedience - Phil. 2:12-13 & Heb. 5:9, (10) enduring to the end - Mt. 24:13. [Note: this is not necessarily an exhaustive list.]
Now that you have established that the bible teaches that we are saved by at least 10 different things, does it not stand to your own logical reasoning that if some man were to take the word only and place it after any one of these, he would be guilty of perverting the word of God?
In the effort to make the word of God more palatable to the masses, and to use radio and TV in this process, populist teachers have done exactly this. Indeed, they can show a limited number of scriptures that definitively teach their X-only doctrines! However, in the process they have muted the fullness and aborted the power of the full Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are not saved by anything only! The placing of the word only after any one of the things that God's word says "saves us" negates all of the others. For example, if we say that we are saved by "faith only," this nullifies all of the other things which God has done and all the other conditions which God has placed upon us. It makes doing good evil, and doing evil good, and makes the very same mistake as the Roman Christians who Paul addressed in Romans 6: 1-23.
It is not our intent to offend those good and honorable people who believe and have practiced a form of X-only religion. However, we beg you to look around at the fruits that encouraging the neglect of the totality of God's word is bearing in our society today. Our only plea is that we get back to the entire word of God. May God bless you in your bible study.
We are saved by faith only ...
But the James wrote (James 2:24):
"Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
Read all of James 2 to see that he was not teaching salvation by meritorious works. The bible is consistent in this regard: we cannot earn our salvation, it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8; Tit. 3:4-5).
This does not mean that salvation is without conditions, and most people realize that faith is one of those conditions (Jn. 3:16). James is defining the type of faith which God requires. God is not a respecter of persons; He requires the same type of faith of us as he required of Abraham and the righteous men and women of all ages (Heb. 11). That faith must be a living faith. Faith without works is dead (Ja. 2:26) and will avail nothing. When our faith motivates us to do those things that God has prepared for us, these are not our works, they are the working of God (e.g., Col. 2:12).
Many set James 2 aside citing Romans 4, which they believe contradicts this teaching. We ask you to continue your study of this important subject of faith and works by considering the questions that we have posed about Romans 4 in our You Find the Answers section in this issue.