In the Baptist Church, it is taught profusely that one is justified by faith only that there is no actual obedience that must be rendered. This denomination denies and despises the fact that a sinner must be baptized into Christ to be saved. In examining the New Testament, we find that the Bible does teach a man is justified by faith-Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24. The Good Book also teaches that one is justified freely by God’s grace: Titus 3:7. The Scriptures teach that we are justified by His blood: Romans 5:9 also James tells us we’re justified by works. James 2:21, 24, 25. The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians in first Corinthians 5:11 telling them they were justified by Christ. In Galatians 2:16, Paul later says we’re justified by knowledge. Then finally, Paul in Romans 3:33 says it is God that justifies. This is a list of seven means, by Christ, his name, his blood, by knowledge, grace, faith, and by works. He that selects faith out of seven acts without reason; he infers that he has superior knowledge than He who the message was delivered by, the Holy Spirit. Why, then, say that faith alone is the reason for our justification? Why not assume that the name of the Lord alone is the greater matter, saying His name is the “only name given under heaven by whereby we must be saved.” Or why not teach that because of the name of Jesus, or the Lord, salvation is ours? We have the grace of God which teaches us that grace is the efficient cause, the authority of the Lord- the immediate cause, and that faith is a formal cause, while works are concurring causes!
A witness standing beside the road sees a car wreck. Passion causes him to send his son to try and save them. When the boy gets to the car, they submit to his help. Two little girls in the backseat stretch out their arms, take hold of his hand, and flee for safety. While this is going on there are people standing idly by and watching, who do nothing. While the young boy was trying to aid the other two passengers, the car exploded, and all perished. The moving cause of their salvation was the goodwill of the father who sent his son. The efficient cause was his son who ran toward eminent death to aid; the procuring cause was the boy reaching and grabbing them by the hand and pull them out of the car, those that escaped. The knowledge of their death and his invitation to pull them out of the car would be called the disposing cause. The grabbing of the young man’s hands and pulling as strongly as they could to gain freedom would be called the immediate cause; consenting to his conditions, would be the formal cause and running to the side of the road for safety was the concurring cause of their salvation. Men are justified or saved by grace, by Christ, by His blood, by faith, by knowledge, by the name of the Lord, and by works. Of the seven causes, three are purely instrumental– why choose one and put emphasis on justifying and exclude or show no preference to others? Everyone in its own place is essentially necessary.
If we examine the New Testament, we will find that we are said to be saved by as many causes, though some of them differently denominated, as those by which we are said to be justified. We are said to be saved by grace. Ephesians 2:5; saved through His life, Romans 5:9, 10; saved through faith, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 16:31; saved by baptism, first Peter 3:21; or by believing and being baptized, Mark 16:16; or by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5; or by the gospel, first Corinthians 15:1; or by calling on upon the Lord, and by enduring to the end, Acts 2: 21, Romans 10:13, Matthew 10:22. In the Book, salvation is ascribed to grace, to Jesus Christ, to His death and resurrection-three times, to baptism, either by itself or in conjunction, one time with faith, and one time with the Holy Spirit; to works, or calling upon the Lord, or enduring to the end. To these we could add other phrases but these explain our example. Saved by grace, is the moving cause; by Jesus, the efficient cause; by the gospel, the disposing cause; by faith, the formal cause; by baptism, the immediate cause; and by enduring to the end, or persevering in the Lord, the concurring cause. Why then do the Baptist teach that salvation is “by faith only?” More lies from their father!! John 8:44
