Forcing Square Pegs Through a Round Hole?
OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
Square Pegs and a Round Hole?What is Faith? (Hebrews)Salvation in Hebrews as it Relates to Faith and Obedience
Paul Agrees with the Letter to the Hebrews
"The Obedience of Faith"Paul's Theological Framework: A Contrast of Two Systems - Faith verses Works
OverviewResponding to Possible Objections
Romans 4:1-5Romans 10:9-10
Galatians 3:2-9
John 3:16
Everybody correctly knows it is futile to try to push a square peg through a round hole. As we read the New Testament, we discover a number of verses which describe salvation in terms of faith. Ephesians 2:8, John 3:16 Yet there are also many other verses that speak of salvation in terms of obedience. 1 Peter 1:22; 3:21; Romans 6:17-18, Philippians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Hebrews 5:9
Were the New Testament authors describing two mutually exclusive concepts such as square pegs and round holes when they wrote about salvation in terms of faith and obedience, or in their minds did these two concepts fit together harmoniously? Is the concept of salvation by faith incompatible with salvation also being dependent upon obedience? Might the biblical concept of justification by faith actually incorporate and necessitate some form of obedience? This article seeks to explore how the Biblical authors understood faith and obedience.
A Biblical Portrayal of Faith
What is Faith? (Hebrews)
Faith involves expressing our confidence in something because of our hope in it. Hebrews 11:1 When the message of God is proclaimed, it can cause humans to exhibit just such a confidence and hope in God and His promises. Accordingly, the trust God desires humanity to express comes from listening to the word of God. Romans 10:17
For a person to have faith in God and in Jesus requires that individual to trust and rely upon God. But as we examine different contexts where people have been called to trust in God, we discover a curious observation. How someone is called express their trust in God changes according to the message God has given.
Abraham is a good example of how faith in God has required different manifestations of faith. In one situation, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. In this case, the required faith response was to simply believe in God's promise. Romans 4:3 When there are no stipulations tied to a promise, that situation merely requires believing the promise. Hence, in this situation Abraham only needed to believe in order to have faith. But in those contexts where God commanded Abraham to do something, to respond with faith required more than just believing. When God commanded Abram to leave his family and go to a land which He would show him, to trust in God meant that Abram should obey God by packing his bags and heading off along a winding road being confident that God would lead him. Hebrews 11:8 Similarly, when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, to respond to God with faith required trusting in God by obediently carrying out that command. Hebrews 11:17
Similarly, when God told Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh ... build yourself an ark" (Genesis 6:13-14), faith in God required Noah to trust in God by building an ark. In that situation, there is no evidence which suggests that Noah would have been justified by faith if his response had been limited to being fully convinced in his heart that God would indeed bring a flood. For Noah to have responded with faith/trust meant that he had to pick up some tools and start building an ark. And because Noah did trust in God by building an ark, he received the justification which comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7
The author of Hebrews illustrates well the principle that faith in God will produce various manifestations of reliance upon God as shaped by the context. Whenever God calls us to respond to His message He has determined the parameters for an acceptable response. Do we find any suggestion in the Bible that the presecribed faith response is always limited to someone possessing a genuine belief? Do we not discover that trust can also require an appropriate obedient action? In certain situations, God may just want us to believe. On other occasions he may want us to act in a particular way. Thus all desired forms of a faith response are actually the prescribed form of obedience for that situation whether this takes the form of "merely believing a promise," "packing some bags," or "building an ark," etc. The context determines how trusting in God is to be obediently expressed. The expression of faith which God desires will always constitute some form of obedience.
Salvation in Hebrews as it Relates to Faith and Obedience
Because faith in Christ involves actively trusting in Christ, we should not be surprised that the letter of Hebrews presents Jesus as being the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Hebrews 5:9 Does this conflict with the principle of salvation by faith? Those who obey Christ are those who are trusting and relying upon Christ. It may be that God has called us to obey Christ by merely believing a promise or it may be that this obedience requires a specific action.
Does the letter to the Hebrews give any indication how God wants us to respond in faith by obeying Christ in order to receive salvation? Having claimed that the unsolved problem for the worshiper under the Mosaical Law involved failure to obtain a clean conscience (Hebrews. 9:9) and having also emphasized the importance of sprinkled blood for purification (Hebrews. 9:13, 19, 21, 23), the author brings these two thoughts together in asserting that Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse even the conscience. Jesus' blood can truly make us holy (Hebrews. 9:14; 10:10,14).
The important question then becomes, how and when did the author of Hebrews understand that we receive this cleansing? Was it at the time we might say a sinners' prayer or invite Jesus into our heart? Let's look at the text. Building upon the significance of sprinkled blood, the author describes the Christian's hope and assurance of faith as resting upon whether our heart has been sprinkled by Christ's blood and our body has been washed with pure water, namely baptism. Hebrews 10:19, 22 Using the priestly metaphor from the Old Testament of sprinkled blood, the application of Christ's blood upon the heart to cleanse us is tied with the physical act of washing one's body with water. The author of Hebrews apparently understood Christ's blood to be applied to our heart when we are moved by faith to obey Christ in being baptized. The disciple of Christ can draw near to God with confidence because of Christ's blood received at the time of baptism.
Paul Agrees with the Letter to the Hebrews"The Obedience of Faith"
Paul's understanding of faith agrees with the letter to the Hebrews. Although some modern translations do not faithfully reflect the original Greek, Romans 1:5 describes Paul's stated goal as being to lead the nations "to the obedience of faith." Similarly, Paul claimed that God had commanded that the gospel be preached so that it might bring about "the obedience of faith." Romans 16:25-26 God intended for the preaching about Jesus to lead people to the obedience of faith. Accordingly we should not be surprised when Paul wrote that it is those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel whom God will punish with everlasting destruction. 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10
Salvation involves being released from the shackles and penalty of sin in order to become a new creature who is alive unto God. Paul referred to this moment of salvation and entering this new relationship in the following way,
"Do you not know that to whom you render yourselves as slaves in obedience, you are slaves to that one, whether of sin which leads to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that although you were slaves of sin you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching into which you were entrusted, and having been made free from sin, you have become slaves to righteousness. ... But now, having been freed from sin and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit into holiness, and the result is eternal life." Romans 6:16-18, 22
In these verses Paul described a teaching which when obeyed from the heart resulted in his readers being forgiven/ released from their sins (saved) so that they became alive unto God and received eternal life. Paul understood salvation in Jesus to involve an obedience from the heart to the gospel message.
When we inquire, "what form of teaching had those Christians in Rome obeyed from their hearts resulting in their being liberated from sin," the context reveals that Paul has just finished describing how that through baptism into Christ they had died to sin and had been raised up to a new life to serve God. Romans 6:3-14 Paul elsewhere also revealed that his understanding of salvation by faith through Jesus required baptism. Galatians 3:26-27, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 and Colossians 2:10-12,20;3:1
Paul's Theological Framework: A Contrast of Two Systems - Faith verses WorksOverview
Throughout his letters and his preaching (Acts 13:38-39), Paul contrasted two principles, or systems whereby someone might be declared righteous before God. A person can choose to enter Christ and rely upon what the salvation Jesus has provided in order to be counted righteous or he can seek to obtain his own righteousness by fulfilling the demands of the Law. The first is known as being justified out of faith while Paul refers to the latter as being justified out of the works of the Law.
When Paul argued that justification comes out of faith and not by works, he was responding to problems within his context. Apparently the first century churches were repeatedly under pressure by Jewish influences to fulfill at least certain elements of the Mosaical Law such as circumcision in order to ensure salvation. Acts 15:1-5; 13:39; Galatians 2:15-5:15 When Paul wrote about faith and works he was contrasting two basic ways people might use for approaching God: either we can trust that God will declare us righteous because of our incorporation into Christ and the purification he has made possible for us or we can rely upon our ability to achieve righteousness by trying to live up to God's standard. Philippians 3:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:2-9; Romans 3:19-5:1; 9:31-32
Paul responded in at least three ways to the threat of a Christian being tempted to fulfill the Mosaical Law's demands. All three of these principles are interrelated. First, if anyone seeks to fulfill even one element of the Law in order to be declared righteous, such a person has placed himself under the burden of achieving perfection through fulfilling the entire Law. Anything less than absolute perfection would result in his condemnation. Galatians 3:10; 5:3 Second, Paul asserted that no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the works of the Law, rather through the Law a person becomes aware of his own sinfulness. Romans 3:20; 7:7-13; Galatians 2:16 Third, if any Christian does revert to following the Law such an individual has fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:4
Paul argued that the righteousness which comes through the Mosaical Law is based upon what someone is able to achieve. In such a system, the works of the Law would require a person to not only depend upon himself, but could also lead to boasting about what he had achieved for himself. Romans 3:27; 4:2 If someone's reliance for righteousness is based upon his own merit through what he has achieved, there can be no grace. He receives exactly what he has earned. Hence, the necessity of personal perfection would be required in order for someone to be declared righteous. If a Christian were to adopt this system, there can be no basis for salvation by grace. For this reason, Paul wrote about the dangers of a Christian returning to the Law, "You have been cut off from Christ, those who seek to be made righteous by the Law, you have fallen from grace." Galatians 5:4 Conversely, the principle of faith requires us to rely upon Christ's death and his blood in order for us to be declared righteous. To have faith in Jesus and in his blood involves relying upon Jesus because we believe the gospel. (See Jesus' statement in John 8:24)
Our Faith in Jesus or Jesus' Faith
Trying to handle God's word carefully and examine everything in order to know what is true, should lead us to to allow the Greek text to confront our conventional assumptions. When Paul wrote that justification comes "out of faith of Jesus" (Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9, etc.), was he writing about our faith in Jesus or Jesus' faith? Most translations (the KJV being a notable exception) simply translate these verses as "faith in Jesus" or "faith in him."
If at least some of these verses are describing Jesus' faith and not our faith in Jesus, does this undermine our necessity to possess faith in him? No. Even if all of the verses which speak of the "faith of Jesus" do refer to Jesus' faith, this does not nullify the clear teaching that we must believe in Jesus and have faith in his blood in order to be saved as God's children. John 3:16; Romans 3:25; Galatians 3:26 If the "faith of Jesus" texts are teaching us about Jesus' faith, it would simply further enrich our understanding of our dependency upon Christ for salvation. The only other apparent result would be that a few verses which have been understood to be describing our faith in Jesus would now be shifted to describing the result which Jesus' faith has made possible for us.
As Everett Ferguson has accurately written, "The decision in individual passages does not greatly affect the overall understanding of New Testament teaching. There is no doubt that Christ's faithfulness in carrying out the plan of God was the means through which God justifies the ungodly (Rom. 3:21-26; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21). Even if all the passages speaking of 'the faith of Christ' refer to Christ's faith, there are many passages remaining where righteousness is connected with human faith." Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today (ACU Press: 1996), p. 157.
Works
Paul used works in both a negative sense ("not saved by works") and a positive sense ("work of faith"). How are we to understand works? Did Paul condemn all human activity, volition and/ or obedience to God? Or might his negative usage of works refer to something else? Works, when used in a negative context, refers to the self-reliance which comes from seeking to achieve righteousness by my ability to fulfill the Law's demands.
Does Galatians 3:12 and Romans 4:4-5 lead us to define "works" as simply "doing something"? While it is possible to interpret these texts as teaching this, if we do draw this conclusion we create the problem of Paul contradicting himself since as noted above he does tie salvation to obedience&endash;which involves doing something. Is there another way to understand Galatians 3:12 and Romans 4:4-5 which would honor a harmonious author-centered interpretation?
Both of these verses are embedded within contexts whose purpose is to denounce the self-reliance coming from the "doing" associated with the Law, not the broader contexts of mere activity or obedience to God. Just because someone is doing something or obeying God does not necessarily mean that they are involved in relying upon an effort of self-made righteousness. Instead of Paul condemning all obedience as a "work," we find that even Paul taught those early Christians that what counts is keeping God's commandments! 1 Corinthians 7:19
It would appear that to define works in a broader manner so as to include all active forms of obedience is to take Paul's message out of context and force him to contradict himself. Thus in our reading of the New Testament it seems we should not naively equate the negative usage of "works" with "doing something" or even "obeying God." For those who are acquainted with Venn diagrams, the assertion being made here can be illustrated in the following manner.
What this diagram suggests is that the negative usage of works will always involve "doing something" whether a person is seeking to fulfill the Mosaical Law or relying upon their own sense of what will make him righteous. This diagram suggests that works when used in this negative sense in Paul's letters (i.e. "works will not save you") is always focusing upon righteousness that would come through self-reliance and NOT simply all forms of obedience to God nor all human actions.
Sometimes Paul used work/s in a positive sense. In such cases it does not refer to an individual's self-reliance in obeying the Mosaical Law. Paul used the word "works" as well as the concept of obedience in a positive manner to describe the expressions and fruits of someone's faith in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Galatians 5:6-7; Philippians 2:12 Faith works. Elsewhere even the obedience of believing is called a work. John 6:29
Accordingly, baptism is not a work because baptism does not involve generating my own righteousness either through the Law or through oneself, but rather depending upon the blood of Christ. The New Testament never degrades baptism by calling it a work in the negative sense. It would appear that for someone to derisively label baptism "a work" would necessitate that person to assume that a work means "doing something," and then to apply their own definition of works to baptism. In stark contrast to such a perspective, the New Testament speaks of baptism as: becoming sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-27), being buried and then raised in faith (Colossians 2:12), the salvation which comes from Jesus' resurrection leading one to have a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21) and it is a command of Jesus concerning how disciples are to be made (Matthew 28:19). Accordingly, there is no room for boasting about one's own righteousness as a result of being baptized because with baptism a person is confessing his or her dependence upon Christ's sprinkled blood upon one's heart for salvation. Hebrews 10:19-22 Or as 1 Peter 1:2 puts it, "to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood." NASB When Paul denounced works, his definition did not include baptism.
Faith
The principle of faith calls us to depend upon Jesus in order that we might be declared righteousness. Such a faith does not exclude any obedience to Christ which the gospel might demand from us in order that we might trust in Jesus. In fact, as has already been suggested, all faith arising from hearing scripture requires some form of obedience whether that obedience be simply believing the message or also doing something.
To have faith in Christ entails responding to how the gospel calls us to trust in Jesus. Theoretically, the gospel might require many different types of responses. It could be that God simply requires us to accept Jesus into our heart by saying a prayer or it might be that in order to depend upon Jesus might require some form of action from us. How we are required to exhibit faith in Jesus is determined by the context of the gospel message, not by our intuition of what we think may be required for us to rely upon Jesus. As we will remember, Paul spoke of the gospel as producing the obedience of faith. Romans 16:25-26
We can now update our diagram in the following way:
Conclusion to Paul's Theological Framework
If this forgoing analysis is correct, then we should understand Paul's message of "faith verses works" to be the contrast between trusting in Christ and self-reliance. Paul's usage of works points to the self-reliance which comes from trusting in our own ability to be generate righteousness by obeying the Law of Moses. It is the nature of such works to lead a person to boast about what he has achieved. Romans 3:27; 4:2 Accordingly, faith verses works would not be the contrast between belief and action.
If someone has been trained to think of works as "doing something" and faith as "only believing," then will not that individual encounter many "impossible" and difficult passages within the New Testament? For such a person, to comprehend the ideas outlined in this article would require a paradigm shift about what is being claimed regarding Paul's theological framework.
James and Paul Agree
Despite the vast amount of ink spilled over contrasting Paul and James, if we will resist imposing our ideas of faith and works and simply allow them to express their message in their own way, what emerges is in harmony. However, their language at least on a superficial level appears to be opposed.
Venturing into the letter of James, it quickly becomes evident that while James might be using the same vocabulary as Paul, James did not employ the terms of faith and works with the same meanings as we have seen in Paul's writings. First, listening to how James wrote about faith, we discover his usage limits faith to intellectual belief devoid of obedience. Accordingly, he states that the demons believe that God is one, but such faith is useless. James 2:19,20 As we have already seen, saving faith involves an appropriate response of trust.
In regard to works, predominantly it seems that when people think of how Paul wrote about works, Paul's negative usage ("not by works" Eph. 2:9) comes to their mind, not his positive usage ("work of faith" 1 Thess. 1:3). Repeatedly, as James describes works it is clear that he has in mind this latter obedience of faith. Consider these revealing phrases: "I will show you my faith by my works" James 2:18 and "faith was working with his works" James 2:22.
To concisely paraphrase James 2:14-26, James argues that mere belief will not save. In fact, mere belief is dead since it is not accompanied by obedient fruit. To have a vital belief requires that belief to be put into action (works). Accordingly, James affirms, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." James 2:24
James is not at odds with Paul when he affirms the necessity of works for justification because he is not claiming that people can be self-reliant in creating their own righteousness. Just as Paul recognized that trusting involves an appropriate obedient response, so too does James. Whereas Paul called this the obedience of faith or work of faith, James simply terms this works.
They are also in agreement regarding faith. Since Paul never claimed that mere belief saves but rather his purpose involved defending the obedience of faith, James agrees. To state this in James' language, "For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." James 2:26
Perhaps it is helpful to note that while Paul was concerned about defending the system of faith to be the principle of justification as opposed to the path of self-righteousness through the works of the Law, James' focus is upon the ongoing Christian lifestyle. To use modern parlance, having been saved do I now just need to believe in God? James responds with a resounding, "No!" A true faith in God leads a person to live out that faith. Paul agrees, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12) or in Peter's language "be all the more diligent to make his calling and choosing you sure; for as long as you practice these things you will never fall." (2 Peter 1:10)
The message of James and Paul is in agreement; however, they arrive at their conclusions using the same langauge with different meanings.
Paul: Faith = trust; Works = self-based righteousness from the LawJames: Faith = mere belief; Works = acting upon what you believe
Responding to Possible Objections
If the above framework which claims that baptism is a necessary part of being justified by faith accurately sketches the biblical presentation, what about all of those Pauline verses describing salvation by faith? Don't those verses support the idea that as long as one merely accepts Jesus by faith into his heart that he will be saved without any active form of obedience? Do not statements such as "anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved" support the common Protestant theology of "faith only?"
Watch out for the "faith only" word game
If "salvation by faith alone" means that it is only by trusting in Jesus that someone will be saved, then scripture agrees we are saved by faith alone. Acts 4:12; John 14:6 However, if by "salvation by faith alone" someone means that we only need to believe in Jesus in our heart to be saved, then there are clear biblical verses denouncing this sense of faith alone such as James 2:14-26. Some sincere people may have been fooled into accepting the latter doctrine based upon the scripturalness of the former.
Lest anyone conclude that this presentation is guilty of ignoring relevant texts on the subject of salvation by faith, a number of the more significant passages will be examined within each of their contexts.
Romans 4:1-5
Within Romans 3 and 4, Paul contrasted the attempt to be declared righteous out of observing the works of the Law with the principle of faith. One of the ways in which Paul evaluated the difference between these two systems was by looking at boasting. Those who are justified based upon the principle of Jesus' faith are described as believing in him (Romans 3:22) and trusting in Jesus' blood (Romans 3:25). Under such a system, can someone boast about what he has achieved? No. Romans 3:27
Works on the other hand are characterized by the self-reliance which comes from fulfilling the Law. When someone works, not only has he earned his reward but he can boast about what he has achieved. Romans 3:27; 4:4 In Paul's effort to show that righteousness can not be obtained by the self-reliance of works, Paul appealed to the example of Abraham. Here is an example of someone who was declared righteous based upon the principle of faith in God and not because he succeeded in fulfilling all of the demands of the Law. This supports the understanding put forth in this article.
However, some might point to the fact that Abraham "only believed" and then conclude that we "only need to believe in Jesus." To make such an assertion misunderstands the function of this text and ignores two important concepts. First, the purpose of this text is not to define what faith in Christ entails. Paul purpose here is to defend the principle of faith against the system of works. The example of Abraham works perfectly for this purpose. If, however, someone mistakenly claims that Paul's purpose here is to define what our response is to Jesus and to his blood thus limiting it to how Abraham was required to trust in God, this causes Paul to contradict himself within this same letter. Later, Paul wrote that the Roman Christians had "obeyed from the heart a form of doctrine" which had released them from sin resulting in them receiving eternal life. Romans 6:17-18, 22. Second, to claim Paul is describing our faith response to Christ through Abraham's example involves ignoring the literary context of Romans. Paul was not writing to pagans to teach them how to become Christians. This was addresed to the church in Rome! Third, it also ignores the principle that the message controls how a person's faith is to respond. For Abraham to respond with faith to God's promise only required him to believe a promise. The gospel is not merely a promise. It is a story which contains both promises and commands. See Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 35-36. Paul's argument is not that "Abraham just believed and therefore you only need to believe in Jesus," but rather that Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted in God without fulfilling the works of the Law. Therefore, righteousness comes by trusting in God, not by fulfilling the Laws demands. Paul was responding to a prevalent problem within his context.
Romans 10:9-10
In Romans 9:30-10:21, Paul explained why Israel had failed to receive the righteousness which comes by faith. Israel had allowed an obstacle to block her path (Romans 10:1-4). Paul used Deuteronomy 30:11-14 to teach that the righteousness which comes by faith requires that "the message," namely Jesus, becomes a belief in someone's heart and a confession upon his lips (Romans 10:8-10). Since Israel had refused to acknowledge and internalized the message of Jesus, she had not received the blessings which come from faith in Christ. But since salvation is open to all who will call upon the Lord (Romans 10:11-13), that is, to all who will respond by trusting in Jesus, even an Israelite would be saved if he would overcome this obstacle and respond to the message of Christ with his heart and his lips. And so Paul continued, "but not all Israel accepted the good news ..." Romans 10:16 A full discussion regarding "everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" is found in another article.
Paul's use of this text functions to describe what had createda a barrier for why Israel had not received the righteousness that comes by faith. By looking at the context of Romans 10, we can learn that Paul's statements in verses 9 and 10 were not intended to provide the reader with an exhaustive outline on how to become a Christian. To force these verses into being the total necessary response to the gospel rips them out of their context infusing them with a new meaning and a new function foreign to the apostle's mind. It even ignores the greater context that Paul was writing to Christians who knew how they became Christians! You don't tell a computer guru how to turn on his computer!
Galatians 3:2-9
Paul's contrast is between the works of the Law verses faith in Christ. Paul was not denouncing "obedience" and elevating "just believing." Rather, Paul reminded the Galatians that their reception of the Spirit by faith and the fact that God had performed miracles among them was not because they are following the Law of Moses, but rather because they had believed. The contrast is between relying upon the Law verses relying upon Jesus.
That Paul did not understand faith in Christ to be "just accept Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior by saying a sinner's prayer" becomes abundantly clear later on in this very chapter of Galatians. Having repeatedly upheld the principles of faith and grace against works, Paul concluded that Christians are not under the Law, but rather are children of God by faith in Christ as a result of their being clothed with Christ in baptism. Galatians 3:26-27 Baptism is an act of faith whereby someone relies upon Jesus for salvation.
John 3:16
Within the opening paragraphs, this Gospel sets the tone and direction of its message in part through introducing in John 1:12-13 the concept that through Jesus one can become a child of God by being born of God. Within this text, those who are born of God are described as having "received" Jesus and "believing in his name." In John 3:3-8 Jesus elaborates more upon what it means to be born of God. This reception of Jesus is described as a second birth requiring a birth in water and a birth of spirit. John's readers understood this as referring to a water immersion and a rebirth of spirit which God makes possible. In fact, this text was the favorite baptismal text of that early Christian church.
John 3:16-18 is then built upon this immediately prior context of being born again and stands as a summary statement describing the result of what happens if one comes to Jesus or rejects him! It is those who believe in Jesus who will be saved while those who reject him who will be condemned. John 3:16 is not claiming "just believe" and you will be saved. To understand the verse in this way is to rip it out of its immediate context as well as the Gospel of John. In keeping with the great themes of this Gospel, John 3:16 is the beautiful affirmation that it is those who believe in Jesus who who will enjoy eternal life.
At the time the Gospel of John was written, there existed a consensus on how someone became a Christian. There was no need to defend that the preaching of Jesus should cause a person to respond to Jesus by believing, repenting, confession and being baptized. Acts 2:36-38; 8:12, 35-36 Not only does John state that his purpose in writing this Gospel is to provide a basis for believing in Jesus (John 20:30-31), but repeatedly we hear the message throughout this Gospel that Jesus is life and it is those who come to him who will receive life.
Today, some people run into problems with the terms faith, works and obedience because they falsely assume that when Paul condemned works he was condemning all forms of human action and obedience to God and conversely when he praised faith he was lauding mere but genuine belief in Christ. Accepting such a framework will cause a person to encounter many contradictory statements within Scripture. Furthermore, when these unbiblical definitions are taken to their logical conclusions, they demand that someone must believe God enables him to believe, otherwise people would be saved by their works (namely, their decision to believe). Why are people driven to this conclusion? Given their definitions of works, since even believing in Jesus requires the human initiative of responding to God's actions (and is therefore by their definition "a work"), those who want to be consistent with their definitions are forced to the erroneous conclusion that God must enable a person to believe.
What do we find in the New Testament? A unified understanding of salvation. Faith involves trust, work's entail efforts of self-righteousness. Because of how Jesus lived and responded to God he made redemption and justification out of faith available to us by faith. Salvation is given to those who become a new creation in Christ as a result of their trusting in Jesus and not upon themselves. The biblical authors understood our faith in Jesus which results in salvation to be the harmonious joining together of a belief in Jesus leading to obeying the gospel message. Standing against this principle of justification out of faith is the path of self-reliance through trying to earn one's own righteousness by fulfilling the Law's demands.
Barry Newton ©Copyright 1998, Revised 2006
Other related articles which may be of interest:
Why Did Paul Write So Much About Justification by Faith?John 3:16 - The Simple and Beautiful Message of the Gospel
What About the Thief on the Cross?
Brief Responses to Common Objections Regarding the Necessity of Baptism for Salvation