Rays of Living Light on the One Way of SalvationPenrose, Charles W. (Charles William)
Religion
Rays of Living Light on the One Way of Salvation
Penrose, Charles W. (Charles William)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
The apostles, thus authorized, obeyed these instructions, and not
only proclaimed belief in Jesus Christ as necessary to salvation;
but obedience to his teachings as equally essential. The history of
their travels, as narrated in the book called the Acts of the
Apostles, demonstrates this to be true. Such of their epistles as
have been preserved and compiled in the New Testament also bear this
witness. These records show beyond reasonable dispute that the faith
in Christ which is sufficient for salvation comprehends faith in his
teachings and obedience to his commands.
The belief in Christ which is taught by modern Christian sects is
thus condemned by the Apostle James: "But wilt thou know, O vain
man, that faith without works is dead? Ye see then how that by works
a man is justified, and not by faith only." "For as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James
2:20, 24, 26).
The Apostle Paul is generally cited as the great preacher of the
doctrine of justification by faith alone. But that he is
misunderstood on that subject is evident from his epistle to the
Romans, in which, while he proclaims the doctrine of justification
by faith, he also affirms emphatically the necessity of good works
as the fruits of faith; as for instance: "Who will render to every
man according to his deeds; to them who by patient continuance in
well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first,
and also of the Gentile. But glory, honor and peace to every man
that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For
there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:6-11).
It is to this very epistle that the advocates of salvation by faith
alone chiefly refer when seeking support for their irrational
theory, and they quote: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Also,
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay,
but by the law of faith" (Chap. 3:27). But they neglect to add what
follows, "Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law" (verse 28). The tenor of the whole
epistle is to the effect that the law of Moses is insufficient; that
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight" (verse 20). Thus justification and redemption come
through the atonement made by Christ, and that faith in him which
includes belief in his teachings and obedience to his commands, is
the one way of salvation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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