Are We Saved 'By Faith Alone?' - Jimmy Akin

Where Will You Spend Eternity?
The drama of salvation involves every man, woman, and child on earth. In this life, all of us are suspended between heaven and hell.

To rescue us, God sent his son—Jesus Christ—to give his life on the cross. This supreme act of sacrifice made salvation possible for all mankind.

Yet now, 2,000 years later, few people understand what Jesus did or how it affects us.

Worse yet, there are endless squabbles between Christians of different persuasions, leading to confusion on a massive scale.

In The Drama of Salvation, Jimmy Akin uses his expertise in Scripture and Church teaching to cut through the confusion and provide clear answers on important issues like:

• What we need to do to be saved
• Whether salvation is a one-time event or a process
• Whether penance is part of God’s plan
• What indulgences are
• How faith and works relate
• What the Church teaches about justification
• How far apart Protestants and Catholics are on this question
• Whether you have to be a Catholic (or a Christian) to be saved

No other book takes on these questions with the clarity and precision that Akin brings to them.

You owe it to yourself to find out the facts about the most important question in life, because the answer will affect you and those you love…forever.

Praise for The Drama of Salvation:

“The most important truths anyone could hope to know are those that pertain to what must we do to be saved. Jimmy Akin has written a fine book that carefully and clearly explores this topic using biblical, Patristic, and magisterial material. The Drama of Salvation is a very useful resource for those who wish to embrace the Church’s call to evangelization. ”—Ralph Martin, President, Renewal Ministries

“Redemption is a beautiful and profound mystery, the fruit of true, authentic, and unmerited friendship with Jesus Christ. In The Drama of Salvation, Jimmy Akin explains Scripture and Catholic doctrine to reveal the divine love at the heart of our salvation. This book will be meaningful to anyone who desires to serve God in this life, and to be happy in heaven with him for eternity.”—The Most Reverend James Conley, bishop of Lincoln

“Two thousand years ago a man asked, “What must I do to be saved?” St. Paul answered him and theologians and scholars have been debating the answer ever since. Has there ever been a more important question? In his usual clear and precise style, Jimmy Akin wrestles with the topic of justification before God. Using Scripture and Sacred Tradition, Akin explains salvation for the scholar and the novice alike, distilling down all the perspectives to an understandable and clear-cut conclusion. This book should be in the hands of every person concerned with his eternal destiny.”—Steve Ray, Author, Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical

Jimmy Akin is an internationally known author and speaker. As the senior apologist at Catholic Answers, he has more than twenty years of experiencing defending and explaining the Faith.
Jimmy is a convert to the Faith and has an extensive background in the Bible, theology, the Church Fathers, philosophy, canon law, and liturgy.

[deehee]

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

[MoonPhaze]

Naturally, "good works" are the result of FAITH; obedience to the word of God, by the Grace of God. Good works produced in a FAITHFUL believer are the fruit of the Spirit.

[mauritssteemers]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS EXPLANATION GOD BLESS!

[bangun]

"Faith works through love"

Please consider the word "Love" there is the Agape love, which is God's love.
So, faith yes works through love but the love of God.

[kuyaYves]

James 2 : 24
24 ;You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

this verse is biblical, the its either you agree with these verse from God. or your against it. plain and simple.

#WorksAndFaith We will be save

[punk]

What is it that we do not understand about these verse from the Bible? It's clear and simple: James 2 : 24 24 ;You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

[Chispaluz]

I love Jimmy and respect him, but a lot of times I dislike his answers so much. Yeah I agree with all he said, but why didn't he talk about works when that's special to Catholics. Yeah I know they come from faith but still.

[Moranimal]

Great video but I always struggle with the understanding and the definition of Justification and Sanctification. I am Catholic and really have no clue what these terms mean.

[weobeyjesus]

People are saved by grace not faith. God gives God's grace, and he is not waiting for belief. Grace enables belief. God gives grace to the humble. (James 4;6)

[bluebird]

James, in James 2:24, is not commanding or teaching the Jewish Christians to accept both faith & works as the requirements for salvation but merely telling them HOW THEY SEE both .
Salvation is by grace of Christ to be given by God as His gift to those who will accept it through their FAITH

[johndavidesquierdo]

It is dangerous to pick a verse out of its context. In James 2:24, it says: "You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." It is irresponsible for anyone to make a false dichotomy between the doctrine of justification by faith alone and this verse. Why? Because James, in this verse, is not refuting or contending against the doctrine of "justification by faith alone" (which is widely taught in the Scripture), if indeed he was, then James would have been contradicting this fundamental truth. What he is trying to say, contextually speaking, is that the genuineness of one's profession of faith in Christ is seen in his deeds, and that faith without deeds is dead. He is not contending against "justification by faith alone" or "salvation by faith alone" but rather, he is arguing against a kind of "faith" that does not bear any good deeds and obedience to the Word of God, to which he calls a faith that is dead.

[quentin_lgrd]

I think this man is what we called a crypto protestant, he is a prostestant in his thinking of justification's theology, but don't know it, Rome disagree with him, because he says that the works done by a believer like baptism or charity can come from God's strengh after justification by a real faith, but Vatican actually says that our real faith is not sufficient for have as result to be justified and so driven by the works of God in our lifes.

Session 6 Council of trent Canon 14
If anyone says that man is absolved from his sins and justified because he firmly believes that he is absolved and justified, [118] or that no one is truly justified except him who believes himself justified, and that *by this faith alone absolution and justification are effected*, let him be *anathema*.

So according to Rome, a person can have real faith, but not have justification and also no any works of God in him, wich is a fight against the Gospel, and make this church anathema, the Gospel of Jesus Christ affirming that salvation is a free gift for anyone who turn away from their sins for ask and trust in Jesus, promising then works driven by God as *a result* of this true surrender.

If every catholics here agree with this man, thinking that our works can be driven by God in results of justification simply obtained with sincere faith in Christ, and not obtain with our own strengh, then you are also a crypto prostestant, and surely you are saved.

The most important is that you have to confess that the perfect and finished work of Christ on the cross is suffiscient to get justified and seen as righteous before God for ever, wich mean that now you don't have to pursue your life driven by your own strengh, but by simply surrendering yourself in Christ for live driven by the power of the Holy Spirit, wich will be by his presence in you the response of God to you that you don't have faith anymore in you, but only a real faith in Christ.

[michaelwiggins]

As obedience/works "saves" only so much as it is the product of being made to does baptism only so much saves as it is a symbol of being declared righteous by the washing and regeneration by the shed blood of Christ. This is what the Scriptures must who was declare righteous through faith prior, to the sacrament of circumcision emphasizes perfectly, that circumcision saved a person only as far as it was a symbol of being circumcised of the heart, or, being made righteous by the unmerited grace of God, through the washing and regeneration of the future promise of the redemptive power of Christ's shed blood, *through faith*. eg, Abraham was a "child of the is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of *the promise* who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
Romans 9:8....Sola Fide.

“[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

-- Titus 3:5 --

Thereby saying; the "righteousness"/justification comes prior to works, by the "washing of regeneration
and renewal of the Holy Spirit." So logically, if justification must necessarily come prior, then it must be alone, eg, without works, although, works by necessity, must then proceed.
And that is why James says ”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." Or, make my faith *evident*, by my works.
Works saves *only so far* as it is the evidence of being saved.

The unbreakable chain of redemption.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

-- Romans 8:28-30 --

[laurencioromano]

This issue is not a difficult one at all, I am surprised at just how many people try to complicate what is so simple.

Your video is misleading and should either be taken down or corrected, you have no idea how this may be affecting possible Christians or those that are already Christians. However, you will be held accountable for every person that has seen your video and caused them to stumble or even fall, the bible says such that do this, are cursed. I can see that you are looking for the easy way with the least amount of effort on your behalf to get to heaven but it will not work.

James 2:17 " So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead"!

Mathew 16:15-17
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.

James 2:14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, ” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (Demons have faith but no works, how are you different)?

Just how many clearly written verses will it take for you to see the truth? Where it said that you cannot be saved by works, it didn't excuse you from the works. It merely said that no matter how many works you have, you cannot earn it by that alone. The gift we got is far more valuable and cannot be earned by a lifetime of works. I have written this message to many on youtube and they all promptly deleted my comment, they couldn't counter is so they swept it under the rug. The bible says that you who claim to see, that knows the truth and does not follow it, on the day of judgement, it would of been better had he not been born. Now you know! GOD Bless you!!!

[jupiterinaries]

shave your beard your not an Eastern Orthodox!