It’s unavoidable when it’s unattainable by your righteousness to earn entry into God’s kingdom through anything but Christ’s righteousness alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.

Scripture tells us plainly that our righteousness is like filthy rags before God, and those rags referenced are actually menstrual rags. Isaiah 64:6

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For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, / not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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Know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

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Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)

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So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”…(Galatians 3:7)

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)

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And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

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Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:14-18)

The very first record we have of faith alone saving someone is the thief on the cross with Jesus. He believed, and Jesus told him that this day he would be with Him in paradise. The man recognized who Jesus was and was undeserving of the cross, but knew that he himself did deserve death for his sins on his cross, reached out to Jesus in faith to save him, and Jesus saved him. He believed upon Jesus and was saved. That’s it. He did no works. He believed upon Jesus to save him and was saved.

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And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. (Acts 16:25-34)

The Bible is littered with countless scriptures telling we are saved by faith alone. These are but a few, but there are many more to list. There are none that say you are saved or justified before GOD by your works. Before men yes, but not before God.

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Posted by bayoubengals88

Member since Sep 2007

24714 posts

Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:10 am to Mike da Tigah

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The Bible is littered with countless scriptures telling we are saved by faith alone. These are but a few, but there are many more to list. There are none that say you are saved or justified before GOD by your works. Before men yes, but not before God.

Are you referring to James 2?
I do agree that that text is not referring to ultimate salvation.

However, Catholics will frame everything you said to be part of their full reliance on Christ and active participation in his salvation.
I agree. It was the church itself that messed up the beauty of the sacraments by forming its very specific sacramental economy of salvation.

They made it to be an obligation where it was never intended to be.

That’s why I like historic Protestant liturgy as is found in Anglicanism. I believe they have the best understanding of it.

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Posted by Mike da Tigah

Bravo Romeo Lima Alpha

Member since Feb 2005

61833 posts

Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:26 am to bayoubengals88

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They made it to be an obligation where it was never intended to be.

That’s why I like historic Protestant liturgy as is found in Anglicanism. I believe they have the best understanding of it.

I see almost all of Protestantism as being infected with a back door works salvation these days. This has come from years of taking scriptures out of context in order to wrap around their works doctrines. They all start off with saying the right stuff and then poison the well because I honestly don’t believe they truly believe we are saved unmeritoriously through faith in what Jesus accomplished alone, so they have to add to it. That’s a very real salvation issue.

I think that there are many who are saved and secure in Jesus in many different denominations, but not because of the denominations themselves, rather because they have put their full faith in Jesus alone for their salvation. I think the longer you live, and the longer you try to live out the Christian life the more you are convinced of the fact you are incapable of living it perfectly, and the more you are reminded of our sin nature, and the more you rely upon what Christ did for us alone as your only security. I believe this is ordained by God himself, burying us in the law so that we reach out to Him alone for our salvation.

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Posted by mytigger

Member since Jan 2008

15363 posts

Posted on 2/7/26 at 9:43 am to Pelican fan99

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Interesting that the only two times are about Mary. I'll never understand the obsession some Catholics have with Mary

It is interesting! I would say most of the “obsession” of Mary is coming in a negative way from Protestants as a means to discredit Catholicism. Whereas catholics are simply coming to the realization of Mary’s role in the life of Christ is that of a most holy and loving mother to us all and who continually points us to Christ.

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