Question 4
The Correct Answer Is: FALSE
Mark 16:16: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
James 2:14-26: "14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
The Bible, in places like Mark 16:16 clearly shows us that belief (which is faith in Jesus) is required in order to be saved. But there are many so-called 'Christian' denominations out there, that teach that faith in Jesus, belief in Jesus, is all one needs to have in order to be saved. James 2 clearly teaches that this teaching is false. The type of faith that denominations tell people to have, a faith that doesn't act, that doesn't work, is the dead faith of demons. Are demons going to be saved? No, they're going to be cast into Hell because of their dead faith. In order to have saving faith, we must have a faith that acts, a faith that obeys the will of God, a faith that works. This type of faith does not earn salvation, it is simply a faith in God to do what he asked me to do, in order to receive what God has promised. James actually says that we're not justified by faith only. What more could he have said to show that active faith is required to please God. Let's move on to see what having active faith looks like.