It has ever been so that the downfall of an effort begins with the abuse of fundamentals. It is told that after a series of devastating losses the coach of a football team called his players into the locker room, picked up a ball and said, "Men, this is a football." In considering the vast disarray among those professing to be members of the Lord's church it almost seems fitting for elders, teachers and men behind pulpits to stand before their audiences and hold up the Book and say, "Brethren, this is the Word of God."

The principles of Grace and Faith are paramount among those fundamental issues which have been abused. The oxymoronic "Grace Only"/"Faith Only" disasters are so far removed from the doctrine of Christ that their contribution to the current apostasies has been significant. The Calvinistic "Grace Only" doctrine places one's salvation completely according to the will of God apart from any volition on the part of man. The "Faith Only" doctrine suggests that all one has to do is to "believe in Jesus." Who would claim that the Gadarene demoniac was saved because he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, confessed that fact and acknowledge that Jesus would be his judge (Mark 5:7)? But more to the point, Grace Only excludes faith; and Faith Only excludes grace. "Grace Only" says that faith is not necessary; and "Faith Only" says that grace is not necessary. That the masses have accepted such foolishness is incomprehensible.

The many who have come out of denominationalism have brought with them some of the trappings of their former religious associations and have influenced the faithful with their error. It has often been the case that the charismatic newcomer to the congregation not only has a winsome personality, but what he says is readily believed because many regard it to be unthinkable that we should disagree with such fabulous people. These very small beginnings of such influences provide the seeds of apostasy. Such a leavening influence can leaven the whole lump (Galatians 5:9). The fact that we may have preached on fundamental issues such as Grace and Faith in the past does not necessarily mean that everyone was able to grasp the message the first time they heard it. Have we ever considered that those who have recently "placed membership" with our congregations may never have heard of these things in the first place? It has often been the case that instead of directing the new convert to a suitable class, the enthusiastic new convert has been given a class to teach in order to "encourage them." This is in direct violation of the command of the Great Commission which directs us to be, ". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . ." (Matt 28:20). And so in neglecting to provide for the teaching and grounding of those who are new or unskilled in the word of righteousness (Hebrews 5:10-13), have we assisted in planting these seeds of apostasy?

The faith [pisteoos] without which it is impossible to please Him requires one to believe in the existence and the rewards of God (Hebrews 11:6). The word is from pistis (pis'-tis); from NT: 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself (Strong).

Inherent in the definition is the thought that faith not only involves reliance upon Christ for salvation but also in the entire system of religious truth, or the Gospel. This is made abundantly clear by the use of the word in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. The reliance upon God of the individuals discussed in this chapter is used to illustrate the meaning of the word faith. Fifteen times in the chapter we read of how "By faith" this great cloud of witnesses responded in obedience to the will of God.

Paul also makes it abundantly clear that the faith is to be obeyed (Romans 1:5); and James tells us, "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20).

Now when Paul wrote, "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name" (Rom 1:5), he not only taught there was to be an obedient response, but he also identified the substance of that response as being "the faith," or the entire system of religious truth, the Gospel. That system of religious truth was miraculously revealed to the infant church a part at a time (1 Corinthians 13:9, 10). But when the complete system of truth, that which is perfect, or the faith had been delivered, those miraculous revelations ceased and the mature church was instructed to no longer rely on those "childish things" that helped to nurture the infant church.

Jude wrote, "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). The expression, "once for all" is from hapax: NT:530 (b) "once for all," of what is of perpetual validity, not requiring repetition, Heb 6:4; 9:28; 10:2; 1 Peter 3:18; Jude 3 ( Vine). This faith which was once-for-all-time delivered unto the saints corresponds to the "gospel" (Romans 1:16), "law of faith" (Romans 3:27), the "law in the mind and on the heart" (Hebrews 8:10), the "perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25), and the "truth" (1 Peter 1:22).

Faith cannot exist without grace. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14). The grace of God brings salvation, instructs to godly living, provides for the purifying of our hearts by faith (Acts 15:9) so we could be faithful unto death, thereby receiving the crown of eternal life (Revelation 2:10b).

Paul preached the gospel to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:1-3), and because of threatening errors Jude wrote of that faith that had been once-for-all-time-delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). If we are the church of Christ, then it is our task to serve as the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). And as such, let us be bold and hold the Book high, and tell 'em, "Brethren, this is the Word of God."

Strong - (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Vine - Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

Paul J. Ditoro

3321 S. Bloomington Dr. W.

St. George, UT 84790

(435) 986-4119

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