IS BELIEF ALONE SUFFICIENT?
ELDER J. H. PAUL.
There is a very large class of professed Christians who maintain that if an individual does no more than simply believe in Christ, he will be saved eternally in God's Kingdom of glory. We do not purpose to disparage the value of belief or faith, for these principles occupy a very important position in the plan of human redemption; but it is the design to show that the doctrine which predicates salvation upon belief only is erroneous, and consequently dangerous.
The evangelist writes: "And this is eternal life, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent" (John xvii: 3). Conjoin this statement with another passage of Scripture, which reads thus: "And hereby do we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him" (1 John ii: 3, 4).
The teachings of these Scriptures are—First: No one can be saved, or obtain eternal life, without a knowledge of God, and of Christ. Second: Those who fail to keep the commandments of the Savior do not possess a knowledge of God; and hence the conclusion is inevitable that there is no salvation without obedience to the Gospel laws and ordinances. This conclusion is in direct harmony with the statements of the Apostle Paul, who says: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2 Thess. i: 7, 8, 9). Again: "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt, xxviii: 19, 20). Thus the disciples were sent forth with a mission to convert all nations if possible, and they were instructed to enjoin upon those who became Christians obedience to "all things whatsoever" Christ gave as commandments to the early Apostles. His language is so comprehensive that no command can be omitted.
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (Gal. iii: 7). But, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham" (John viii: 39). Here it is substantially stated that those who have Christian faith are adopted into the family of Abraham, thus becoming his children; but this privilege is accorded to those only who do the works of Abraham. How this ancient Patriarch obtained the right to be called the "Father of the Faithful" is thus set forth: "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen. xxvi: 5). These were the works of Abraham, and those who are counted worthy to belong to his family, or to the "household of faith," must also obey God's voice, and keep His charge, commandments, statutes and laws. According to Scripture, no evasion of this requirement is possible; for those who are Abraham's children obey the commandments of God.
St. James speaks to the point under consideration thus:
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James i: 22-25).
Now, what is the "word?" St. Peter answers this question decisively: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. . . . But the word of the Lord endureth for ever, and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you" (1 Peter i: 23, 25).
Thus we learn that the Gospel is the word of God, and it "liveth and abideth for ever." Whosoever, therefore, is not a doer of the Gospel requirements is deceiving himself. Notice how particularly the Apostle states that the blessings of the Gospel, or the perfect law of liberty, are obtained by doing the work enjoined by it.
St. Paul writes: "But ye, brethren, be not weary of well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed" (2 Thess. iii: 13, 14). The "word" referred to in St. Paul's epistle was, for instance, that the Saints should not become "weary in well doing," and he directed that those who would not obey this commandment should be excluded from the company of Christians. It is folly for us to suppose that those who disqualify themselves for association with Saints on earth by neglecting to keep the commandments of the Lord, are fitted for the company of God, angels and saints in heaven.
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous" (1 John v: 1-3). This same writer further says: "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (1 John iii: 14). There is, according to this last Scripture, not eternal life, but death abiding in the soul of every one who does not love the brethren; and the first quotation assures us that where there is such a love, there is also obedience to the commandments of God. We cannot dissever these things, for the Almighty has joined them together. It follows, from the Scriptures just considered, that those who fail to obey God's Gospel commandments are abiding in death, not in life.
In conformity with the direct declarations of the Scriptures which have been produced, showing that the commandments of God must be obeyed, we observe that the doctrine of obedience to the law is practically enforced. The Lord expresses condemnation of those whose works are not satisfactory. For instance:
"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God . . . And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, ... I know thy works; behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." (Rev. iii: 1, 2, 7, 8).
The judgment of the Lord is herein clearly founded upon the "works" in these two churches. The first one whose works were imperfect was dead; the second had an open door set before it because it had kept the word of the Lord. What the Lord thus spoke to the Churches collectively must apply to the individuals comprising the society, and hence those who shall have an open door (into heaven) set before them must keep the commandments of God. In these cases God proceeded on the principle referred to in the writings of St. James, that faith is manifested by works (James ii: 18, etc.). The following passage is also pertinent in this connection: "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth nothing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love" (Gal. v: 6). The plain proposition herein affirmed is that nothing avails in Christ Jesus but a "faith which worketh." It must operate in or by love; it is manifested by works. If it is not, it avails nothing, being dead. God measures faith by works—by the keeping of His commandments.
The following Scripture is very decisive:
"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when we saw Thee an hungered, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? when saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. xxv: 31-46).
This scene, joyous on the one hand, but dark and terrible as death on the other, is a plain revelation of the principle which shall prevail in the court of heaven at the great day of judgment. Those whom the Savior calls cursed, and whom He overwhelms with everlasting punishment, are not permitted to plead justification by their belief alone. It is an awful question of practical godliness, of righteous works. The devils themselves believe and tremble, and those who do no more must take up their miserable abode with them. Such is the decree of Almighty God. The teachings of Scripture are as plain as they can be expressed in human language, that those who do not manifest their faith by godly works are under condemnation. We learn further from the Scriptures that the righteous works specially mentioned in the foregoing quotation are not the only ones required to entitle a person to eternal life. For instance: "And when He was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him . . . Thou knowest the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto Him, Master, all these I have observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark x: 17-21).
A plain question was thus propounded, and it was definitely answered. Christ insisted upon a keeping of the commandments of God; we are to follow Him—to do as He did, that is, devote our lives to doing the will of the Father. The Savior assured His questioner that such was the way to inherit eternal life. This doctrine is pointedly put in Matthew xix: 17, thus: "But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Again: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark xvi: 16).
Now, all men believe in the truth of the doctrine taught in the text just quoted, or they do not. If they do not, they cannot believe in Christ as a Being who is full of "grace and truth," as the Scripture asserts. If we admit for a moment that He comes short in the principle of truth, we shatter at once the very foundation of belief and confidence, and doubt is the inevitable result. If Christ's word is doubted, there is no confidence in Him. It follows, therefore, that those who do not believe in the truth of the text do not believe in Christ. But all concede that without this belief no one can obtain eternal life. Those who do believe the truth of the text cannot say that belief alone is sufficient for salvation, since it is expressly stated that "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Christ's own statement respecting the matter is final with all those that believe in Him.
The following Scriptures are submitted:
"And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke vi: 46). "But He said, yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke xi: 28). "And this is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him" (1 John iii: 23, 24). "If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John xiv: 15, 21). "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. v: 8, 9). "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" (James ii: 14). "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John ii: 6). "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise, also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James ii: 20-26). "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. xxii: 14).
"Meddle not with any man for his religion; for all governments ought to permit every man to enjoy his religion unmolested. No man is authorized to take away life in consequence of difference of religion, which all laws and governments ought to protect."
—Joseph Smith.