Fencing #1a

2. I’m convinced most of us would dearly love to help others to know and obey the truth because we want them to be saved. We’ve heard lessons before (recently and previously) that manifest both God’s desires for us to spread the gospel, and the current need for it. Though our hearts are right in this matter, we just don’t know how to get started, or perhaps how to proceed once we start. This morning, we’re going to begin a series of lessons that will hopefully help us to deal with common questions and beliefs that we will likely encounter as we attempt to teach others how to go heaven.

3. Fencing #1a How to Constructively Deal with “Salvation by Faith Only”

4. How to begin. • Be sure of common ground first: • Establish common belief in God. • Establish common belief in the Bible as God’s authoritative word. • Establish common belief in Jesus as God’s Son and our Savior. • Now you’re ready for the question, “How does Jesus save?” • By “Faith Only,” or is there more/something else involved? Fencing #1a Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

5. The answer to this question of exactly how salvation is obtained: • Holds eternity in the balance; and • Is preeminent to any discussions of worship, security, etc. because these only matter after one is saved! Therefore: • Answer it with great care and love for souls. • Answer it wisely- don’t begin with “I believe…” or “We believe…” or “My church teaches…”or “My preacher says…”as these aren’t authoritative.Start instead with “The Bible says…” Fencing #1a Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

6. Then: • As we learned from Philip (the one in Acts 8, not me), it is best to start where they are! • So, start with “their” passage and deal with it from the context, instead of jumping to conflicting “but what about” passages that only pit their verse against yours. How does that work? Let me show you… Fencing #1a Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

7. Consider a passage commonly used for “Faith Only Salvation,” Eph.2:8-9. • Acknowledge and agree that we are saved by faith, since that it is what the passage says! (est. common ground) • Then ask, “How the did Ephesians come to need salvation?” Show them vv.1-3 which says they did something to become lost. • Now ask, “If the Ephesians did something to become lost, does it make sense for them to do nothing to become saved?” • Then you can ask about v.10, “If ‘good works’ were created that 'we should walk in them,’ does it seem right to completely divorce them from salvation?” • Now you can explain how God does not save us by our works, but does require us to be obedient so that His grace can work through our faith, cf. Titus 2:1- 3:7. This not only puts vv.8-9 in their proper context, but helps to explain God’s overall plan of saving mankind. Fencing #1a Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

8. Finally (for now, we’ll complete this lesson next week) realize that you have perhaps shaken or torn down a long-held and cherished belief. You must also build up with Truth: • The Bible does say that we are saved by faith, John 3:16; Eph.2:8. • It does not say we are saved by faith alone, James 2:24. This means we are active participants in our own salvation, Acts 2:40; Phil.2:12. Such negatesneither God’s grace nor Christ’s saving blood, but it does explain how they interact with our obedient faith to produce salvation, Titus 3:5-7. Fencing #1b Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

10. The word of God is described as a sword, Eph.6:17. In fact, it is the only offensive weapon provided to the soldier of Christ. But, it is a sword for the piercing to the heart the consciences of men (Acts 2:37), not a broad axe to execute their souls (Matt.23:13)! Passages such as1Pet.3:15 and Col.4:5-6 indicate that we should know how to use this weapon effectively to accomplish God’s purposes in issuing it. Therefore, this morning we’re going to continue our series of “Fencing Lessons”…

11. Fencing #1b How to Constructively Deal with “Salvation by Faith Only”

12. Let’s briefly review the main points from the previous lesson: • Use your opportunities with the sword with love and care for the souls of others- their eternal destiny is at stake. • Try to avoid“I believe…” or “Our church teaches…”and “My preacher says…”-use “The Bible says…” instead. • Establish common ground regarding belief in God as the Creator, the Bible as His Word, and Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. • Start where they areby beginning with “their” passage (instead of merely jumping to passages that appear contradictory), which is often Eph.2:8-9. • Use Eph.2:1-3 to show the Ephesiansdid something to become sinful, and therefore in need of salvation; • And that they were expected to do something (good works) after they were saved, Eph.2:10. Then simply ask if it really makes any sense logically or contextually for them (or us) to then do nothing to be saved? Now let’s move on to the other passage most commonly used to support the doctrine of salvation by “faith only”… Fencing #1b Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

13. The most commonly used passage for “Faith Only Salvation” is John 3:16. • Again, acknowledge and agree that we are saved by faith, since that it is what the passage says! (establishing common ground) • Then, point out that this verse is in the same context as vv.3-5 wherein Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be “born again” of “water and spirit”- thus necessarily including baptismin being saved by faith. • Also show them Jesus’ words in v.36that make obedienceis as much a part of salvation as faith. • Then point out that faithand obedienceare allies rather than adversaries, for they work together to produce salvation, Mark 16:15-16. Rather than just giving an apparently conflicting passage, you will have shown how these passages all “fit” together! Fencing #1b Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

14. Now that you have at least challenged their thinking that salvation is by “Faith Only,” you can inject other passages to give a more complete picture of it, such as: • Grace,Eph.2:8 Titus 2:11-12; that it teaches us to docertain things that we might be saved. • Faith,John 6:28-29; Gal.3:24-27; that it, too, is a workof obedience, and is linked to baptism. • Repentance,Acts 2:37-38; 3:19; that it is also involved with being saved. • Baptism,Acts 22:16; 1Pet.3:21; that like God’s grace, and our faithand repentance, it is part of salvation. If all of these are involved in salvation, how can it be by “Faith Only”? The simple answer is, it can’t. Fencing #1b Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

15. Finally, realize that you have perhaps shaken or torn down a long-held and cherished belief. You must also build up with Truth: • The Bible does say that we are saved by faith, John 3:16; Eph.2:8. • It does not say we are saved by faith alone, James 2:24. This means we are active participants in our own salvation, Acts 2:40; Phil.2:12. Such negatesneither God’s grace nor Christ’s saving blood, but it does explain how they interact with our obedient faith to produce salvation, Titus 3:5-7. Fencing #1b Constructively dealing with “Salvation by Faith Only”

16. Remember to: • Love and care for souls- and be kind; • Use “The Bible says…” instead of “I believe…” etc. • Establish common ground of belief in God, the Bible, and Christ; • Start where they are- with their passage; • Use context to show the true meaning of the verse(s); • Harmonize their verse with other passages to provide a more complete picture. Next time, in Fencing #2, we’ll take a look at “Once Saved, Always Saved.” So, to constructively deal with “Salvation by Faith Only”