cross-posted from: https://exploding-heads.com/post/185114
Some protestants seem to believe you only need to have faith to be saved, so the criticism of this view is that it justifies sinning as much as people want as long as they simply have faith (or in essence, justifies “moral anarchy”)
Now according to some polls, a good majority of protestants seem to believe works are important for salvation (a view more traditionally associated with Catholics; I don’t know what the orthodox view is, if some orthodox can chime in or people knowledgeable about the issue) - so this does not reflect the belief of all protestants. In fact, in practice, there are even a lot of protestants it seems with this view, who believe that since they have faith that they want to do good “on the honor system” (and so they may do some good works anyway, even if they don’t believe them to be necessary to salvation).
But of those who do believe they can sin and it doesn’t matter… does anyone have any thought on the implications of this (heretical) view or how to encourage people away from this viewpoint?
Also Ephesians teaches that we were chosen by God to be holy and blameless:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.1.3-6.ESVAlso, the reason we are saved through faith as a gift is glorify God through our good works. Living like the devil would be inconsistent with this:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8, 10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.2.8-10.ESV