Does Works Prove Faith? 

“Fred Lybrand’s analysis of the common saying, ‘Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone,’ exposes the logical and biblical fallacies inherent in Calvin’s famous statement. With  careful exegesis he dissects James’ discussion of faith and works  with fresh insight into this controversial passage. When I read his  doctoral dissertation I immediately encouraged him to publish it so that many others could benefit. The book is well written and  finally puts Calvin’s cliché to rest—where it belongs.”

Jody Dillow, ThM, ThD, Dallas Theological Seminary  C0-Founder, BEE World 

I've just finished reading an exegetical work on the second chapter of James that resolves the tension that most everyone finds in that chapter between James and Paul. Right from the start, by reading his dedication to both John MacArthur and Zane Hodges I realized this book was going to be different from anything I've read before.

Kevin Lane, Author, Fale-Safe for Fallacy

Dear Friend,

Have you been mislead to think that works tell you if someone is saved?  How did you get to that conclusion?  I was just like you, confused by my favorite authors about faith and works.  It lead me to doubt and judge others.  Today, I know the full freedom of understanding how these two work together...especially when it comes to James 2.  Catholics, Calvinists, and Arminians could find a place to meet in this conversation...and whether or not they do, you'll understand the issue with the clarity few achieve.  This is my life-time work & and I'm grateful for the great minds throughout time who allowed me to debate with them because they dared to write.  I hope you are blessed by my labors here.

Grace and Truth,

Dr. Fred R. Lybrand

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Fred Lybrand offers a startling reassessment of a famous cliche they Reformers tried to use to calm the Roman Catholic accusations of the day.

Back to Faith is just at 300 pages with over 600 footnotes (not end notes...so they supplement each page)--- a treatise on faith and works using clear logic and a numerous passage.  Back to Faith is a reference work, a compendium, that will radically re-align your confidence in inviting others to lean their faith wholly on the sufficient Savior, rather than on their insufficient accumulation of works.

With Back to Faithwe can again think clearly about the meaning and implications of faith alone in Christ alone; and especially, the true biblical relationship between faith and works, instead of quoting clichés and proof-texts.

Finally, an explanation of how the Bible elevates the importance of what we DO without confusing it with what we BELIEVE. The Reformation Doctrine of Sola Fide (Faith Alone in Christ Alone) needs a rebirth of clarity in our day.

Are you worried about knowing if a loved-one who believed in Christ by faith alone, but who fell away from the faith, could still greet you in heaven?  Have you lost your own confidence and assurance about your own place in God's future?  Have you struggled with the passages that clearly say God will judge what we do.  There are answers that elevate faith AND honor works.

Do you find Christians busily judging the eternal destiny of others based on works rather than by faith alone in Christ alone...but don't know how to biblically invite them to stop it?  There are answers that honor faith and works without concluding a need to condemn those around you or under your spiritual care.

The heart of what you need to know about these issues is just ahead in this surprisingly readable assessment of the relationship between faith and works.

If we can kill the cliche, we can recover our faith.

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What others are saying about Back to Faith

“If the saying is true that sacred cows make good hamburgers, then Lybrand has served up a gourmet burger indeed by putting a longstanding cliché through the grinder of objective scholarship, logical analysis, and biblical exegesis. With forthright fairness he puts to rest a largely unchallenged cliché that asserts works are essential to faith. This saying has shaped Christian theology and practice for centuries, not without damage to the gospel and its believers. Lybrand unravels it one strand at a time until we are left alone with the simple biblical truth that faith and works can be related but are distinct. You will feast on and savor this book!”

Founder & Director, GraceLife 

 

 

 

 

“Many times in Christendom, phrases, slogans, and words are used as though they are Biblical, when in fact many times they are not. Fred Lybrand examines one of those statements and challenges the truth of it from a careful handling of Scripture. Any believer would be educated and edified through reading this work.”

 

“It requires tremendous tenacity and expert dexterity to adapt a doctoral dissertation into a book that most readers will discover to be not only enlightening to the mind but spiritually satisfying to the soul. This is such a book. The theological implications of this study are staggering to certain formulations of Westminster Calvinism and the practical implications will both comfort and convict every Christian.”

 

“God’s policy for saving the human race is grace. Grace, by  definition, is not from works. But the Enemy has continuously  diluted and destroyed grace with the subtle and not-so-subtle  addition of works to faith and thus offered ‘another gospel.’ The  cliché that ‘we are saved by faith alone, but  he faith that saves is never alone’ is another of the most subtle and egregious attacks on grace. The statement may sound solid at first blush, but Dr. Lybrand’s thorough research exposes the multi-level fallacies hidden in this statement. The pure gospel of God’s grace excludes all human works as the basis or validation of God’s work which makes the sinner right with him. This study is much needed and should be read by every student of the Bible and theology.”

 

“As Fred Lybrand points out, the Reformation cliché of ‘…the  faith that saves is not alone’ has captured the minds of many for  centuries. With convincing logic, thoughtful theology, and sound  exegesis, as well as insightful practical observations, Lybrand sets the captives free. This book is a ‘must read’ for all who have been bothered by, flirted with, argued against, or who have embraced the idea that faith is not alone.”

Those holding to the ‘traditional interpretation’ that works validate justification-salvation in James 2:14-26 (or anywhere) are challenged by the evidence Dr. Lybrand presents. A must read for all!

“Maintaining veneration for Calvin, this work resolves inherent contradictions to the Gospel found in the Reformed tradition. Lybrand reiterates “faith alone in Christ alone,” and works  accompanying salvation are “normal but not necessary” while  cogently requiring the reader to reexamine theological traditions.  My prayer for the mindful Reformer: Read and wrestle with these words. Be willing to abandon all, for the clarity of the Gospel cannot be undervalued.”