A Careful look at “Only”.
Words like “only” and “alone” appear over 100 times in the New Testament. Sometimes they indicate something exclusive. Other times they are joined with the word "not", thereby emphasizing a matter that isn’t exclusive.
Jesus, for example, showed exclusiveness when He said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matt 4:10). Just six verses earlier He used “not” to show a matter that wasn’t exclusive: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (4:4).
Most people understand these uses of “alone” and “only.” Worship belongs exclusively to God. While people eat food, that’s not everything necessary for life, especially eternal life. Passages like these illustrate the need to be careful how we apply and understand words like “alone” and “only.”
A large religious group in Georgia posted the following message on their web site: “There are approximately 160 verses in the New Testament that clearly state that salvation is solely based on a person’s faith, trust, or belief in Jesus Christ as Savior.” Numerous passages that affirm salvation by faith were listed, but not one that states that salvation is acquired “only”, “solely” or “exclusively” by faith. Salvation by faith is eminently Biblical; but to insist that we are saved by “faith only” is a precarious assertion.
A careful study of the word “only” when associated with salvation reveals the following, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jas 2:24). James, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not minimize the crucial role of faith in our salvation; he declares that faith “only” is dead (useless). “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (Jas 2:19-20).
The word “only” is significant, thus we need to make certain that we understand and apply it correctly.
Be a light for Christ in 2025!
Dennis
Words like “only” and “alone” appear over 100 times in the New Testament. Sometimes they indicate something exclusive. Other times they are joined with the word "not", thereby emphasizing a matter that isn’t exclusive.
Jesus, for example, showed exclusiveness when He said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matt 4:10). Just six verses earlier He used “not” to show a matter that wasn’t exclusive: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (4:4).
Most people understand these uses of “alone” and “only.” Worship belongs exclusively to God. While people eat food, that’s not everything necessary for life, especially eternal life. Passages like these illustrate the need to be careful how we apply and understand words like “alone” and “only.”
A large religious group in Georgia posted the following message on their web site: “There are approximately 160 verses in the New Testament that clearly state that salvation is solely based on a person’s faith, trust, or belief in Jesus Christ as Savior.” Numerous passages that affirm salvation by faith were listed, but not one that states that salvation is acquired “only”, “solely” or “exclusively” by faith. Salvation by faith is eminently Biblical; but to insist that we are saved by “faith only” is a precarious assertion.
A careful study of the word “only” when associated with salvation reveals the following, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jas 2:24). James, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not minimize the crucial role of faith in our salvation; he declares that faith “only” is dead (useless). “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (Jas 2:19-20).
The word “only” is significant, thus we need to make certain that we understand and apply it correctly.
Be a light for Christ in 2025!
Dennis
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