Whatever Is Not from Faith Is Sin — Really?

This letter of rebuke, reproof and instruction, is in response to the deception that was brought before Salem church's believers on the date of 10/30/2015 @ 7:30. 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.The topic was the presentation of a candidate to become Salem's new senior pastor. The select committee although sincere, greatly mislead the congregation as it allied itself with the candidate's sin.  Let me explain, and preference, that I speak as a husband, father, and signed member of Salem Church. Also, an ordained minister with the Christian National Church of Missionaries. I faithfully serve the Lord Jesus Christ for 38 years, and now have the distinct honor to serve our men and women in uniform, at the Brooklyn VA, those who serve and sacrifice for the love of God and country.

Let me however speak as a husband and father, to the issue I believe was placed on my heart last not as the revealing of the sin of deception. We were told as a congregation  not to share with anyone about the candidate being in NYC, and specifically his purpose for being with us. His desire to become Senior Pastor of Salem. Here in lies the deception, we were asked to partake of the secrecy of avoiding the believers who this candidate is presently Pastor, in order for them not to know he was seeking Senior Pastor ship at Salem . Remember, I started this statement coming from the point of view as a father and husband.

So here is my question to the candidate , committee and Salem believers. Would  Jesus ask a man to withhold his intentions of leaving the flock he has been called too, by not sharing with them in faith, those intentions ? Would Jesus ask another flock from a distant land(Salem) to join in such secrecy and lack of faith? I think not! Would a man spend a weekend away, and not tell his family where he was going, and the intentions of the trip, only to have a plan to leave for another lover? What do I tell my daughter, son and wife ? There is only one answer, that they are being deceived by the secrecy of self ambition.   Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

 

The proof of which, is the spiritual damage to a congregation, which has been left out of the equation. They can not pray for their Pastor, give counsel or express emotions over the prospect of leaving. No, they will be told on the following Sunday, we are leaving and use God as the testimony of their departure. I heard in support of this sin, that we should be thankful that God did not allow Salem a long trial of waiting for a new Pastor. This approach avoids an important principal of holy scripture;    

 

Hebrews 10:36

 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

The fact that we were asked to be silent, is clear evidence of the violation of the above verse, again, does a man come home, and drop on his wife and children and say; this past weekend I found another lover and I am leaving you, and joining her ? This is a sin of omission to the faithful flock of the this candidate, and the open door for Salem believers to enter at their own peril .


John 10:27  Jesus said;
 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Last night we were asked to follow a man's selfish and hidden ambition. This is not the voice of our Savior.  2 Tim 2; "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

The Following is a well balanced scriptural approach to my rebuke, reproof and instruction to a church I sincerely love in Christ(Salem). It is my humble request, that if the Holy Spirit confirms this message as truth in your heart, that you will send it to as many believers as the Lord leads. If it does not then delete the message plain and simple. My hands and heart is now clean before the Lord.

 
Jude 23
 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 



People from the time of John Chrysostom (347–407) have tried to limit the meaning of Paul’s words in Romans 14:23, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Chrysostom cautions, “Now all these things have been spoken by Paul of the subject in hand, not of everything.”
Leon Morris follows this limitation and says,

Whatever be the truth of actions done before one becomes a believer, Paul is not discussing them here. His concern is with the believer who sometimes does things that are not motivated by faith. (The Epistle to the Romans, 493)

But Lenski says, No!

Is this to be restricted to the Christian alone and to the matter of the adiaphora alone, namely to faith in this domain? No; it covers this domain only because it is a part of one that is much larger. (The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, 854)

What do you think?
Here’s the context to help you get oriented (Romans 14:21–23):

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Augustine in his Lectures on the Gospel according to St. John cites Romans 14:23 as a universal statement covering all human conditions:

Not that you may say, “Before I believed I was already doing good works, and therefore was I chosen.” For what good work can be prior to faith, when the apostle says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin”? (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, 353).

Thomas Schreiner sides with Augustine and points out that Paul easily could have made a more limited point by stopping with the first part of verse 23 (“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith”). Point made. End of argument. But no. Now he adds the unqualified maxim, “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans, 739).

Universal Support for a Specific Point

It’s true, of course, as Morris says, that Paul is not discussing the actions of unbelievers in Romans 14. But that’s not a compelling argument. We regularly support specific points with general points.
For example, we might say, “The long hands of the grandfather’s clocks in this shop sweep 360 degrees every hour. For the long hands of all clocks that have circular faces sweep 360 degrees every hour.” Nobody would think us reasonable if we said, “From these two sentences all we can learn is that the only clocks whose long hands sweep 360 degrees each hour are the grandfather’s clocks in this shop, because those are the ones we are talking about.” No. We brought in a universal point to support the specific one.
That's what Paul has done. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” is a universal point. There are numerous supports for this outside Romans 14:23. For example:

1. Paul’s point in Romans 4:20 is that faith glorifies God: “Abraham grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” The reason faithless acts are sin is that they don’t glorify God as trustworthy.
2. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul said, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” But you can’t glorify God if you are dishonoring him by not trusting him. So where there is no faith, 1 Corinthians 10:31 is being disobeyed in every action (no matter how neutral in itself).
3. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore, where there is no faith, all acts displease God.

When Virtue Is Sin

This is why Augustine said that even the virtues of unbelievers are sin. An example might make this radical indictment of faithless human “goodness” clearer.
Suppose you’re the father of a teenage son. You remind him to wash the car before he uses it to take his friends to the basketball game tonight. He had earlier agreed to do that.
He gets angry and says he doesn’t want to. You gently but firmly remind him of his promise, and say that’s what you expect. He resists. You say, “Well, if you are going to use the car tonight, that’s what you agreed to do.” He storms out of the room angry. Later you see him washing the car.
But he is not doing it out of love for you or out of a Christ-honoring desire to obey Scripture. He wants to go to the game with his friends. That is what compels his “obedience.” I put “obedience” in quotes because it is only external. His heart is wrong. This is what I mean when I say that all human “virtue” is depraved if it is not from a heart of love to the heavenly Father — even if the behavior conforms to biblical norms.

Primarily unto God

The terrible condition of man’s heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other people. Your son will drive his friends to the ballgame. That is a “kindness.” They will receive it as a “benefit.” So the evil of our actions can never be measured merely by the good or the harm they do to other humans.
Romans 14:23 makes plain that our depravity is a condition in relation to God primarily, and only secondarily in relation to man. This is the great awakening that needs to happen for people to see the extent of their sin and the greatness of the Savior.

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