Revelation on faith. Many people come to the Church with a distorted, legalistic view of the Gospel which says that they will be made right with God (as far as sin is concerned) by obedience to the commandments. Because obedience to the commandments is a requirement of the Gospel it is wrongly assumed by many that salvation is by works. Others come with an equally distorted view which says that we need only have faith and that works are unimportant. Paul taught that a man is saved by faith (Eph.2:8), not by works; and lest that be misunderstood, the Bible includes the writing of James which teaches that faith without works is dead (Jas.2:14,18,20,26). Our obedience must come through true faith; though we shall be rewarded for our works in the next life (and to some extent in this one too) we are saved (made right with God) by our faith alone (by clinging, trusting and adhering to Him). However, the evidence of our faith is our works, so that if we say we are living by faith but do no works (deeds), our lack of works proves us to be liars. The revelations continually stress the need to get the right perspective -- faith first, works after. Those who obey the commandments hoping they will come to faith thereby will be disappointed [Ensjų, Oslo, Norway].

1. These are the words of He who seeketh after His own, the faithful One, in whom there is no variableness of turning.

2. Those whom I have sought out, who have received Me, I have justified.

3. And those who are justified shall live by faith1 (Hab.2:4), believing though they do not see Me, hoping always for the Kingdom and the glory of Zion.

4. Believe ye that I shall fulfill all My promises?

5. Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless ye are rooted in faith, which is a practical force in the life of man, and unless ye commit yourselves unto Me, upon what hope are ye built?

6. I, the Lord, rejoice in the faithfulness of My servants, for a particle of even the smallest faith hath the power to transform all things.

7. Ye must abandon yourselves, and your desires, and your fears, for only through this gate [of faith] can ye enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

8. Commit yourselves without reservation, for he who is without committment is without faith;

9. And he who is without faith, is without hope;

10. And he who is without hope is without love, and awful is his state. Amen.