ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite ‘Epeleli 12, 2022 

FAITH IS SINCERE

KO TUI ‘OKU FAI MO’ONI

JAMES 2:14

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

SEMISI 2:14

Si‘oku kāinga, ko e hā tū hano ‘aonga ‘a e pehē ‘e ha taha, ‘oku ne tui; ‘osi, ‘oku ‘ikai hā ai ha ngāue? ‘e mafakamo‘ui ia ‘e he‘ene tui ko ia?

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love, it is not true faith. Thus the apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides. He declares on the one hand, "In Christ Jesus circumcision availeth nothing," i.e., works avail nothing, but faith alone, and that without any merit whatever, avails before God.

On the other hand, the apostle declares that without fruits faith serves no purpose. To think, if faith justifies without works, let us work nothing, is to despise the grace of God. Idle faith is not justifying faith. In this terse manner Paul presents the whole life of a Christian. Inwardly it consists in faith toward God, outwardly in love toward our fellow men.

MARTIN LUTHER

‘Ia Sisu Kalaisi, ‘oku ‘ikai ke ‘aonga ‘a e kamu pe ko e ta’ekamu, ka ko e tui ‘oku ngaue mei he ‘ofa. Ko e tui ko eni, kuopau foki, ko e tui ‘oku fai mo’oni. Ko e fa’ahinga tui ‘oku ne fakahoko ‘a e ngaahi ngaue lelei mei ‘ofa. Ka ‘ikai ha ‘ofa ‘i he tui ko eni, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha tui mo’oni ia. Ko ia, ‘oku ta’ofi ‘e he ‘aposetolo ‘a e kau malualoi mei he pule’anga ‘o Kalaisi. ‘Oku ne talamai, “ ‘oku ta’e’aonga ‘a e kamu,” - ‘oku ‘ikai ‘aonga ‘a e ngaue, ko e tui pe, he ‘oku ‘ikai te te fotu ‘aki ha ngaue ki he ‘Otua.

Pea ‘i he taimi tatau, ‘oku talamai ‘e he ‘Aposetolo, ka ‘ikai ha fua ‘o e tui, ‘oku ta’e’aonga mo ia. Koe’uhi, he ka fai hotau fakatonuhia ‘o ‘ikai toe ‘i ai ha ngaue ko e ola ‘o e tui, pea te tau tuku hifo ‘a e kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua. Ko e tui ‘oku nofo noaa, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha tui fakamo’ui ia. ‘Oku fakatokanga ko eni, ‘oku lea fefeka ‘a e ‘aposetolo fekaua’aki mo e mo’ui pilikimi ‘a e kalisitiane. ‘I he mo’ui faka-loto, ‘oku tau ma’u ‘a e tui ‘oku hanga ki he ‘Otua, pea ‘i he mo’ui ha kitu’a, ‘oku tau fakahaa’i ‘aki ‘a e ‘ofa ki hotau kaunga tangata.