least, impaired) and 2) unable to do anything to meritoriously earn eternal life, we seem to need an alternative. The only alternative to simple faith in Christ alone is to insist that the sinner do something (decide, confess, repent, etc.), and this is the very thing that the gospel message categorically excludes (cf. Rom 4:2–5; 11:6). In other words, for lack of a viable alternative we have mingled faith and works together even though the Bible excludes one from the other in the realm of the gospel