Are we saved by faith alone, or do we need works, too?
by Matt Slick


Roman Catholics often mention that the Bible never says we are saved by faith alone and that the phrase "faith alone" occurs only once in James where it says that we are not saved by faith alone. If this is so, then why do the Protestants say we are justified by faith alone and not by works? Because the Bible teaches that we are justified by faith alone-and not by works.

The following is a list of verses about being saved by faith. Please take note that faith and works are contrasted. In other words, we are saved by faith "not by works" and "apart from works," etc. The point is that there are only two options. We are saved by faith alone, or we are not. Since we have faith and works (both conceptually and in practice), then we are either saved by faith alone or by faith and works. There is no other option.

If we see that the scriptures exclude works in any form as a means of our salvation, then logically, we are saved by faith alone. Let's take a look at what the Bible says about faith and works. Then, afterward, we will tackle James' statement about "faith alone."

Rom. 3:28-30, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one."
Rom. 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,"
Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"
Rom. 9:30, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;"
Rom. 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."
Gal. 2:16, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
Gal. 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
Gal. 3:5-6, "Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
Gal. 3:24, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9Not by works, lest any man should boast."
Phil. 3:9, "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."
Again, works/Law is contrasted with faith repeatedly; and we are told that we are not justified by works in any way. Therefore, we are made right with God by faith--not by faith and our works, hence, faith alone.

James 2:24, not by faith alone
The scriptures clearly teach that we are saved (justified) by faith in Christ and what He has done on the cross. This faith alone saves us. However, we cannot stop here without addressing what James says in James 2:24, "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."

There is no contradiction. All you need to do is look at the context. James chapter 2 has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us not to show favoritism. Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works.

James begins this section by using the example of someone who says he has faith but has no works, "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" (James 2:14). In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead faith--a faith that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement, a public confession of the mind and is not heartfelt. It is empty of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions). Then he shows that type of faith isn't any different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith that has words followed by actions. Works follow true faith and demonstrate that faith to our fellow man but not to God. James writes of Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.

In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive; hence, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:20). But, he is not contradicting the verses above that say salvation/justification is by faith alone.

Also, notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul quotes in Rom. 4:3 amongst a host of verses dealing with justification by faith. James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example. Therefore, we can see that justification is by faith alone and that James was talking about false faith--not real faith--when he said we are not justified by faith alone.

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Christ said if we believe in him, even greater works shall we do. Faith in Christ gives us salvation, while our works gives glory to God. We are not saved by our works, but God is glorified by our works.
You can not Ser a hungry brother and tell him that God will provide for him when you have more than enough, that Faith is dead.

Christ said, if we believe in him, even greater works shall we do. Faith in Christ gives us salvation, while our works give glory to God. We are not saved by our works, but God is glorified by our works.
You can not see a hungry brother and tell him that God will provide for him when you have more than enough, that Faith is dead.

We are saved by GRACE because we had FAITH: QED

The Thief on the Cross didn't get saved through any addition of an IOTA of WORKS.

However, if you have FAITH, we would see the evidence of your FAITH through your WORKS. If your FAITH is passive, it might be an evidence that your faith is counterfeit.


cc: solite3

shadeyinka:
We are saved by GRACE because we had FAITH: QED

The Thief on the Cross didn't get saved through any addition of an IOTA of WORKS.

However, if you have FAITH, we would see the evidence of your FAITH through your WORKS. If your FAITH is passive, it might be an evidence that your faith is counterfeit.


cc: solite3

yes that was what james meant. Dead faith might just be counterfeit all along.

Paul and James complement each other. Paul’s focus was on the unsaved man and how he might get right with God. James’ focus was on the saved person and how he might show his faith and demonstrate the reality of his faith.

Way before sin, God gave humans work when it is said, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground". I count five instructions to work right there, and it would be a rather odd argument to claim those who do those five things are not those God blesses.

I guess the argument is whom has God blessed? Check the average lifespan of people in UK (80.96 years), Japan (83.98) and even China (76.25) and compare it with that of Nigeria (53.43). Which would you claim is blessed? Or would your understanding of God give you a shorter more brutal existence on earth in exchange for eternal life? I'm sure we are all intelligent enough to determine which of these countries we'd rather live in.

Mere loving one's neighbour is immense work which those who promote a doctrine of no work would not do. My evidence for their not doing work is their unfruitfulness or the production of fruits which are bitter and sour and not fit for consumption. And I say mere, though love is the most essential of works, it is the most basic of works that one must do along with the immense work of loving one's God, an understanding of which requires immense work. For just reading Scripture is months of work and understanding it is a lifetime of work, and by the fruits of love we have for our neighbor and our God are we surely known. Those who work not are fruitless!

I am going to rely on the Holy Ghost, if it be in you, to determine if what I've said here is a lie. I'd also rely on your experience too. Just consider. Does your daily bread fall from heaven in accordance with your lack of work, or does your God show you what work to do to get your daily bread? Think too of the implications of your doctrines. Would you rather your very own child adopt a doctrine of non-essentiality of work? Would your child be fruitful if it works not?

You might claim that what you receive from God is way more than your daily bread or the fruitfulness of your child, and to be sincere, I'd argue not, for God so loved the world, and just consider how immense your poverty would be if you had not by Grace had the Gospel preached to you. But I'd have you consider if you have salvation or are righteous before the Lord if you have no daily bread or if your child is fruitless? Would you claim God has blessed and saved you and that you are righteous when you starve or when your child amounts to nothing? Is it not true that those who do the immense works listed in the 15^th Psalm that will dwell in the Lords tabernacle of Grace and Salvation?

A favourite argument of the no work brigade is to claim salvation is by grace alone. They bring up amongst other Scripture, the [url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23%3A39-43&version=NIV]penitent thief[/url] who said “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong”, and say he did no work, when the truth is he was penitent, which is work according to the doctrine of the confession of sins. He also obviously had done work to know God despite failing to do God's will, for it takes the work of the use of the brain and mind to reason as he did, and for this work was he rewarded with paradise. However, you are not a penitent thief! Unless of course you are one who has not yet received God's Grace and studied the Word. And if you are a penitent thief, must you not then do work of repentance and after do the work of cross carrying by ensuring the [url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23&version=NIV]fruits[/url] of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, against such things there is no law, and which are all work, not work in you? Can any fruits be produced without work? Is a fruitless person saved, or righteous or even of the Lord God Almighty?

Do note that we thrashed this out extensively in this thread, and my comment here is so we not be deceived on the mount by that which is an evil doctrine of perdition!

The doctrine of no work is a doctrine of death. It is the doctrine of stones and serpents instead of one of life. Those who work are fruitful and increase and fill and subdue and rule and are therefore blessed, while those who work not reap not and die!

Cc: OkCornel

malvisguy212:
Paul and James complement each other. Paul’s focus was on the unsaved man and how he might get right with God. James’ focus was on the saved person and how he might show his faith and demonstrate the reality of his faith.

yes they complement rather than contradict.
One presents how an unsaved man can be saved the other focus on what faith should yield (works)

solite3:
yes they complement rather than contradict.
One presents how an unsaved man can be saved the other focus on what faith should yield (works)

both Paul and James illustrate their point using Abraham. Faith is NOT living unless it is OUTWARDLY Shown, Abraham was justified by Faith when he believed God that he Will be father of All nation. but to show the EVIDENCE of his Faith , he was ask to sacrifice Isaac and he obeyed.

Abraham’s life was chosen as an example because it wonderfully illustrates what kind of faith-evidencing
works James had in mind.

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works” (James 2:18).

Paul used a time early in Abraham’s life, before he
had given birth to any children, and the Genesis account declares that this was when Abraham was justified by faith.

James, while not disputing the fact that abraham was justified by faith ( James 2:23), nevertheless chose an incident in Abraham’s life which took place many years later, when he offered up Isaac. According to James, this is when Abraham showed his faith by his works

malvisguy212:
both Paul and James illustrate their point using Abraham. Faith is NOT living unless it is OUTWARDLY Shown, Abraham was justified by Faith when he believed God that he Will be father of All nation. but to show the EVIDENCE of his Faith , he was ask to sacrifice Isaac and he obeyed.

Abraham’s life was chosen as an example because it wonderfully illustrates what kind of faith-evidencing
works James had in mind.

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works” (James 2:18).

Paul used a time early in Abraham’s life, before he
had given birth to any children, and the Genesis account declares that this was when Abraham was justified by faith.

James, while not disputing the fact that abraham was justified by faith ( James 2:23), nevertheless chose an incident in Abraham’s life which took place many years later, when he offered up Isaac. According to James, this is when Abraham showed his faith by his works

yea we on same page. Abraham works proved his faith was true but he was only justified by faith not by his works.

Yes