Faith versus works - one of the most misunderstood concepts in Christianity. It can be confusing, especially if certain passages are taken out of context. So what is our salvation based on: is it faith in Jesus Christ, or is it works (i.e. "good deeds")? A common misconception is that we can only be justified by faith, therefore works are not relevant or required for salvation. Here are two verses that (on the surface) would seem to support this point of view.
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (Romans 3.28)
"We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)
Seems clear, doesn't it? We are justified by faith alone. Not so fast. What about Ephesians 2:10? "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Romans 2:6-8 tells us that God "will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury."
Confusing, isn't it? That's the problem with looking at a verse here or a verse there. We have to consider the context in which a verse is written: the chapter, the book, the entire Bible. (If everyone would do this, there wouldn't be so much confusion and disagreement about the Bible.) So which one is it, faith or works? Consider Hebrews 11, also known as the "faith hall of fame". All those who were commended for their faith (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, David, etc.) were not commended for their faith only but also for the actions that resulted from their faith. The phrase "by faith" is used over and over again in Hebrews 11 and it is always followed by action. By faith Noah built the ark, by faith Abraham offered up Isaac, by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land. By faith someone did something. So it's not faith versus/or works - it's faith and works. Two sides of the same coin. You can't have faith without works, because faith that doesn't lead to action is really no faith at all.
We know from Romans 3:23-24 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". We all need God's grace (obtained through faith in Jesus Christ) because we're all sinners. That's the basis for what we read in Romans 3.28 and Galatians 2:16 (see above). That's why works alone will never be enough to get us into heaven. No matter how many good works we do, in the end only God's grace will allow us to enter heaven. Yes, we are ultimately justified by faith, but it is a mistake to think that makes works unnecessary or irrelevant. As I said before: faith that doesn't lead to action is really no faith at all. Consider the common sense we see in James 2:14-17: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
