This question gets at the heart of the biblical teaching on salvation and how we are saved. On one hand, the Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet the Bible also teaches that true saving faith inevitably results in good works (James 2:14-26). So which is it – are we saved by faith alone or by faith plus works?
To answer this question, we first need to understand what the Bible means by “works” when it says we are not saved by works. The works that cannot save us are human efforts to earn salvation or gain God’s favor through good deeds. The Bible rejects the notion that we can work our way to heaven or put God in our debt. Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace that cannot be earned (Romans 6:23). When Scripture says we are not saved by works, it means we cannot save ourselves by our own moral achievements or religious rituals. Salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace.
However, although we are not saved by works, the Bible does teach that saving faith will necessarily result in works. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). If someone claims to have faith but their life shows no evidence of it, their faith is useless and ineffective. True saving faith always manifests itself in a changed life characterized by good works (Ephesians 2:10). A person who is genuinely saved and regenerated by the Holy Spirit will demonstrate the fruit of that salvation in a life of obedience to Christ.
So in summary: We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone – not by works. But the kind of faith that saves is always a faith that produces fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8). Works have no part in obtaining salvation but are the inevitable evidence of it. The good works Christians do are the effect, not the cause, of their justification. We are not saved by good works, but unto good works.
With this background, let’s explore this topic more fully by looking at key biblical passages and what they teach about faith, works and salvation:
Ephesians 2:8-10 – Salvation is by grace through faith, not works
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
This passage teaches clearly that we are saved by God’s grace, not by anything we do. Salvation is God’s gracious gift, not the result of our good works or religious efforts. Even our faith is itself a gift from God. There is no room for human pride or merit – our salvation is wholly due to God’s grace.
While making clear we are not saved by works, this passage also teaches that we are saved for the purpose of good works. Though we are not saved by good works, God’s plan is that those He saves will live a life characterized by good deeds. Salvation is not the end but the beginning of a new life of walking in the good works God has for us.
Romans 4:1-5 – Abraham was justified by faith, not works
“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
Paul uses Abraham as an example to prove we are justified by faith apart from works. If Abraham had been justified by his own good deeds, he would have had reason to boast in himself. But Paul says his justification was credited to him solely on the basis of his faith. Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted in God’s promise, not because he earned it through circumcision or keeping the law. Just like Abraham, we are counted righteous before God on the basis of our faith alone.
Titus 3:4-7 – We are justified by God’s grace, not our works
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
This passage reiterates that we are justified and saved not by righteous things we have done, but according to God’s mercy. It is only by His grace and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that we can become heirs of eternal life. Our salvation is based on what Christ has done for us, not our own religious efforts.
Galatians 2:15-16 – No one is justified by works of the law
“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet 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.”
Here Paul conclusively states that observing the moral and ceremonial laws cannot justify anyone. The only way Jews and Gentiles alike can be justified is through faith in Christ. No amount of law-keeping can earn salvation – it is exclusively through trusting in the finished work of Christ.
Romans 3:27-28 – Faith excludes boasting
“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
If we were justified by our own good deeds, we would have reason to boast in ourselves. But Paul says the law of faith excludes any such boasting. Salvation by faith alone apart from works eliminates all human pride because our right standing before God comes solely from what Christ has done, not anything we do.
James 2:14-26 – Genuine faith produces good works
“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.
But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
While emphasizing we are justified by faith alone, James makes equally clear that genuine saving faith will necessarily produce good works. Empty profession of faith without corresponding action is useless and dead. Abraham and Rahab demonstrated the reality of their faith by their good works and obedience to God. Their works flowed from their justifying faith and completed it.
James is not contradicting Paul, who emphasized we are saved apart from works of the law. Rather, he is stressing that genuine faith will always results in a changed life characterized by righteous deeds.
Ephesians 2:10 – We are created for good works
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
This verse teaches that God’s purpose in saving us is not merely to rescue us from sin, but also to create us anew to walk in holiness and good deeds that bring glory to Him. The immediate result of salvation is justification – being declared righteous based on Christ’s work. But God also intends for that justification to lead to sanctification – an ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ through the Spirit’s work in us.
Hebrews 10:24 – We are to stir each other to love and good works
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”
This verse reveals that an integral part of Christian fellowship is spurring one another on to increasing love and good deeds. Our new life in Christ should be marked by care for others, mutual edification and encouraging each other in holiness. Being saved by grace motivates us to help others live in that same grace and fulfill the purposes God has for them.
Matthew 5:16 – Let your light shine through good works
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus taught that our good works are designed to draw people to glorify God. The light of Christ in us will be evidenced through the good deeds others can see in our lives. Far from earning our salvation, these good works point people toward the source of light, God Himself.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Be rich in good works
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Rather than trusting in earthly riches, God desires for us to seek eternal riches by investing generously in good works that have eternal dividends. These good works include giving to the poor, supporting the work of ministry, and meeting the needs of others. While avoiding an unhealthy focus on money, God calls us to be rich in good deeds.
In summary, although we are saved by faith and not by our good works, genuine saving faith will inevitably produce good works in the life of a true believer. Good works do not earn salvation, but they demonstrate we have truly been saved by God’s grace alone. The good works believers do bring glory to God and serve as evidence of their justifying faith in Christ.
The consistent testimony of Scripture reveals we are justified by faith in Christ and Him alone – plus nothing we do. Yet at the same time, the faith that justifies will never fail to produce fruit that evidences we have been saved and transformed by God’s grace. Good works have no part in obtaining or maintaining our salvation, yet they will be present in every believer as the Spirit progressively conforms us to the image of Christ.
Rather than a contradiction, the Bible presents a cohesive truth: We are saved by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone. Justifying faith in Christ will inevitably yield a life of good works that bring glory and praise to our gracious Savior who saved us not because of our works, but for the purpose of enabling us to walk in the good works He prepared for us.