The relationship between faith and works is a central topic in the Bible that has been debated for centuries. At a high level, faith refers to belief and trust in God, while works refer to actions and obedience to God’s commands. There are two key perspectives on how faith and works relate:
Faith Alone View
The faith alone view emphasizes that we are saved by faith in Christ alone, not by our works. Salvation is through God’s grace and cannot be earned by human effort or good deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). This view sees faith and works as separate – we are justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28). Good works are seen as the result of salvation, not the cause.
Key verses supporting faith alone include:
- Ephesians 2:8-9 – “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.”
- John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
- Romans 3:28 – “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
- Galatians 2:16 – “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.”
Key figures supporting faith alone include Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and modern evangelicals.
Faith and Works View
The faith and works view sees faith and works as complementary, not opposed. Genuine faith will always be accompanied by good works. We are saved by faith, but true faith leads to obedience and good deeds. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
Key verses supporting faith and works include:
- James 2:14-26 – Faith without works is useless.
- Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of the Father.
- John 15:14 – You are my friends if you do what I command.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 – If I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
- Philippians 2:12-13 – Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.
Key figures supporting faith and works include James, early Catholic tradition, Eastern Orthodox, and some modern Catholics and Protestants.
Debating Faith vs Works
Throughout church history, intense debates have occurred over faith versus works:
- Early church – Salvation was seen as a synergistic work of both faith and works. But some early theologians like Augustine focused more on faith.
- Reformation – Luther and the Reformers contended strongly for faith alone in opposition to Catholic emphasis on works.
- Counter-Reformation – The Catholic Council of Trent reaffirmed the necessity of both faith and works.
- Modern times – Most Protestants hold to faith alone, while Catholics and Eastern Orthodox emphasize faith and works together.
Synthesizing the Two Views
While faith alone versus faith and works can seem opposed, it is possible to synthesize both perspectives:
- We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone – salvation is completely unearned.
- Genuine faith will always lead to fruit, good works and obedience.
- Works serve as evidence of true faith, but are never the basis for salvation.
- Sanctification is the process of good works flowing from the life of a believer.
- While we must avoid a works-based legalism, faith without any expression is dead.
The order is crucial – we are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone. Spurgeon stated it this way: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone.” Good works will always follow genuine faith.
Faith and Works in Everyday Life
Understanding faith alone versus faith and works has many practical implications for the Christian life:
- Assurance – We can have confidence in our salvation because it is based on Christ’s work, not our own success at being “good enough.”
- Holiness – We should avoid cheap grace and false assurance, and recognize that genuine faith transforms lives.
- Priorities – We must make developing Christlike character through spiritual disciplines a priority, not an optional extra.
- Evangelism – We can honestly offer the good news of salvation as a free gift of God to all who believe.
- Humility – We have no grounds for boasting in our good works, since even our faith is a gift from God.
- Perseverance – We can press on knowing our efforts are partnering with and empowered by God’s grace.
The Bible offers a beautiful, nuanced picture of how faith and works relate in the lives of believers. We contribute good works, but never earn our standing before God. This understanding brings comfort, security, meaning and purpose.
Key Points
- Faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone is the basis for salvation.
- Genuine faith inevitably produces good works in the lives of believers.
- Works serve as evidence of living faith, but never earn or merit salvation.
- We should avoid either extreme of cheap grace or works righteousness.
- Balancing faith and works has practical impact on assurance, holiness, evangelism, humility, and perseverance.
The Bible presents a nuanced synthesis of faith and works – we are saved by faith alone but never by a faith that is alone. Our good works contribute to sanctification but never justification. In all aspects of theology and practice, we must hold these key biblical principles in balance and tension.
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Throughout the Bible, we see stories and examples that illustrate the interplay between faith and works in the lives of believers:
- Abraham – Abraham believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). But his faith was demonstrated through obeying God’s call and sacrificing Isaac (James 2:21-24).
- Rahab – Rahab demonstrated faith in hiding the Israelite spies. This faith was credited to her as righteousness (Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25).
- David – David committed grievous sins but sought God’s forgiveness (Psalm 51). He experienced the grace of God’s redemption, motivating him to teach and lead others.
- Ephesians 2 – We are saved by grace through faith for good works that God prepared for us to walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).
- Sermon on the Mount – Jesus calls us to righteous deeds as citizens of his kingdom but warns against works righteousness (Matthew 5-7).
- Parable of the Talents – We are accountable for bearing spiritual fruit with what God has given us (Matthew 25:14-30).
Paul provides significant teaching on how faith and works fit together in the lives of believers:
- Romans 3-4 – We are justified by faith apart from works of the law.
- Romans 6 – Sin should not reign in our mortal bodies so that we obey its desires.
- 1 Corinthians 3 – We are God’s fellow workers and will be rewarded for our labor.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 – We must all appear before Christ’s judgment where our works will be revealed.
- Galatians 5 – Those who belong to Christ crucify the flesh and walk by the Spirit in bearing fruit.
- Philippians 2:12-13 – Continue working out your salvation because God is at work within you.
James provides a vital balance and perspective on how genuine faith will be evidenced through deeds:
- James 2:14-26 – Faith without works is useless. Works complete faith.
- James 1:22 – Be doers of the Word, not only hearers.
- James 1:27 – Pure religion is to care for orphans and widows.
The Book of Hebrews provides many examples of faith evidenced through works:
- Hebrews 11 – The “Hall of Faith” describes the righteous deeds of believers.
- Hebrews 12:14 – Without holiness no one will see God.
- Hebrews 13:16 – Do good and share with others for God is pleased by sacrifices of doing good.
While the New Testament epistles articulate the doctrine of salvation by faith alone apart from works, the emphasis throughout the entire Bible is on living lives of holiness and bearing spiritual fruit through good deeds. We must hold these complementary truths in tension.
Practical Expressions
How should the biblical understanding of faith and works impact how we live?
- Our motivation should be gratitude, not works righteousness. We serve God out of thanks for the grace we’ve received.
- We should periodically examine our lives for areas lacking good fruit as evidence of dead or lifeless faith.
- Sharing our faith should emphasize that good news is truly good – salvation cannot be earned or merited.
- We can humbly serve without pride knowing that our salvation depends fully on God’s grace.
- Assurance of salvation comes through trusting in Christ’s work, not our own success.
- Our faith should produce tangible actions – generosity, morality, fruitful labor, and spiritual growth.
This biblical understanding should lead us to glorify God for the amazing gift of salvation while also chasing after personal holiness and good deeds in every area of life. We rest in His grace and work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God is working in us (Philippians 2:12-13).