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Can You Be Saved By Good Works?
You and I have known many people in our lives who are full of good deeds. They always are friendly and willing to help anyone at any time. Sometimes we even refer to people like that as being saints.
The question is, will a person be saved for eternity by their good works? The answer from scripture is NO. However, James says, “faith without works is dead.” So what does that mean to you and me?
You see, many churchgoers, Muslims, atheists, and a wide range of people have strong beliefs about doing good works. And many of them are counting on their good works to be saved.
From our earthly viewpoint, we consider them good people. They are people who we would like to have as friends and neighbors. So, from our way of thinking they are the kind of people that we want to be known as.
When a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Matthew 19:17
So, as good as we may think we are, Paul, points out from the Old Testament, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless: there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12
These scriptures tell us that we can not be good enough to be considered righteous before God. Our good works will not save us.
What Part Does Faith Play In Salvation?
Faith is the key to salvation. The scripture is unequivocal that without faith, you can not be saved.
Paul states in Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
One of our favorite scriptures is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God’s plan from the beginning was to move from the law to grace. He gave us the law as a schoolmaster so that we could understand what is right and wrong in God’s eyes. So when He sent His Son, we would know that we needed a Savior.
Your question should not be are we saved by faith in Jesus. The scripture is clear that it is our faith in Him that saves us. But what does it mean if we believe that Jesus is the Lord of our lives? Does this mean that works are no longer necessary? What about the statement, “faith without works is dead?’
James says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.”
What James says does not change the truth that we are saved by faith. This Scripture points out that many believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and even that He died for our sins but will not be saved.
Can Faith Save Without Works?
God requires works from His people, but that is not what saves. Works are evidence of a person’s relationship with God. A saved person will act differently because of God’s commands that He gives His creation.
1 John 3:910 says, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”
James says
I have included several verses, James 2:14-26 because the brother of Jesus says it all.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds) is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
There is no confusion
James, is not confused? No! He knows that faith is necessary for our salvation, but he also knows that what we do with that faith is eternally significant. Faith never acts alone in your life.
However, we can only find balance in our lives in Jesus as we put our faith into action.
The Conclusion:
So is faith without works dead? Jesus says in John 14:23-24, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
You must not only believe in Jesus you must do what He says to be saved. If you love Him you will!