I keep hearing that Christianity is not a "works-based" religion and that believing is sufficient to be saved.

Question

But I can't get James 2:20 out of my head. You Christians all know that verse. You see, some of us atheist types see your denial of works as a way of you doing exactly whatever the hell you like, and believing you're the chosen people just because you say Amen a lot. (We have a word for this: hypocrisy.)

Now I have a lot of respect for people who do good works and a lot of disrespect for people who don't, irrespective of their professed faith. Would one of the "saved" who thinks he doesn't have to contribute to the good of the world care to explain away James 2:20? I can hear the sound of demons stoking up the old furnace even now...

Some excellent answers, though surprisingly few. It looks to me as if the people to whom this was addressed passed it by, and I take that as a mark of their shame. Probably too busy investing in child labor or beating their wives.

Only Roggygirl to stand up for the idle faithful. Good for you. I hope you can see though that the more thoughtful answerers here expect a higher standard of works from their Christian brethren, as a mark that you are saved. So would I.
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Answer 1

the catholic church teaches us to have faith.faith alone doesn't give us salvation, we also need to have good deeds,alms giving,be charitable amongst others, these things can be found in many passages yet bible Christians simply like to take the easy road, call themselves christian and say they have faith and all is well(that is some and not all of course). the bible tells us that faith is dead without works and works are dead without faith.

Answer 2

I think you have a misunderstanding on things. We are saved by faith onto good works. That means that the work of salvation was completed by Christ. He gives that salvation to us as a gift. When we accept that gift, we are saved. Then, as a result of that salvation, we perform works. The works themselves are not done for the purpose of earning our way to Heaven, but instead it is an expression of the joy we have. It is the evidence of a changed life. And if there is no evidence of a changed life, is that life really changed? Perhaps or perhaps not, it is not my place to say.

For me and my denomination, the works we do is a very natural outpouring of our salvation, not the causal event of it. That is why we support medical missions around the world, homeless and prisoner outreach, and help people all over the world and in our own neighborhood.

Answer 3

Faith without works is dead, and so is works without faith.

When a person professess to be saved, we cannot see their heart and if they truely have submitted to God and his will and his way for us.

But when a person who is saved feels it in their heart, they will want to learn about God and what he wants from them. This begins the work phase of our lives.

To put this into perspective, the story of Lot in the old testament is a good one. Lot was counted as rightous, although he lived among the very sinful city and did very little even in teaching his own children about God. His life was full of strife, but he did believe, and when push came to shove, he did try to find any rightous believers within the city, alas he couldnt.
His story is one of sorrow, he started "working for God" a bit late in the game. So while his faith was real, his works were not seen until much later in his life. But they did show through.

Some will go right to "work" obeying and submitting to Gods will and way, some will take years to "show" their faith.

That is why we cannot judge anothers profession of Christianity just because we do not see changes in them as fast or at all. The good news is that God can see if their faith is real.

Believing is sufficient for salvation, for works will shine through if you truely believe.

Answer 4

Correct. God is a marriage of good and truth and this marriage of two things creates a resultant third action on the universe.

Man has a similar trinity in him. Charity and faith can produce good works.

God's trinity, man's trinity.

Doubtless some will say that we are saved by faith and not by the works of the law as Paul said, but if you read Isaiah chapter 1, the works Paul was referring to were the rites and rituals of the Jewish religion and not genuine good works which involve doing good things for ourselves and others under belief in God.

Answer 5

Statistically speaking, Islam is better probable to be authentic than Christianity, because Christianity has 209 aspects, Islam only has 2. Islam acknowledges Jesus as a Prophet yet no longer as a son of God. Christians say "do not associate all of us to God", yet how about Jesus and than the Holy Ghost. Plus Christianity is the variety of money making scheme, you will pay to get baptized, pay to get christened, and blah blah blah, and than the Christian outlook to economic equipment and funds is an complete mess. look on the commercial equipment, what the heck. And than you look in any respect those unnecessary wars. -The Crusades -Vietnam -Britain's boom -The Nazis certain THE NAZIS were CHRISTIANS, NAZI became a authorities social gathering

Answer 6

it can't be explained away. so many of professed Christians think they really have a get out of jail free card, faith alone. some think they can do works and their efforts is what saves them.
fact is they go hand in hand. works are supposed to be a result of their faith.

Answer 7

Good works are not the ticket to salvation.... for only by Christ are we saved. It is as a result of our salvation that the Holy Spirit will instill in us a desire to do good works and by them is how others will recognize us as being different and glorify our Father.