I need knowledgable Christians to answer this question?

Question

Paul says you have been saved by grace through faith, it is a gift of God, not of works lest you should boast. James says faith without works is dead. I'm not sure if I should believe in faith alone or faith with works. Should I take the Protestant approach or the Eastern Orthodox one?

So, should I join a Protestant Church or an Eastern Orthodox Church?

Answer 1

Good works don't get you into heaven, believing in Jesus does. With that being said, if you love Jesus and believe in him, you should WANT to do good works because that is what he would want you to do.

Answer 2

Although I believe that works do not grant you salvation, true faith will bring about good and charitable actions in the believer. I don't doubt that if you have faith you ARE saved, but faith alone doesn't do very much for God ... or for yourself.

Receiving the gift of salvation by grace through faith should make us want to change our actions and do things that glorify God.

Answer 3

Having a conscience, and not being a reprobate whereby you have the ability to freely choose to believe in the existence and sovereignty of God is truly a gift.

When you believe in anything action follows. Belief w/o action whether in attitudinal or behavioral change is of no value; dead. It is cognitive dissonance.

To God be the Glory. Everyone should recognize that it's "not by power, nor by might" but only by the Spirit of the Lord God that we obtain anything that pertains to health and righteousness.

Answer 4

Paul was trying to explain that no matter how hard we try to "earn" our salvation, we will still need Christ's atonement to clean the slate and make us fit for God's presence. Therefore, we cannot boast that we earned our salvation by what we did. However, James clarifies that we need both in order for the atonement to be effective in our lives. We cannot be saved by faith alone. Faith requires active particiaption on our part, it is not passive. If we don't have the good works to go along with our declaration of faith, then our faith is vain. We must have both, faith and works in order for the atonement to be effective in our lives.
In the Book of Mormon, it teaches that we know that by faith we are saved, after all that we can do. Basically, Jesus tells us, well done thou good and faithful servant, my grace is sufficient for you, enter into your rest. If we have been unfaithful, we will suffer the pains of repentance until it is enough, and then we will be resurrected and brought to judgment. Christ will then give us whatever glory we have merited. Yes, salvation is a free gift because what Christ did for us had nothing to do with what we do for ourselves. We can accept that gift or reject that gift. It is up to us. Loving God and our neighbor is what is required of us if we are to receive His blessing.
You can't have one without the other.

Answer 5

Faith Works.

God is not obligated to anyone, that is why we are saved by grace. However, if you claim to have faith, and don't do the good works that God prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), then you might question whether you actually have faith.

Paul says, "Keep examining yourselves to see whether you are continuing in the faith. Test yourselves! You know, do not you, that Jesus Christ lives in you? Could it be that you are failing the test?" (II Corinthians 13:5)

Answer 6

Paul is saying that good works only will not get you in Heaven. Hence you can not be "good enough" to get in Heaven, you have to be saved by the Blood of Christ. And he is also saying you should not brag about the good things you do because it simply makes it weak in the eyes of God. James is saying that if you are a Christian that your faith means little without good works.

Answer 7

It is not good works that saves you, it is grace through faith, believing and accepting Christ. James is saying, without works, where are your fruits, a true Christian should show his love, and faith through his fruits or good works.

Answer 8

You can only be saved and get to heaven by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The result of this faith is works because you love Jesus SOOOOOOOO much that you want to tell everyone what He has done for you.

Answer 9

Here are some notes over these I would like to share with you. I ask this same question not to long ago. Make sure you study this for yourself as well.
James 2:19,20
The reference to faith in one God probably alludes to Israel's great creedal statement of Deuteronomy 6:4 " Hear ; O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." Adherence to a creed is not true faith. Even the demons know and accept the truth of the creed, but they do not possess saving faith. If one des nothing to enact his knowledge of God, he is worse than the demons, for they at least tremble.
James 2:21-24
These verses present the crux of the issue: Is a man justified by works? Do Paul and James contradict each other? Several factors demnstate that they do not. First, as already noted in verses 14-17 , the apostles use the word faith with different meanings. Second, They use "justified" in different senses. It is customary to identify all nuances of this word with the theological idea Paul popularized- that is, God act of declaring all believers righteous demonstrating or showing something to be righteous on the basis of Christ's redemptive work. ( Ps. 51:4 ; Luke 7:35; Rom3:4); it is this usage that James follows. Third, though both men use Abraham as an illustration, they focus on different aspects of his life. Paul shows that Abraham was declared righteous by faith when he trusted God (Gen. 15:6). James declares that he was shown to be righteous by his offering up of Isaac (Gen. 22:9). Fourth, even the terminology of these two apostles differs. Paul constantly speaks against the works of the law , as being a false use of those works to merit salvation. James , however, is speaking of works of love that follow belief. Fifth, the two apostles are discussing totally different subjects, since they are confronted by different problems. Paul, opposing the Judaizers , seeks to prove that the Gentiles can be saved and sanctified apart from circumcision or any other work of the law. James, opposing merely nominal , professing Christians, seeks to show that true faith confirms itself by deeds of love. If James were fighting Paul over law and grace-- or faith and works- surely the subject of circumcision would have arisen, since it lies at the core f that issue. James and Paul are not face to face fighting each other they are back to back fighting opposite foes!
James 2:25
Just as James presents two examples of spurious faith (vv. 16,19) , he concludes with two examples of genuine faith: Abraham and Rahab. One was a Jewish patriarch of great sanctity, whose faith was perfected by his works. The other was the lowest citizen of a condemned Gentile faith of an Abraham or the baby like faith of a Rahab, there must be evidence of that faith.

Answer 10

Salvation is by grace through faith alone.in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross(His shed blood covers a multitude of sin).

Works are a naturual progession of Justfication in the new walk of sanctification,(they are an indication of faith,not a replacement for it.)

Edit...If you really want an opinion on which church....I am convinced that non-denominational or full gospel churches are the ones to seek out.

Answer 11

By experiencing God's grace you should feel compelled to do good.

You are looking at it all wrong.

To be saved you need to DO nothing. But by being saved you should be doing good works because that is what God wants from you.