Should I believe in "faith alone" or "faith with works"?

Question

Please give me an explaination as to why I should believe one way or the other

What if you have good and bad works with faith?

Answer 1

The Christian Church has taught faithfully from the beginning that salvation is a free gift of God that cannot be earned or merited. But, like any gift, it must be accepted in order to be received. It can also be freely rejected; otherwise it isn't a free gift. The Teaching of the Church from the beginning, as reflected in the Bible compiled by that same holy Church, is that faith and good works are the two essential means of accepting the free gift of salvation.

Some passages in the Bible emphasize the need for faith. Some of these don't even mention works. Other passages in the Bible strongly emphasize works, and don't even mention faith. Protestants pick and choose the passages which, taken alone and out of context, appear to support their recent traditions. But the Catholic Church accepts and embraces every passage of the Holy Bible, and doesn't teach anything doctrinally unless it is supported by all of Scripture.

Read the last paragraph of Matt 25. This is one of those passages that emphasizes works without reference to faith. It tells us that hose who fail to perform these good works "will go off to everlasting punishment". Is this too ambiguous?

Works do not earn salvation. Faith does not earn salvation. But lack of works OR lack of faith can mean loss of salvation. Both the required faith and the required works result from the action of grace in our lives. Therefore salvation IS by grace alone. But it clearly is NOT by works alone, and is clearly NOT by faith alone. Faith without works is dead, and dead faith does not result in salvation.

Answer 2

From the New Testament

By grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

And also...

Faith without works is dead.

Although there is a seeming contradiction here, the fact is that if one has faith, then one responds by putting that faith into action. So the faith comes first, and the action is the logical consequence of the faith.

But God is not Santa, making a list and checking it twice. The works will not earn you a darn thing.

Answer 3

The real question is how far will your faith take you, will it take you into doing the things that Jesus said like changing your life for the better, that others may benefit, and glorify God as well? Thats the test of your faith is learning to live unselfishly like a true christian. Will your faith lead you to do the works Jesus did?
Jesus spoke about faith but also about works, perhaps what he means was to show him our faith by our works. (James 2:18)
read Matthew 7:21 also "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord; shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." sounds like we need to make some effort at some christian works here.
Faith Alone leaves you without developing your Christ-like attributes and so is pretty worthless.

Answer 4

You are saved by faith alone. Works will not save you.

Ephesians 2:8- For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

However, if you have real faith, you will do good works as a result. They don't save you, they are the result of faith. Because you have faith, you should WANT to do good works to please God.

1Jn 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Answer 5

I don't think you should believe either way. Faith is nothing more than choosing to believe something for which there is no proof. If you're doing that, it's going to inform your actions no matter what. "Faith with works" will just make you more annoying to those who are rational.

Answer 6

If a person has faith, a living, vibrant faith ....works would be a natural by-product of that faith.
Its like a person who studied surgery and said: "I can do it!"
If he never did it, you would start to wonder if his claim is genuine.
So with those claiming to have faith, their works should back-up their claim.
James 2:18 "I shall show you my faith by my works."

Answer 7

True faith results in obedience from the heart.

So while salvation is by faith alone, true faith will always express itself with works.

Answer 8

To get to heaven, you don't need to have any kind of works, you just need faith:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10: 9-10)

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26)

But once you have decided to walk with Christ, James said this:

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. "

He is saying that your faith is proven by your works. Once a person is saved (back to Romans 10:9-10), the Holy Spirit comes inside of them and God changes them. He changes the way they think, the way they act, the things they believe, and the way they treat others. So if it is true that there was a real conversion by faith in Jesus Christ, than God would have changed them, thus their works would show this.

Answer 9

Faith and beliefs are a very personal things and only you have the answers.

Answer 10

Faith alone is self centered. Works change the world. Ever been around a baby? Praying for that diaper to change isn't enough. How bout the hungry homeless guy on the corner?