Are you Saved by Faith Only?

Question

Many will say "Yes" but the answer is "No"

Faith is Believing "Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence."
In Rom 3:20, Rom 3:28, Rom 4:3, Rom 5:1 and Rom 4:5.
it tells us that we are Justified by Faith

In James 2:24 and James 2:26. It tells us that we are not justified by faith alone.
One may think that this is Contradiction and most don't pay attention to these scripture.

What did John Mean?

James is simply saying that if you ‘say' you are a Christian, then there had better be some appropriate works manifested or your faith is false. This sentiment is echoed in 1 John 2:4 which says, "If you say you have come to know Him, yet you do not keep His commandments, then the truth is not in you and you are a liar."
Apparently, there were people who were saying they were Christians, but were not manifesting any of the fruit of Christianity. Can this faith justify?


Which is it? Are we justified by faith or by works?

Can the dead ‘faith' that someone has which produces no change in a person and no good works before men and God be a faith that justifies? Absolutely not. It is not merely enough to say you believe in Jesus. You must actually believe and trust in Him. If you actually do, then you will demonstrate that faith by a changed and godly life. If not, then your profession is of no more value than the same profession of demons: "We believe Jesus lived."
Notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul uses to support the teaching of justification by faith in Rom. 4:3. James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example. Therefore, we are justified by faith. That is, we are made righteous in the eyes of God by faith as is amply

demonstrated by Romans. However, that faith, if it is true, will result in deeds appropriate to salvation. After all, didn't God say in Eph. 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

JAMES 2: 19 ~ THOU BELIEVEST THAT THEIR IS ONE GOD, THOU DOEST WELL, THE DEVIL ALSO BELIEVES AND TREMBLES.

Is the devil saved because he also has faith that God is real. If Faith was all it took to be saved then the devil would be saved.

Good works follow you Faith and shows that you Love God and will keep his commandments.

Answer 1

Amen
Cor. 3:15 - if works are unnecessary for salvation as many Protestants believe, then why is a man saved (not just rewarded) through fire by a judgment of his works?

Matt. 7:1-3 - we are not judged just by faith, but actually how we judge others, and we get what we have given. Hence, we are judged according to how we responded to God's grace during our lives.

Matt. 10:22, 24:13; Mark 13:13 - Jesus taught that we must endure to the very end to be saved. If this is true, then how can Protestants believe in the erroneous teaching of "Once saved, always saved?" If salvation occurred at a specific point in time when we accepted Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, there would be no need to endure to the end. We would already be saved.

Matt. 16:27 – Jesus says He will repay every man for what he has done (works).

Answer 2

Who is the one who justifies? Is it not God? The scriptures say if Christ died for us while we were yet deep in our sins and actively opposing Him, then how GREAT is the salvation that we have when we surrender our heart to Christ and receive His finished work.
Here is something to consider. The Devil persuaded angels in heaven to defect. Adam was small change for Satan. Satan is the MAJOR reason why people don't come to Christ. Do you really think that after a person has weathered Satan's resistance to receive God's gift, that God is now going to allow the soul to be jeopardized again? Jesus said in John10:28 that NO ONE SNATCHES us from his fathers hand. God will discipline us but He has provided a faith separate from our own faith and that faith is in the Holy Spirit who lives in ALL true believers. The faith of the Holy Spirit will DEFINITELY endure to the END. It is His job to make sure we are delivered safely to the father. The works Paul and James are speaking of is a practical way to evaluate weather you have truly accepted Christ or are you exercising a vain attempt to fool God.

Answer 3

Every Christian knows that good works follow faith, but James says that we are not justified by faith alone, which to me contradicts Paul's writings. If James had said that by faith alone we are saved, that good works must follow as evidence, then I would say amen. He doesn't say that. He clearly says that our works are part of our salvation, which is legalism in my book and not true. James was the apostle to the Jews and I believe off base. Your statement about faith being just believing that God exists is not salvation as you stated about the devil. Faith is believing that Jesus Christ is your SAVIOR.

Answer 4

Works comes after faith. Eph.2:8-9.
First one must be saved which takes faith and believing In Jesus. Then comes the works. Works do not save ones soul. Works will not merit you heaven.

Answer 5

Works are a natural progession and evidence of faith....however,our salvation is certainly, grace by faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Saving faith is evidenced by works...The works,themselves have no redemptive power.

For those so inclined,an excellent book to check out is: The Cross Centered Life",by author,and teacher, C.J. Mahaney.

Answer 6

We are saved by grace and faith the size of a mustard seed. This grace began at His birth and was finished at Calvary. He came into the world and died to save the world. He did just that.

The only faith we need is faith the size of a mustard seed in order to do great works. What greater work is there than to save our own souls by practicing our faith?

We who are Catholics have the greater burden to practice our Christianity than those who do not have the saving graces of the Church. As Catholics know, there are great works required of each one. He requires active works and passive works.

In the Penitential Rite, where Catholics confess their sins, we say in confession "for all that we have done and all that we have failed to do." The Bible, decisions of the Church and the Catechism all require a great deal of works. This is our Faith. We must practice it.

What is this Faith required of us compared to the grace given from Jesus' birth to His death? It is not more than the size of a mustard seed.

Yours in Christ Jesus, Grace

Answer 7

You are a spirit living in a body.

When you get Saved, your spirit is Instantly Recreated by Jesus and you become a Born-Again Child of GOD.
And, you didn't have to WORK for it either.

Jesus Paid for our Redemption.
1. So we could get Born-Again and miss Hell.
2. So we could get "Saved" from all of the Curses and Sins etc. that is on this Earth now.

You do not have to Work at getting Born-Again.

YOU DO have to WORK at using what Jesus Provided to come out of Sin, Sickness, Disease, Poverty, Accidents etc.

WORK out your Own SALVATION (not getting Born-Again, spirit Recreated) from Sin, Sickness, Disease, Accidents, Poverty so on.

Faith without Works is Dead.
Gotta Learn how to use FAITH, and that takes WORK.
Ditto.........

Answer 8

I think people do not understand what you are saying. A big portion doesn't anyway.

We can say we believe in Jesus all day that does not save us, by it self. We must make that commitment to the Lord. Give our lives to him and repent of our sins and then be baptized. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Baptism is part of that work.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the foundation all the entire Bible rests upon. If we don't believe it, it will not work for us. Without faith we can not believe any of it. If we believe it, we should live it. If we live the Bible, we are being lead by the spirit of God. If we are lead by the spirit of God we are the sons of God.

If we say I have faith and I don't do anything there would be nothing to my faith. It would be dead without works.

Answer 9

I am saved by the Grace of God..
The only way to get in to Heaven is to accept Christ as personal Savior.. You cannot get in to Heaven by works alone..
I have heard many ppl say they are going to Heaven because they believe in God but that alone will not get you there, you have to be born again.
I have complete faith in my Lord....

Answer 10

We are Saved by Faith, Works will be the result, the natural by-product of a Transformed mind is works.

If Salvation was done by works alone, then all of us would be doomed. for we cannot do enough to "earn" a way into heaven.