Works or Faith?

Question

If both, which comes first?

Answer 1

Faith comes first. If you have no faith in God, how can you do the 'good works' of God?

People always get this confused, my own dad especially, who goes out and seeks good works to do to bolster his faith. Fine, people benefit from it, but what it is really supposed to be is your faith in God grows, your understanding of God grows, and God puts you in other peoples' lives and gives you good works to complete, sometimes without your even knowing it.

You must always remember what Paul says about works. Paul says that you CANNOT 'works' your way into heaven because if you could, you are taking God right out of the picture because you can do it all by yourself. But God says that you are saved by Grace -- unmerited favor. What does that mean? That means that no matter what a worm I am, God chose to save me. He didn't have to; I didn't earn it and there was nothing I could do TO earn it, but He saved me just the same. Now having lived my life with the Lord for 25 years now, I can look back and say that there were 'works' that I performed to further the Kingdom of God, and I can say there were times when God used me as a tool in someone else's life so that He could bless them as He has blessed me.

Works is also a manifestation of your faith. Someone that you don't know will be watching you have a really crappy day and you handle it with such style and grace that that will make a person say, "What is it about you that is so different from everyone else in this place?" Now you have an opportunity to tell that person about God and all the glorious things He has done in your life. Your God-inspired works will cause someone to want your God. How many hundreds of thousands of people in this world have been saved by watching someone else buy a co-worker lunch when they have no money to do so, or to pray with a complete stranger because said stranger was down and out? This is not something that we will know before we get to heaven.

My friend, strengthen your faith; 'works' will come. God will see to it.

Answer 2

They develop together. Faith generates works and works build faith, which is why you cannot have one without the other, which is why you must have both in order to find salvation.

Answer 3

You Can Be Saved Only With Grace.
So Grace Comes First

Answer 4

In the book of James in the second chapter the idea of faith and works or deeds is discussed. I would encourage reading that passage.

Works or Faith? Both. Faith would have to be first and here's the reason why: it requires faith to believe Jesus was who He said He was and that He really was resurrected and saved humanity. In Galatians 2:6 Paul states that we are justified or saved through faith in Jesus. Works alone cannot get us a ticket to heaven, as is believed by christians. However, with that said, it is no good to have faith without the works. Jesus summed it up this way, "Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Love your neighbor (everyone you come in contact with) as yourself." To love God involves faith, to love others involves works. As James says in verses 14-18 of chapter 2, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
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."

It would be hypocritical to follow Jesus and have faith in Him, but to not follow His teachings and help those around you. Faith is shown by action. If you follow Jesus you will obey His teachings, thus you will care for others aound you, and so on. Works should be the proof of your faith, according to Jesus and James. They naturally go together, one will prove the other.

Nonetheless, most professing christians are just that, professing. True christianity is about action, and sadly, most of us don't prove our faith very well.

Answer 5

the question was settle at the council of Trent, the Roman Church admitted that all you need is Faith but faith will make you do Works, which in return will help your faith and the faith of others and so on ...

Answer 6

We are saved by grace, not by works, so that no one can boast.
We are saved by grace alone. Recall that in Acts 16:31 the jailer asked Paul and Silas how to be saved. They responded, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." The jailer believed and immediately became saved.
Close to 200 times in the New Testament salvation is said to be by faith alone - with no works in sight. Consider the following:
John 3:15 tells us that "everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
John 5:24 says, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
In John 11:25 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."
John 23:46 says, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."
John 20:31 says, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
If salvation were not by faith alone, then Jesus' message in the Gospel of John - manifest in the above quotations - would be deceptive, stating that there is one condition for salvation when there are allegedly two - faith and works.
I must emphasize that we are saved by faith for works. Works are not the condition of our salvation, but a consequence of it We are saved not by works, but by the kind of faith that produces works.

Eph 2:8-10 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this: It is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Answer 7

Since faith is in me / you we do work . Faith first . If no faith I am lazy

Answer 8

faith without works is dead. works without faith is dead.

Faith and works are the same thing. Faith IS a work.

Answer 9

You are saved by faith alone.

Ephesians 2:8&9

But faith without works is dead.

James 2:20

So, in essence, you are saved by faith, and if you are saved you will have works.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Answer 10

I believe your works are an extension of your faith.