The role of works in salvation?

Question

Works play no role in salvation. The Bible is clear on this. We are saved by grace. We are justified by faith not works. Read the following verses and tell me what you think?

Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE ME JAMES. I KNOW WHAT HE SAYS.

I do not disagree with the book of James. I think we will have works when we are saved. But they play no role in our salvation. You do not have to do works to be saved. James is written to people who are already saved. He is telling saved people how they should act. Not how to be saved.

trish m - that verse says nothing about working for your salvation. It says work out your own salvation.

Phillipians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Answer 1

On this subject, I read the following in what I believe to be the best Bible Commentary:

"'We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.' Eph.2:10. In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favour, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. But we are accepted through Christ's merits alone. The acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith, and they become a blessing to us, for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merits of Christ which makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is His grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works, in and of themselves, have no merit. When we have done all that it is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as unprofitable servants. We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures."

Answer 2

What happens if you believe God and then you do something to Glorify Him. You are doing a work right, you pay your neighbors rent because God has given you so much. You arent justified because God sets forth prepared works for you to glorify Him in.(Be loving to others for He is loving to you)
What if all I have is evil works or works of the flesh, can I really say I believe? Works must play a role in our salvation. I know what James says too and I think these two sets of verses are saying two different things. Here in Rom. Paul seems to be talking about Justification of all, but specifically the Gentiles. James is covering more the actions of our faith.
So that is what I think.

Answer 3

How's about another quote from Paul then?

Phillippians 3
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Or how about from Jesus
Luke 17:5-11 The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith (yes there are levels of faith) Instead of a straight answer he shares a parable about a servant. After he has worked all day in the fields and comes in, does the servant sit down to eat? No, he still has to serve his master. That is how we delelop faith. Through service and works. Faith is a muscle that needs to be exercised.

Answer 4

Paul also says that the faith that saves issues inevitably in good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 5:6.)
The Holy Spirit uses Paul to stress the faith which results in works and James to stress the works which result from faith.
We are saved by a living faith which results in 'love and good works' (Hebrew 10:23-24)

Answer 5

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.

Blessings
Kait

Answer 6

Our works have no role in our salvation, only our Lord Jesus Christ does. To think that there is anything we can do to save ourselves takes away the Cross, and the gift of His Son that God gave us. As it states in Ephesians, no man is saved by works, lest he be prideful and boast. There is not a thing we can do to save ourselves. Our faith is a gift from God.

God bless.

Answer 7

yes to work out your salvation.....I think your works are to be progerssing the kingdom of God. To continue to learn and to love others that takes work but like the Bible says it is all useless without faith and love work alone does not save you but if you have faith you will work toward righteousness in all you do

Answer 8

The Bible also say,s faith without work,s is dead, when we are saved we will do good work,s and tell people about
God and Heaven and help our neighbor and do good thing,s and not bad so yes we do work because we want to.

Answer 9

Good works are the product of a converted heart. A change in lifestyle, a change in attitude toward others, etc. Desiring to do GOD's will because you love the LORD. Our fruits are an indication that we are saved.

Why would you disagree with the book of James?

GOD bless

Answer 10

Well, works will not get you into Heaven because there is nothing that we can do. Abraham is the father of all who have faith. When certain religions say that you must believe in Christ AND do something, watch out because that diminishes the death of Christ on the cross. Good works should come as a result of salvation, not as a means of acquiring it.