Christians, can you provide all the scriptural support that works is not necessary for salvation?

Question

FOR CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE WORKS IS NOT NECESSARY FOR SALVATION ANSWERS ONLY PLEASE.

If you believe works IS necessary, please answer here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AljBPrKFcZjE6QHE7spgLh_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071211082124AAUjese

Answer 1

Adherents of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that Jehovah can provide salvation to whosoever He chooses, regardless of whether they can or cannot do good things. It seems rather obvious that newborn children and the infirm may be barely conscious or coherent!

It is preposterous to suggest that Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider their hope to be an undeserved gift, and preposterous to suggest that Jehovah's Witnesses think they can somehow EARN salvation.

While Jehovah's Witnesses understand faith to be the primary thing for a Christian, they also understand that professed "faith" is not a license for a sinner to continue to indulge his sin.

(Matthew 7:20-23) Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize... “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.


One's faith must have SOME effect on the individual's personality and lifecourse. The Scriptures quite plainly explain that humans can disqualify themselves from receiving everlasting life; it is only the faithful COMPLETION of a life course that assures salvation. [Emphasis added to citations below.]

(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. PROBABLY you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger.

(Amos 5:15) Hate what is bad, and love what is good, and give justice a place in the gate. It MAY be that Jehovah the God of armies will show favor

(Matthew 7:13-14) Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.

(Matthew 24:13) But he that has endured TO THE END is the one that will be saved.

(Philippians 2:12) Keep WORKING OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling

(Hebrews 10:26-27) For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment

(Hebrews 5:9) [Jesus] became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those OBEYING him

(James 2:14,17) Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? ...17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19960201/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_15.htm

Answer 2

Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:5 & 2:8-9
Just a few!

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; And that nof of yourselves; it is the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

You cannot earn salvation, it is a gift from God!

Jesus lives!!

Answer 3

I am a Christian, why should I wish to support what I reject? Go read the Epistle of James again. Faith without works is merely the faith of demons. It is dead and does not save. I am not a Jehova's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventist, or a member of any of those groups. I'm an Orthodox Christian.

Answer 4

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone;

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faithh of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by fait

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Answer 5

I do not fit into any of these categories. I am a Catholic not a Jehova's Witness and I believe both works and faith are neccesary. You need to steer and row.

Answer 6

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away. Is. 64:6

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph. 2:8-9

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

Answer 7

Romans 9:10 - 16

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then?Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
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God shows mercy to those who do not want it, and keeps us in the faith by grace and the work of Christ for us. We do not know how to do it, it is God who changes our hearts and minds.

Ath

Answer 8

Romans 11:6
"But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."

2 Timothy 1:8-9
"the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,"

Titus 3:5
"he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit"

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—"

Although God does judge us by our works, it is grace through faith that saves us. Faith without works is dead -- but it's the work of FAITH not works of good deeds. When you have faith, you practice that specific faith. For instance if you have faith that someone will walk, you don't say "you will eat!" Your faith isn't in him eating, it's in him walking. Therefore, it's not just good works, you practice the faith you believe in. If you have faith in Christ, then don't doubt your faith or say anything otherwise. So the question is, what should we have faith in in order to be saved? Have faith in Jesus and God's grace.

How can you be saved without faith? If we could be saved by works, we wouldn't need Jesus. Besides, if you're saved, you don't have to DO good works, you ARE good works. We do good works AFTER salvation. It's just in you to do good. Our works before salvation was sinful. The people in Matthew 7:21-23 did good and even "mighty works" but they weren't saved.

Answer 9

There's nothing we can do or say that will guarantee our salvation. Salvation is based on Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection alone.