Are we saved by faith alone or is works necessary?

[JTB]

Titus 3:4-8 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Does this mean that the faith they speak of is of the mind only, or does our faith have to include acting out our faith?

Scripture does not answer this question directly, but James tells us faith without works is dead and Christ tells us that being a Christian is not a matter of only how we think but includes what we do.

"Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."(NASB) Matt. 7:21

Salvation is a free gift of grace we receive thru faith. So prior to salvation, our works are essentially meaningless. There are no amount of good works that will get you in, there is no amount of bad works that will exclude you. The foundation of free salvation is completely and totally unrelated to our works.

But after salvation, our works mean everything. God says that when we are gathered to be with Him, we will be judged by our works. Those who build upon the foundation of free salvation with good works will be rewarded, those who build upon the foundation of free salvation with bad works will suffer loss.

Now, I believe that loss is one's place as part of Christ's Bride. But that is a whole 'nother thread

https://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/is-the-church-the-bride-of-christ.201135/

 

[Pilgrimshope]

I also mention To Love one Another in my post... but ... many Christians take works over the top. Did you read my example? and answer my question?

yes I read your post which is why I added that point to your post about his commandment bieng to love one another .

and your example I was enjoying until I got to the question sort of avoided it on purpose. But how is it a “ waste of a good deed “ if she did a good deed for someone in love ?

it seems like the important part is the deed helped someone in need. I don’t think she was doing it to be saved or rewarded probably had it on her heart to love in deed and truth

her mentioning it to you seems to be why you think it was wasted, I’m assuming your referencing the “ do in secret “ scriptures but I would say her helping someone wasn’t waste

I think it’s when we take issue with Love being something we are needing to act in that we’re in a bit of a pickle

 

[Pilgrimshope]

So you agree with what I posted in post #17

So you agree with what I posted in post #17

how did you come to that conclusion ?

no I hardly ever agree with theology and scholars who part from the truth . the point I made is why are you seeking after a Greek scholar when you have Gods own word to those who supposedly believe and have thier faith in him when he’s saying this

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:25, 27-30‬ ‭

that’s salvstion and it’s going to lead us into do good and hate doing evil , but if we are afraid to hear what he said we’re never going to Know what God actually has said .

 

[Pilgrimshope]

If you believe and trust in Christ Jesus as your Lord and savior then you will follow Him and try to be like Him thus that will translate into good works. Do those works save you NO but as James said faith without works is dead.

amen

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

if Noah hadn’t been willing to do what God said he would have died . Of Abraham hasn’t been willing to do what God said he wouldn’t have been the father of many nations

faith is to believe first the promise and instruction and that will always result in acting if we actually believe what God said

 

[JaumeJ]

We are known by our good works given us by God and moved by the Holy Spirit. We can do noting of our own.


Our gifted works are sure indicators of our love.

 

[mailmandan]

Romans 4:5 - But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

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

We are clearly saved through faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone.

 

[John146]

We are known by our good works given us by God and moved by the Holy Spirit. We can do noting of our own.


Our gifted works are sure indicators of our love.

What good work is a Christian known for? Many lost people do great things for humanity.

 

[John146]

amen

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

if Noah hadn’t been willing to do what God said he would have died . Of Abraham hasn’t been willing to do what God said he wouldn’t have been the father of many nations

faith is to believe first the promise and instruction and that will always result in acting if we actually believe what God said

Exactly why the believer is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. He was completely obedient unto the Father even unto the death of the cross. His faith justifies.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith 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.

 

[p_rehbein]

You (OP Author) are confusing salvation with sanctification.

Salvation comes such: Saved by grace through faith...........

Good Works (obediently doing what God purposed us to do) is a FRUIT of salvation!!!!!!

Y'all need to stop trying to load people down with all this "you gotta do this or that" theology to be saved. For one thing...........it IS NOT true. For another.......it is preaching another Gospel, and that is a very dangerous thing to do.

People need to begin to realize the danger of preaching/teaching untruths (the traditions of man) for the Gospel of Jesus................God will hold such accountable on day.

 

[ResidentAlien]

Faith does require action, but it is SIMPLE FAITH that justifies the sinner and the ungodly. The best example is the criminal on the cross beside Christ. He was about to die when he put his faith and trust in Christ. And that was sufficient to justify this criminal, and guarantee him a place in Paradise (Heaven, since Paradise is in the New Jerusalem in Heaven). We do not need to complicate things. Genuine saving faith does result in action. But that follows salvation by grace through faith.

Nehemiah, the thief said: "Remember me when You come into your kingdom." His faith was in evidence by his actions. We don't know what would've happened if he had said nothing, but what we do know is he said something. He demonstrated his faith by his actions.

 

[JaumeJ]

What good work is a Christian known for? Many lost people do great things for humanity.

Do you pray? "That's work. Do you do your best to love all peeaple, friends and enemis alike? work. Are you awaiting our Lord" return. work. Do you possess other gifts of faith? These are all works not counting the zillion of which I cannot name.

Too may believers are caught up thinking they must be great healers, teachers, tongue speakers and more, but where are the more common believers? I believe I am one. All brethren in Jesus Yeshua are better than I in my own esteem. I have been picked up and let go so many times my head looks like a golf ball.............You believe, basic work. Don't think you must be another Peter or Barnabas. You are just as beloved as are these. Keep up the good works!

 

[ResidentAlien]

We're saved by grace through the faith God bestows as his gift. Its not our doing, but God's.

Our good work after that is evidence of our salvation, as we follow God's leading to serve his kingdom. It is not what saves us.

I totally agree. Our faith saves us, I've never said anything to the contrary. But our works are evidence of our faith, and our works make our faith complete. Without works, our faith is incomplete and insufficient.

"You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was COMPLETED by his works;"—James 2:22

 

[John146]

Do you pray? "That's work. Do you do your best to love all peeaple, friends and enemis alike? work. Are you awaiting our Lord" return. work. Do you possess other gifts of faith? These are all works not counting the zillion of which I cannot name.

And yet, none of this proves my salvation. I could choose to do none of this, but my foundation remains sure. I will be judged according to my works whether good or bad. I will receive rewards or the loss of rewards according to my labor.

 

[p_rehbein]

Do you pray? "That's work. Do you do your best to love all peeaple, friends and enemis alike? work. Are you awaiting our Lord" return. work. Do you possess other gifts of faith? These are all works not counting the zillion of which I cannot name.

Love ya Bro, but these are not "works." These are either the fruits of Salvation, or being obedient to Jesus and doing what He taught us to do.

"Works" is something people do to EARN salvation! Those who ARE saved need not EARN it, nor could they. Nor can anyone else. Salvation can NOT be EARNED.

All God called, and bestowed His saving Grace upon, were called and saved for a purpose. The purpose God has for all His children are not "works" they do to EARN salvation, they are the good works His children do to fulfill the calling they were called to do. Big difference there IMO.

 

[John146]

I totally agree. Our faith saves us, I've never said anything to the contrary. But our works are evidence of our faith, and our works make our faith complete. Without works, our faith is incomplete and insufficient.

"You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was COMPLETED by his works;"—James 2:22

Im justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith 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.

 

[JaumeJ]

And yet, none of this proves my salvation. I could choose to do none of this, but my foundation remains sure. I will be judged according to my works whether good or bad. I will receive rewards or the loss of rewards according to my labor.

You cannot Prove the salvation of anyone, however if you confess Jesus Yeshua as your Lord and s Savior, and you believe Him, this as counted to you by God as works. Abraham believed God and dthhis was counted to him a righteousness which is the epitom of works from God.
We belive in things we cannot see. Our faith cannot be proven to amy flesh, but God knows who believes, and He is the only true Authority on just who is a believer and who is not. If you think you need to prove anything you just are not acting in faith. Ask the Lord to halp you lack of faith and grant you more. I will pray the same. You are not to judge even yourself.....God bless you.

 

[oldhermit]

Only a few people have even looked at this thread and none of them want to post their view of this question. Come on, what are your thoughts about this? What is the faith that scripture tells us is necessary for salvation?

Faith and belief are both from the word πίστις which means 'to be persuaded'. Biblical faith reflects two interlocking dynamics. The first is the mental acceptance of a set of facts which we regard as doctrine, the second is the action that responds to those convictions.

Belief is the fundamental structure for salvation, but belief is never presented in scripture as simply an intellectual exorcise. Biblical faith is more than just a simple acknowledgement of a set of revealed truths or doctrines. Faith is always presented as behavior that actively responds to the word of God. James makes the point that faith apart from obedience to the will of God is not faith. Faith is legitimized only when it is linked to action. We see this in a number of examples given by the Hebrew writer. In Hebrews 11 belief/faith is inseparably linked to active response that legitimizes what the mind has accepted as true. Without obedience to the will of God, there is no acknowledgement of faith. By faith, those offered as examples, did what God commanded; and because they did, God regarded them as faithful.

Belief is an exercise of the mind and obedience is the pragmatic response. Faith cannot exist one without the other. One simply cannot function without the other. Although “faith” and “belief” in the New Testament are translated from the same Greek word and are very often used interchangeably, there are time when one is clearly differentiated from the other. If there is a difference between faith and belief it would seem to be the difference between the cognitive response (which is the abstract intellectual exorcise of accepting something as truth), and the active response which is more concrete. This is the point James makes about faith. Faith itself is an abstract because faith is not something that can be seen. In order for faith to be legitimized, it must be demonstrated in observable behavior. You cannot see faith but, you can see the results of faith. It was incumbent upon Israel to do more than simply acknowledge the words of the Lord intellectually. They were to “observe all the words of this law to do them.”

 

[Justified]

Im justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith 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.

Christ Jesus was faithful but it is not His faith that saves us. It is our faith in the faithful one that saves us. Paul explains it in Gal 3:24-26

Gal 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Notice the law brings us to Christ {shows us our sins} that we might be {not will be} justified {be declared righteous/saved} by faith
Many people will hear the gospel message and will turn away and remain lost in their sin.

 

[Gideon300]

Titus 3:4-8 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Does this mean that the faith they speak of is of the mind only, or does our faith have to include acting out our faith?

Scripture does not answer this question directly, but James tells us faith without works is dead and Christ tells us that being a Christian is not a matter of only how we think but includes what we do.

"Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."(NASB) Matt. 7:21

If all you have is mental agreement then it is not faith. Before I was born again, I considered myself a Christian. I believed that Jesus died and rose again. At the same time, I avoided church like the plague. My believing was much like I believed that William Shakespeare was a real person. It meant nothing to me.

That is what James is getting at. We have the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1. We are also told how faith comes, Romans 10:17. If we have real faith, it will result in action. After I was born again, the first thing I did was look for a church. It's a long story, but I was virtually on my own after I was saved. I'm glad because I learned a lot. Before I was born again, I could not read the Bible. Could not, not would not. After I was born again, I could not get enough of it.

People who are born again will show signs of a change. They may go through hard times that shake them to the core, but Lord Jesus pulls them through.

"Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."(NASB) Matt. 7:21

Sure, and what does God require of us? …John 6: 28 & 29
Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

Too many Christians are intent on boasting about what they have done for God. My only boast is in the Lord Jesus and what He has done for me. Whatever is of spiritual value in God's sight is initiated and empowered by Lord Jesus. Whatever originates from my own desires and done in my own strength is worthless. I thank God that the blood of Christ cleanses my conscience from those dead works.

 

[John146]

Christ Jesus was faithful but it is not His faith that saves us. It is our faith in the faithful one that saves us. Paul explains it in Gal 3:24-26

Gal 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Notice the law brings us to Christ {shows us our sins} that we might be {not will be} justified {be declared righteous/saved} by faith
Many people will hear the gospel message and will turn away and remain lost in their sin.

Lets go through that passage and see whose faith justifies. It is obviously the faith of Christ. How does one receive the faith of Christ? Believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. The believer is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.