Is salvation by faith alone, or faith plus works, or just works?
Sincerely,
Faithfully Worked Up
Dear Faithfully Worked Up,
The Scriptures clearly say we are saved by faith (Heb 10:39), but they also clearly say that we are saved by hope (Rom 8:24), endurance (Matt 24:13), calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21), confessing Christ (Rom 10:9), the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-2), and baptism (1 Pet 3:21)… just to name a few. All of these conditions are requirements of salvation. We cannot cherry-pick what conditions we like or do not like.
Jas 2:14-21 explicitly states the importance of working for Christ. The work James is talking about isn’t about earning salvation – but about loyal service to Christ. God expects us to bear fruit for Him (Jhn 15:8), work to grow (1 Pet 2:2), and keep His commandments (Jhn 15:14). Like a transmission and an engine in a car – faith and works function together and need each other.
