Saved by

Are we saved by faith or by works?

We are saved by grace as a result of our faith.

• Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

So it is through your faith you are saved but by grace. God is judge. We must see evidence of that faith in the form of fruits. Those fruits should reflect the doctrines of Jesus too.

• Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
• Luke 18:42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Faith is not what you think it is a conviction that compels you to act.

Works are the fruit of faith. Works or fruit is how you shall know the faithful. No fruits or the wrong fruit and you know their faith is false.

• Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

• Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

So the idea that because we say works are essential has nothing to do with suggesting that we saved by our own works. Jesus was clear over and over that being a doer is not just a suggestion.

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

But that brings us back to the question what is faith?

Two hundred years ago the English word faith was defined as “Probity; good faith is the very soul of contracts. Faith also signifies confidence, belief; as, full faith and credit ought to be given to the acts of a magistrate while acting within his jurisdiction. Vide Bona fide.” While we see that faith is defined as probity. Probity was defined as “Justice, honesty. A man of probity is one who loves justice and honesty, and who dislikes the contrary.”

Real faith controls what you do in matters of justice and honor compelling virtue.

This is why James gives us the warnings about thinking we are faithful.

• James 2:14-17 "What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

He goes on and makes this abundantly clear.

• James 2:18-20 "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

• James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Real faith changes us. It is life that brings us to the ways of Christ...

• Malachi 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where [is] the God of judgment?

• Matthew 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

• Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

• Matthew 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

• Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

• Luke 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.