Is salvation achieved through faith alone or faith plus works?

Definition of Key Terms

Faith refers to a trusting confidence in what God has revealed, centering on Jesus Christ’s sacrificial work for humankind. It involves believing that Jesus’ atoning death and bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4) provide the only pathway to reconciliation with God. Works, in the biblical context, typically denote outward actions of obedience, charity, and righteousness performed in response to what God has commanded (cf. Galatians 5:6).

Biblical writers use these terms to describe two related but distinct concepts. Faith is the means by which believers receive salvation through Christ. Works are the resulting outflow of that genuine faith, revealing its authenticity and vitality.

Primary Scriptural Emphasis on Salvation by Faith

From the earliest New Testament documents, salvation is presented as a gift from God, received through faith. Ephesians 2:8–9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Similarly, Romans 3:28 says, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” The apostle Paul emphasizes that no one can stand before a holy God on merit or performance alone (Romans 3:23). Instead, redemption comes through trust in Christ’s completed work (Romans 5:1).

The same teaching appears in Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy.” This underscores that God initiates salvation out of His grace, requiring the believer’s faith but not meritorious works.

The Role of Works According to Scripture

Although works do not earn salvation, the New Testament repeatedly holds that good works naturally follow genuine faith. In Ephesians 2:10, immediately following Paul’s famous statement on salvation by grace, we read, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.”

Scripture presents these works as evidence that faith is genuine. As Jesus taught in Matthew 7:16–20, a tree is known by its fruit; likewise, a faith that is real manifests deeds that align with God’s will. Works cannot secure pardon from God, but they serve as outward marks of inward spiritual transformation, pointing back to the faith that saves.

Reconciling Paul and James

A frequent question arises from examining Paul’s teaching (e.g., Romans, Galatians) alongside James 2:17: “So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.” While Paul stresses that one is not justified “by works of the law” (Galatians 2:16), James insists that a faith without works is lifeless.

This is not contradictory but complementary. Paul addresses a situation where people believed they could earn salvation by following the Mosaic Law. James addresses those who claim intellectual belief but demonstrate no obedience. Both affirm that true faith inevitably produces works. Paul expects fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) to accompany real conversion, while James elevates the necessity of actions that correspond to faith. Thus, salvation is through faith alone, yet the faith that saves is never alone—works flow from it as a natural consequence.

Historic and Theological Insights

Church leaders, from the earliest councils to the Reformation era, have affirmed that Scripture teaches salvation based on Christ’s work, received through faith, with good works as resultant evidence. Early Christian writings like the Epistle to Diognetus highlight grace and faith as central truths, while the Protestant Reformation placed “sola fide” (“faith alone”) as a core affirming principle, in line with passages like Ephesians 2:8–9.

Manuscript evidence from sources such as the Chester Beatty Papyri and Codex Sinaiticus demonstrates that key texts like Romans, Galatians, and James have been accurately preserved over centuries. Their internal consistency reinforces that the message of salvation by faith, producing good works, permeates the New Testament witness. Archaeological discoveries of early Christian gathering sites and ancient inscriptions corroborate the swift growth of a movement that believed in salvation through the risen Christ, indicating that faith in Christ’s resurrection shaped their convictions and deeds.

Practical Implications

Believers are called to trust fully that Christ’s perfectly sufficient sacrifice and resurrection grant eternal life (John 3:16). Once reconciled to God by faith, they are to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7), doing works that reflect God’s character.

For those wrestling with whether they need to accumulate “enough good deeds” before God: Scripture repeatedly shows that no human works can compare to the holiness God requires or the grace He freely gives. The works that a believer does are not done to gain salvation; instead, they are offered out of gratitude for the gift already received.

Conclusion

Salvation, according to Scripture, is understood as the unmerited gift of God received by faith in Christ alone. Works cannot add to or replace this divine work of grace. Rather, they serve as the natural outcome and testament of true, living faith. As Ephesians 2:8–10 expresses in full harmony, believing in Christ is the sole channel of salvation, and good works follow as the evidence of that genuine belief.