Is salvation by faith or works or both?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

This could be the most critical question in Christian theology. It has led to division and disagreements between Christians, Catholics and religions, or cults, who claim to follow Jesus. Are people saved by simply believing in Jesus or are they saved by faith and works? The Bible consistently teaches that salvation is by faith, not by works, though true faith will always result in works. Abraham was declared righteous because he believed God, showing that faith has always been the foundation of salvation. The Law and sacrificial system were given to guide God’s people and point to His mercy, not as a way to earn salvation. The New Testament makes clear that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. And while some see a difference in theology between Paul and James’ view of works, they do agree. However, Paul emphasizes that salvation comes by faith alone, while James stresses that genuine faith is proven by good works, meaning they are in agreement; their views are not a contradiction. Faith in Jesus saves us, but our works matter because they reveal whether our faith is real.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Salvation has always been by faith, not by works, though true faith produces obedience. Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).
• The Law was given later, not as a means of earning salvation, but to guide God’s people in how to live out their covenant relationship with Him (Deuteronomy 6:4–6; Micah 6:8).
• The sacrificial system also pointed to God’s mercy, reminding Israel that forgiveness came from Him, not from human effort (Leviticus 17:11). In every case, the Old Testament emphasizes faith in God’s character and promises as the foundation, with obedience flowing as its natural response.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the Bible there are verses that speak about this matter that seem to contradict one another, such as Romans 3:28, 5:1 and Galatians 3:24 with James 2:24. At first there appears to be a disagreement between Paul, who continually proclaims salvation by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and James, who claims salvation is by faith with works (James 2:17-18). However, James is not disagreeing with Paul at all. Instead he is saying that true faith in Jesus will result in good works in the life of the believer (James 2:20-26). In other words, good works come from people who have real faith and therefore, good works are proof of genuine faith, so if a person has no good works then there is no proof that they are a real believer in Jesus and must not believe (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26).
• Paul makes similar statements in his writings. For example, he explains the good traits or "fruits" that true believers should have (Galatians 5:22-23). Paul also states that we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10), right after saying we are saved by faith alone. So Paul and James are in total agreement; they just use different methods to communicate this. Paul emphasizes that salvation is only obtained by faith while James emphasizes that good works are the inevitable result of genuine faith.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Faith in Jesus alone saves us, not our works, but our works still matter because they reveal the reality of our faith. If we only claim to love God with our words but never live in a way that reflects His love, our faith will seem hollow and unconvincing. Just as saying “I love you” without showing it makes the words meaningless, claiming faith without works makes our testimony empty.

When we choose to forgive, serve others, or resist sin, we are not earning salvation, but we are showing that Christ truly lives in us. These actions flow naturally from a changed heart, as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, and they prove that our faith is more than talk—it is life-transforming. As we live this way, our works point others toward the God who has saved us and strengthen our own assurance that our faith is genuine.

UNDERSTAND

• Salvation has always been by faith alone, not by works.
• While faith saves, genuine faith is reflected through our works.
• Works don’t earn salvation but show that our faith is alive and real.

REFLECT

• How does your daily life show evidence that your faith in Jesus is real and not just words?
• When you struggle with sin or discouragement, how does remembering that salvation is by faith alone give you hope?
• How can you allow the Holy Spirit to produce more visible “fruit” in your actions and relationships?

ENGAGE

• How can we explain the harmony between Paul’s teaching on faith and James’ emphasis on works to those who see them as contradictions?
• What dangers arise when people emphasize faith without works, or works without faith?
• How can we better encourage one another to live out our faith in our actions?