Faith & Works

Faith and Works

It has already been made clear that we are saved and justified by faith alone. Works then is the fruit of our salvation. Faith, which is an active trust in Jesus, will show itself through obedience to Christ. Jesus said in John 14:21, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” Our faith in Christ is shown by loving him through being obedient to his word. James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). James says in the next verse that we can show our faith by our works. He is not at all making works a condition of salvation. Rather, it is what results from salvation. Paul writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). God chose us and saved us so that we could then carry out his work by being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Works do not save us. They are the necessary response of God’s church to his grace.