What does the Bible, the ultimate authority for the Christian faith, actually say about how we are forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life in heaven after we die? An accurate understanding of God’s salvation message is crucial to your life now and for eternity. So let us examine some of the clear truths presented in the Bible.

 
  • We are all sinners. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).1 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
  • God wants to have a relationship with us, but we are separated from him because we are sinful and he is holy. He hates sin and must punish it. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you” (Isaiah 59:1-2). “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
  • There is a penalty for unforgiven sin when we die. “They (with unforgiven sin) shall be punished with everlasting destruction (hell) and shut out from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
  • God does not want hell for us, so he sent his son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
  • We must ask God to forgive our sins and believe that he has done so based exclusively on what Jesus did for us on the cross and by his resurrection. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10).2
  • We can have total confidence that we are forgiven of our sins—past, present and future—if we place our faith and trust for our salvation in Jesus. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
 

Is putting our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins enough or do we ALSO need to demonstrate a lifetime of good works and perform certain religious activities? Is faith in Jesus alone enough? What is the importance of a Christian’s good deeds? Do our actions and works play any role in our salvation? Do they speak to the authenticity of our faith? These questions warrant some exploration.

 

By Faith Alone, By Grace Alone, In Christ Alone

One the most prominent themes of the Bible is that we are saved from the penalty of sin exclusively by God’s grace (undeserved favor) and not by anything we can do or earn through our good works or efforts. “For it is by grace that we are saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Galatians 2:16 further explains, “A person is not justified (saved from sin) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”

To be saved by faith alone means that it takes only believing in and accepting God’s free gift of salvation, which Jesus offers through his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection, to be free from the penalty for our sins. Nothing more. To be saved by grace alone means that forgiveness is offered solely by God’s grace, mercy and kindness. Nothing more. Our efforts do not save us. To be saved in Christ alone means that there is no pathway to salvation except through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Nothing more. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The Bible documents a number of people who were saved instantaneously by their faith alone. There was no process involving their actions and works. They did not contribute anything to their salvation. Examples include Abraham whose faith was “credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3, Genesis 15:6); Zacchaeus to whom Jesus declared, “Today, salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9); Saul who, after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus and being encouraged by Ananias, “at once began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God” (Acts 9:17-20); the Philippian jailer and his household who all believed after Paul and Silas told them about Jesus (Acts 16:29-34); and the thief on the cross to whom Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

The Value Of Good Works

What then is the value of good works? Although our good actions cannot save us from the penalty of our sins, they are a valuable indication that the faith we have is real and genuine. If we are truly saved and a follower of Jesus, good deeds will be the result. God desires for us to do good works in his name. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Titus 3:8 states, “Those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” Also, “Let us not become weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). It is by God’s amazing grace that we are saved. Wow! As a result, our faith should be apparent through a changed life in which Christ is the focus, not us. We follow Jesus and his teachings daily, and delight our God through good actions and works. We do good out of our love and appreciation for all that Christ has done for us, not because it will benefit us. Good works cannot save but they are evidence that we are saved. When faith is not accompanied by actions rooted in love for God and others, it is futile. “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

Works Do Not Save

As one surveys other religions around the world, there is one key theme: their followers must demonstrate good works throughout their lives and then hope that their efforts are sufficient to merit a desirable afterlife. These good deeds include service to their god and others, and consistent performance of religious rituals or ceremonies. They can never really know for sure their fate until after their death. As mentioned above, the Bible does not support gaining freedom from the penalty of sin through our own efforts and good works. That is a good thing since no one can realistically be good enough during their lifetime to merit forgiveness from a perfect and holy God. That is why we need a Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Bible clearly states that any gospel message of forgiveness that is not based on faith alone is a false gospel/religion and anyone believing such a gospel stands in judgment. Galatians 1:8 reads, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you (salvation by faith alone), let him be eternally condemned!” Those are harsh words indeed, but ones that emphasize what an offense it is to God to not completely trust in his son for our forgiveness of sins and to think we must add our efforts to make it a reality. God wants all people to understand his true gospel. The Bible leaves no doubt that we are saved by faith alone, by grace alone and in Christ alone. Faith in Christ is enough!

 

Here is an essential question to ponder: If you were to die today, what percentage chance do you think you would have to be in heaven? If your answer is anything less than 100%, you do not have real assurance of your salvation. God wants you to have that certainty when you put your trust in Christ alone, through faith alone by his grace alone. To learn more, please visit the “Know God Personally” page. Your eternal destination depends on it!

 

1 The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. [utilized for all Bible references unless otherwise noted]
2 The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.