Faith and Works

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV.)

Hello everyone, I wanted to make a quick statement about faith and works. This topic has been well covered amongst Christian scholars and people much smarter than I. So, I will bring nothing new to the overall “Faith and Works” discussion in whole. I would however, like to explain it in the simplest terms for those who might not understand or really have no clue what this whole faith and works stuff is. Some might argue that this subject goes much, much deeper than my superficial explanation and to them I say “Mark 10:15, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."……Keep it simple, trust Jesus.

Protestants believe that by faith alone, in Christ alone, we are reconciled to God based upon the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. If you truly have faith, you should have a faith that bears good fruit (works). Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits (works) of your faith would show that free gift of God in Christ has never been received. So people obtain justification though their faith, but if their faith is real, good fruit (works) will flow.

Works after faith is key; works is a result of justification by faith and not a integral process of justification. Neither being a good person without accepting Christ as your Lord and savior nor claiming to have faith with out living as a Christian will get you into Heaven. Simple stuff. I hope this helps.

Some reading below….

Ephesians 2 (New International Version)
4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 3:21-28 (New International Version)
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

John 3:16-18 (New International Version)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Galatians 2:16 (New International Version)
16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

James 2:17-24 (New International Version)
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.