How are Christians “saved by grace through faith but not by works”? Does this passage say that works play no part in the life of a Christian?
People often think they can “work up” faith through their own emotional effort, but we must ask God for His faith. Faith clearly must first come from God. If people could generate Godly faith to be saved on their own, then they could earn their own salvation. We could claim, “You owe it to me!” Then faith would be supplied by the person and God would then “owe” them salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 shows that a Christian’s faith is given as a free gift. It is not a faith “of ourselves,” as is shown in the explanations in Galatians 3:10-11 and 3:18-19. These verses help further explain Ephesians 2:8-9, but Galatians 2:16 is especially helpful; It indicates that one cannot be justified by the law.
Obviously, it is good to obey the law, stop sinning and behave in a Godly manner. Paul clearly states that we are justified by our faith in Christ and His grace. However, this fact should never be used as a license to sin and disobey God. Faith is not a license to sin nor a method for human efforts to save ourselves.
We are saved by grace only. The Judaizing false teachers of Christ’s day were deceiving some into a self-righteous approach toward salvation. Paul counters these “save yourself” false teachers in his letters to the churches.
Paul explains that the word grace implies “unmerited pardon” (or forgiveness). Christians neither earn nor deserve such mercy and help from God, yet they receive it anyway. It takes Godly faith to believe in this forgiveness. When truly understood, Galatians 2:16 and 3:21-22 explain a remarkable principle. Paul further explains this in Galatians 3:21 by asking, “Is the law against the promises of God? God forbid such an interpretation.”
Consider that “we believe in Christ”—that He is the Messiah come to save mankind. Galatians 2:16 shows that “we are justified by the faith of Christ,” by His actual faith living in us as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). In other words, Christ even supplies the faith that allows us to believe that we will be justified (forgiven) and saved.
Protestants overlook Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, which qualifies verses 8 and 9 and explains that “good works” (Christ’s works through the Christian) ARE still a fundamental requirement of Jesus and a goal of His followers.
“v. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
These works, though, can never be the by-product of human effort alone. If so, each Christian could come before God boasting that he was owed salvation! Ephesians 2:10 completes the thought that a Christian, through humble attitude, allows Christ’s Spirit to help us to do good works and Godly acts.
We develop and prove our faith by our works. In James the Second Chapter, the Apostles explain that faith is demonstrated by our actions. Abraham proved that he believed God and had complete faith in Him by his works.
If one believes that God wants us to keep His Sabbath then it should be visible to all by our actions. Our worshipping on the Sabbath Day proves our belief in the Sabbath Day. See James 2:14-22. Romans 12:3 states that we receive a measure of faith from God. Then we must use that faith and follow it. How can we boast if the gift of faith is from God?
God is in the process of changing our hearts. He is building in us a new person which can learn to resist the self-centered carnality that is the core of human nature. Note what Paul further explains in Hebrews 8:8-10:
“v. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
“v. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
“v. 10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (NIV).
II Peter 3:16 states, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
God is placing a heart like His in us via His grace and His faith as a gift. Praise God!
Some who are not called by God try to use Ephesians 2:8-9 to convince themselves that the law is done away so they can pick and choose which laws to obey. Everyone agrees with the law against stealing, but the fourth commandment, not so much. It is easy to misunderstand Paul, especially if you wish to get around obedience to God. Read II Peter 3:15-16. All must learn to obey God’s laws.
This is not the only day of salvation. The remainder of mankind will be called in the Second Resurrection. They will then have their minds opened to understand the Bible and Paul’s
message.
