Romans 9
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” Romans 9:30-33 NIV
This was a big debate in Paul’s time: Is salvation achieved by following the law and doing good works or by faith in Jesus alone? What about a combination of both? Let’s take a look at what Scripture says:
1. Salvation by works. Although it seems reasonable that obeying the rules and doing good deeds can earn someone a ticket to Heaven, Paul clearly tells us that this is not the case: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Jewish leaders were meticulous about keeping God’s laws and dedicated their lives to serving the Lord, yet their salvation was not secure. James 2:10 says: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Since there is no one on Earth that is capable of following all of God’s laws all of the time, this means that no one is “good enough” to be saved. This is precisely why good deeds and following rules do not work for earning salvation.
2. Salvation by faith alone. Faith in Jesus is absolutely a prerequisite for getting into heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He also declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25, NLT). Faith is ultimately how God decides who is in and who is out: “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” (Romans 4:5, NLT). But is faith by itself enough?
3. Salvation by faith plus works. Although faith is a prerequisite for salvation and is sufficient in order for someone to receive the gift of eternal life, the truth is that all genuine believers of Jesus Christ will produce a changed life and good works. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that we were created to do good works: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Works are the fruit and the proof of our faith. “So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone” (James 2:24, NLT).
It is clear in Scripture that God freely gives salvation as a gift to anyone who places their faith and trust in Jesus. The changed life that results from being saved, however, will inevitably produce good works for God’s glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.