FAITH AND WORKS

Mark DeVine

W henever “faith” is set beside “works” it recalls the theological conflicts that shaped the Reformation of the sixteenth century. To this day these conflicts largely account for the division of the western church between Roman Catholic and Protestant. Martin Luther’s rediscovery of the gospel included a recovery of the apostle Paul’s insistence that “no one will be justified in his [God’s] sight by the works of the law” (Rm 3:20). Instead, “you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

The faith that saves, Luther realized from his study of the Bible, is not mere historical faith (Lat fides), a bare belief that what the Bible declares as true is in fact true, a faith that, according to John Calvin, merely “flits in the brain” and saves no one. Of such faith James could say: “Even the demons believe—and they shudder” (Jms 2:19). No, the faith that saves the soul is trusting faith (Lat fiducia), so that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This trusting faith is the faith “in his [Christ’s] blood” (Rm 3:25) of which Paul spoke; faith that relies upon the death of Jesus Christ on the cross in the place of sinners. There Jesus bore the punishment of sinners upon himself so that now God promises to treat as righteous those who believe in his name. Just as “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness” (Rm 4:3), so now all who repent of their sins, abandon hope of being made right with God on the basis of their own good works, and trust only in the mercy of God offered in the death of Jesus Christ in their place, will be saved.

Then what of good works? Have they no place in the Christian life? James anticipates and answers this question: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works” (Jms 2:18). While God’s salvation is all of grace, including the faith that saves, which “is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9), Paul follows this assertion with a word about works: “For we are his [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Eph 2:10). So good works follow saving faith. Salvation is not gained through works but rather good works are the fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Sinners saved by grace through faith rest their confidence before God neither in their works nor their faith, as if faith itself were a source of pride. Faith derives its saving power from its object, Jesus Christ. A believer’s good works are no grounds for boasting, for the works stem from Christ himself. The apostle Paul described this mystery as follows: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gl 2:19-20). Good works are performed by believers due to Christ working in them. Thus a believer’s confidence in their salvation is based on Christ, not their performance of good works. With the apostle Paul believers long to “be found in him [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith” (Php 3:9). They know that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6).