Are We Saved by Faith or Actions? A Biblical Perspective on Salvation

The common belief among Christians is that we are saved by faith, not by actions (deeds or works). The Apostle Paul taught two thousand years ago that we are saved by faith, not by the works of the law, which is recorded in many verses in the Bible.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “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.”

Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

Galatians 3:11 “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’”

Galatians 2:16 “Know that a person is not justified by the works of 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 the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

These verses explain that as long as we believe in Jesus and love Him, we are saved. Paul’s teachings rebuked those who boasted about their actions under the Old Covenant law. God came into this world in human flesh, as Jesus, to save humanity from sin and death through His sacrifice. However, many didn’t understand His grace and continued thinking that salvation could be achieved by obeying the old law, disregarding Jesus’ sacrifice.

Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

However, we must ask ourselves: Is it really true that faith alone, without any actions, can save us?

Faith Without Actions

What will faith be like without actions? Consider a man suffering from a serious illness. The doctor tells him he can recover if he undergoes treatment and takes the prescribed medication. While the man thanks the doctor and claims to trust him, he never follows the treatment or takes the medicine. Eventually, he dies from the illness.

Apostle James teaches that faith without action is dead. Even demons believe Jesus is God, but they cannot be saved.

James 2:17-19 “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

Faith without actions is incomplete. Paul makes it clear that we are not justified by the works of the Old Covenant law, but this does not mean we don’t have any law to follow. Rather, we must keep Christ’s Law—the New Covenant.

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”

Therefore, faith must be accompanied by actions under Christ’s Law to be complete.

Biblical Teachings About Faith

If we believe in and love someone, we naturally follow what that person asks us to do. Similarly, if we truly believe in and love Jesus, we will obey His commandments. Our actions of obedience are expressions of our faith.

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands.”

1 John 2:3-5 “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him.”

Faith is not just acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ; it must be paired with actions. The Bible gives examples of the forefathers of faith to illustrate this.

Hebrews 11:7-9 “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.”

By faith, Noah obeyed God’s command and built an ark. By faith, Abraham obeyed God’s command and left for the place God told him to go. Their faith was demonstrated through their actions. If Noah had not built the ark, he would not have been able to express his faith in God’s prophecy of the flood. Likewise, if someone doesn’t obey Jesus’ teachings, the love for God cannot be truly made complete in Him.

Actions of Obeying Jesus’ Commandments

The actions that lead to salvation involve obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ. What are those commandments?

John 13:15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Jesus set us examples to follow, including keeping the New Covenant during His gospel ministry. For instance, He observed the Sabbath Day and the Feast of Passover.

Luke 4:16 “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read.”

Jesus kept the Sabbath consistently, and we should follow His example by keeping the Sabbath Day.

John 6:53-56 “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.’”

Luke 22:15-20 “And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer……’ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’”

Jesus established the Passover with bread and wine, representing His body and blood, commanding us to “do this in remembrance of me.” If we truly believe in Jesus, we must obey this command and keep the New Covenant Passover.

All the teachings of Jesus, including the examples He set for us, are part of the New Covenant. Obeying them leads to receiving the promised blessing.

Actions That Lead Us to Salvation

The ultimate goal of our faith is salvation (1 Peter 1:8-9), which allows us to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus taught that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter heaven, but only those who do the will of God.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Obeying God’s will, which includes keeping the New Covenant, leads us to salvation. Let us reflect on whether we truly love Jesus and have faith in Him by obeying His commandments. Through true faith and faithful actions, we will receive eternal life and enter the kingdom of heaven!