Reconciling Works And Faith
Jack Critchfield

We hear a lot today about faith and works. Most common is the idea that man is saved simply on the basis of faith. I heard one Baptist preacher in McAlester, Oklahoma, make the statement that we should not listen to what James said, because James was a legalist in his justification for salvation by faith alone.

Yet when we look at all the evidence, there is no conflict between faith and works. One does not rule out the other, when both are properly understood. Look first at Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (NNAS). This passage does not say that we are saved by faith only, nor does any other passage teach that. Neither does this passage rule out our salvation resulting from our doing the works of God - works that He commands. It simply says that we cannot save ourselves, that our works cannot save us. In other words, we cannot earn salvation by how good we are or by how much we do.

The teaching of Romans 4:4-5 also shows that we cannot work our way to heaven, "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," (NKJV). This "work" deals with that of merit, or work that earns something. We cannot earn salvation (Luke 17:10); it is "the gift of God" (Rom. 6:23). Another kind of work is that found in Romans 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." One reason the works of the law of Moses cannot save us is that the law of Moses was, "taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col 2:14). But aside from works of merit and works of the law, there is another kind of work.

There is quite a list of hero's of faith in Hebrews 11. "By faith Abel offered to God…By faith Enoch was taken away…By faith Noah…prepared an ark…By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…." (Heb 11:4-8). Right on through the end of the chapter the pattern repeats itself; people heard the will of god, they believed God and they did what He told them. Did they work? Yes! Did God reward them for their work? Certainly! But they were doing God's work, by faith. And without exception, God rewarded their "work of faith." James writes of this principle when he says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:14-17). Only faith which works can obtain the favor and blessings of God.

A great example is found in the life of Abraham. "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness…Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God" (Heb 11:17; Rom 4:3; James 2:21-23). Were "works" involved in Abraham's being right with God? The Bible plainly says so! But it was the work of God and His work was the means by which his (Abraham) faith was made perfect. That same principle must be true with us. We cannot be saved by our works, for we cannot earn salvation. We cannot be saved by works of the law, for that law is nailed to the cross. But we can be justified by works of faith, just as Abraham was.

The basis of the judgment, distasteful as it is to some, is going to be "works." "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matt. 16:27). Paul wrote, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor 5:10). That is the reason God makes it abundantly clear, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).