Can Faith Alone Save Us?

Faith is essential in order to be saved, but can faith alone save us? According to James 2:14-26, the answer is, "No." In verse 17, James said, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead," and in verse 24, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." In Acts 10:34-35, as Peter was speaking to Cornelius and his household about salvation, he said, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."

Suppose that a rich man tells someone he would give them a new car, and in order to claim the gift they had to buy license tags for it, get insurance on it, and come by his house and pick up the key. Once that person has met those requirements, would he have done anything to earn the car? No, he would have simply fulfilled the qualifications for claiming the gift of the car. The same thing is true of salvation. When we obey the gospel of Christ, we simply fulfill the requirements the Lord has laid down in order to claim the gift of salvation.

What are these requirements, and where can I go to find them? There is no one place in the New Testament where we can find all that God has said about salvation. We must search the Scriptures to determine what God expects of us.

Those requirements are: faith or belief - John 3:16, Mark 16:16; repentance - Acts 2:38, Luke 13:3; confession - Matthew 10:32, Romans 10:9-10; baptism - Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21. One can't leave out any one of these things and still claim the gift of salvation. If I love the Lord, I will not omit anything He has asked me to do. Once I have met all of His qualifications, I know I am saved. In order to maintain that salvation, I must remain faithful to God following the teachings in the New Testament, and this means, according to Revelation 2:10, even if it causes my death. Think on these things, and search God's word to find the truth about them.