Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and abused passages in the New Testament is found in what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Many of our denominational friends believe that this verse means one must “only believe” in order to be saved, because there is absolutely nothing one can do to earn their way into heaven. Yet, their assertion is grossly misapplied and has resulted in many precious souls being lost! So, what is Paul talking about here and how does it apply to us? Let’s open our Bibles and learn.
Context is always the best place to start. Our first clue is found in verses 5 and 6. Those who have been saved have been, “made alive together with Christ … and raised up together … in Christ Jesus.” How is one “raised up together” with Christ? Paul explains it very clearly in Romans 6:2-6, “we were buried with Him through baptism into death, … if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Both passages are talking about salvation, about dying to sin, and being raised up in life. Ephesians 2:8-9 does not stand on its own, at the exclusion of many other passages that also speak of salvation or “being saved” (John 3:5; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:37-38, 16:31-33; Romans 8:24, 10:9-10,13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21).
The result of investigating all that the New Testament has to say about salvation makes it clear that we certainly do NOT receive it by “faith alone.” There are other actions that God requires of us, such as, repentance, confession, and being baptized. In fact, nowhere does Ephesians 2:8-9 include the word “only,” nor does any passage exist that states “faith only” or “belief only.” That is a false doctrine that man has added to the Bible.
So, what about “works”? Here is where most of our denominational friends are gravely mistaken: they fail to recognize that the Bible uses the word “works” in several different ways. It does not always mean the same thing in every case, nor should one try to apply it in the same way in every verse. One must always consider the context! For example, in some cases, “works” is in reference to the miracles and signs that Jesus did, (Matt 11:2-5; Mark 6:2; John 7:3). Other times, it is used to describe worldly behavior (Romans 13:12; Galatians 5:19; 1 John 3:12; Rev 9:20). And, in some verses it applies to being obedient to the Law of Moses (Matthew 23:3-5; Galatians 2:16).
More importantly, however, is that “works” is also used to describe what a Christian must do in order to fulfill God’s will – consider that in light of Matthew 7:21-23. In fact, more than 30 times, the word “works” is used in conjunction to our faith and our salvation (see Matt 5:16, 16:27; Acts 26:20; 1 Timothy 2:10, 5:10,25, 6:18; Titus 2:7,14, 3:8,14; Hebrews 10:24; James 2:14-26, 3:13; 1 Peter 2:12; Revelation 2:2,5,9,13,19, 23,36; 3:2,8,15; 14:13).
Revelation 20:12 is perhaps the strongest example we have of “works” attached to our salvation. Notice by what we will be judged: “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” (Rev 20:12) In other words, what we do (works) in this life will impact how we are judged in the next life.
Therefore, who do we listen to? What misguided men say about “works” or what the Bible clearly states about it? I really hope you can see, from the verses listed, that more than once, God’s tells us there are things we absolutely MUST do in order to be pleasing to or approved by Him — and they are called “works.” They do not put Him in our debt, but are things we do because we love Him! Understanding the difference is key to a soul being saved!
-Troy Spradlin