People often believe that they can earn their way into heaven by doing good deeds, showing kindness, and giving to the poor.

However, is any “work” sufficient to save us? The answer is yes, but only the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. There is no amount of good work that a person could do to earn a place in heaven.

If Christians could earn salvation on the basis of good works, Jesus would have died for nothing.

Does this, however, mean we should disregard all good works? Definitely not. Good works are an important part of a Christian’s calling to serve others, just as Jesus did.

The theologian Augustine said it best, “we are not saved by faith plus works but rather saved by a faith that works.”

Martin Luther, the famous reformer of the Christian faith, also stated: “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone and, this is the evidence of our changed lives.”

But doesn’t James (2:17) say that “faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead” if so, how do we reconcile this.

To help explain this, we need to look at the distinction between works based salvation (every other religion) and actual salvation.

❖ Any works based salvation states:

WORKS (root) + FAITH = SALVATION

❖ But actual Salvation:

FAITH + SALVATION = WORKS (fruit)

Your faith alone in Jesus saves you and a life that is sanctified and regenerated by the Holy Spirit produces fruit of good works. We do not need works to complete our salvation but rather our works are an evidence of the working of God in our hearts.

When Jesus accomplished salvation. He did not say I did something now come and help me do the rest.

We cannot be saved by good works or stay saved by good works. But every Christian has been “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10) and is to bear “fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:10).

Works are not the source of the Christian life, but they are the marks of it.

In accepting Christ as our personal savior and acknowledging His finished work for us, we give Him access to our hearts and allowing the Spirit to change our affections for Christ to the point that we want to serve Him, live for Him, love Him, and do good for Him. As such, the acts we do are all empowered by His Holy Spirit.

To conclude, Christians are not saved by their ‘own’ works but only through the finished work of Jesus Christ.