KCU/04/The Gs

Topic 13: Saved by grace, faith, or works?

Question: Based on what you know from the Bible & other sources (including the Theology Matters reading), what roles do you think grace, faith, & works play respectively in Christian salvation? (Be sure to do more research into the issue. If the group cannot come to a consensus, feel free to have different group members each express their own opinions.)

Salvation, is it by grace, faith, or works? “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Each one of these verses alone may lead people into believing that they can get to Heaven with either grace alone, faith alone, or works alone. However, upon more research and reading more verses it is clear that you cannot have one without the other. They are all essential for salvation. Grace is defined by Webster as beneficence or generosity shown by God to man; divine favor unmerited by man; a free gift of God to man for his regeneration or sanctification. Grace is a quality of God that is seen through his sending of Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Grace is not earned but given freely as a gift to man from God. Although, Paul makes it clear in Acts 20:32 that grace is the foundation of salvation it is not sufficient for salvation. In order to gain salvation one must believe in God’s grace. This act of believing in grace leads us to faith. Faith is defined by Mirriam Webster as a belief and trust in and loyalty to God; it is a belief in the traditional doctrines of religion; trust; and something that is believed especially with strong conviction.