For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love. (Galatians 5:6)


The Bible has much to say concerning faith in Christ and the faith of Christ in the salvation and daily life of the true Christian. But the substance and character of that faith isn't well understood among many who claim to follow Christ. Often faith is reduced to the lowest common denominator. Many hold that faith is generated by our free will unto salvation. Some would also say that their exercise of faith maintains their relationship with God, and that the loss of faith would result in a loss of that salvation. But this is a misunderstanding of ourselves, of God, and ultimately of Scripture itself.

There are several reasons for this misunderstanding. First, the Bible indeed tells us that true faith is accompanied by good works. We read in James 2:14-26:

James 2
2:14 What [does it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? can faith save him?
2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding you* give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [does it] profit?
2:17 Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
2:24 You* see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?
2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

This passage might seem to teach that we are saved, or justified, by or through our faith as it produces good works, if we would just endeavor to exercise that faith of ourselves. The following verses also appear to teach the same idea:

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. (Mathew 9:22)

And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:34)

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith has made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:52)

And he said to the woman, Thy faith has saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:50)

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith has saved thee. (Luke 18:42)

I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7)

That's quite a few verses to support the importance of faith with works.

Further, God tells us that without faith it is impossible to please Him. We read in Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Here we see that faith is intimately tied to believing God and diligently seeking Him. And without that faith, it is impossible to please God. In fact, if we read through all of Hebrews 11, which is known as the great "faith" chapter, we see the obedience and trust that faithful people of God have demonstrated in doing His will. We see the good works that accompany this faith:

Hebrews 11
11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks.
11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
11:10 For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.
11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
11:16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.
11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son],
11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
11:19 Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.
11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
11:28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:
11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
11:36 And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth.
11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

We see these great deeds that have been done by the faithful throughout the ages. So here we have many examples of those whose faith was seen by their works, as we read about earlier in James 2. So it's very easy to see why many view their faith with good works as supreme, as that which both secures and maintains their salvation.

They might also cite the 2 concluding verses of Hebrews 10, the previous chapter, as additional proof of this:

Hebrews 10
10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

These 2 "lead-in" verses to Hebrews 11 almost seem to lock in the conclusion that our faith is something we conjure up for our salvation. We believe to the saving of the soul.

When we look at other verses in the Bible, however, we find that faith is first given to us by God Himself. For example, we read in Romans 10:17 and Ephesians 2:8:

So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

For by grace are you* saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)

While faith is indeed an integral part of salvation, and while faith without works is certainly dead, Christ must receive all of the glory and credit for that faith and the works that are produced in and by us. And He must also receive the glory if we endure in His faith. We read, for example, in Hebrews 12, which follows Hebrews 11 (the "faith" chapter):

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Now we see that not only is Christ the Author of our faith, as we saw previously that faith is the gift of God. But Christ is also the Finisher of our faith. Another way of looking at this is seen in Philippians 2:12-13:

Philippians 2
2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as you* have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

Notice that we are not called to work for our salvation, but rather, to work out our salvation, for it is God who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. That is, God works His will in us if we have become saved:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

If we are saved, God has given us a new heart and His Spirit, and He causes us to walk in His ways, thereby receiving all of the glory for our salvation and any God-pleasing works that we might do. Ezekiel 36:26-27 reads:

Ezekiel 36
36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you* shall keep my judgments, and do [them].

To put it another way, the works that the believer does as acts of faith are not works of credit to ourselves unto salvation, they are not works of the letter that one performs in order to secure or maintain salvation and to be in a right relationship with God. Rather, they are the works of the Spirit of Christ dwelling within the true believer, working through the Word of God (the Bible), working through the new heart and the new Spirit that God has given where Christ is the Source of motivation. The works of faith are altogether a result of salvation, of the saving faith, that God has given, and God now works in the believer to will and to do of His good pleasure. So we cannot take even the slightest glory for them to ourselves, if we're truly saved it is simply our duty in obedience and thankfulness to God:

So likewise you*, when you* shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10)

Let's view this from another angle.

We cannot automatically conclude that someone who appears to possess great faith and works is necessarily even saved. Since God must give us true, saving faith, causing us to do those good works, we can receive no credit whatsoever for them. Jesus must be the Author and Finisher of our faith, God must give us a new heart and a new spirit and cause us to walk in His ways. So apparent faith and good works alone are not evidence of true salvation, that we are truly born again of the Spirit. Only if God Himself is working in us by and through love do we truly possess eternal life in Christ. Otherwise, our faith is vanity regardless of how great that faith and our works seem to be. We read in I Corinthians 13:2-3:

I Corinthians 13
13:2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.

Isn't this amazing? We can have all faith (without which it is impossible to please God) so that we could even remove mountains. We could bestow all of our goods to feed the poor and give our body to be burned. Remember that faith without works is dead, so it certainly sounds like someone with living faith who would do these things. But God says if we do not have love, we are still nothing and it profits us nothing! So, on the one hand, without faith it is impossible to please God. But without love at the heart of that faith, we can have all the faith in the world, so to speak, with good works, and yet we are still nothing, it still does not please God!

Sadly, many have a strong, self-serving faith coupled with works which are in actuality works of self-righteousness, they are works of the law, of the letter, in trying to get right with or to stay right with God. But they are nothing, the Bible says, they are but dung. We must possess God's love producing our faith and good works, a love that is genuinely of God. In fact, God Himself is Love. We read in I John 4:7-21:

I John 4
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
4:8 He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
4:12 No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.
4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world.
4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.
4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.
4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.
4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.

So we must truly possess God Himself, we must have the Spirit of Christ, He Who is God and He Who is love, working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure -- working out His faith by His Spirit. Knowing that God Himself is love, we understand that we must have the faith of Christ who is Love, producing works from a new heart and a new Spirit of love toward God and our neighbor:

Matthew 22
22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
22:39 And the second [is] like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

And so, we must have the faith of Christ, not a religious faith of our own design that simply imitates the faith of Christ. He is the Author and Finisher of true, saving faith. He is the prime mover and energizer of that faith which comes from hearing the Word of God. It is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. And the needed energizer of true faith producing works is the love of God, that is, God Himself. Without Him, we are nothing and cannot please Him. Conversely, faith by our own works is not saving faith -- it is not born of love (Christ), it is an attempt to get right with God through our own false righteousness.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9)

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. (Ephesians 3:11-12)

So really, we could substitute "Christ" whenever we read the words "faith" and "love" to see that saving faith and love are associated with Christ Himself. That is, Christ is synonymous with true faith and love. So true saving faith is not just a faith that produces good works, it is Christ's faith with Christ's Spirit working in us actions sourced from His love. Without that, faith and works are nothing, and we are nothing. Faith without love is not the faith that pleases God, even though it is impossible to please God without faith -- it must be His faith which works by His love:

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love. (Galatians 5:6)

~~~

And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love. (I Corinthians 13:13)

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you*, being rooted and grounded in love, (Ephesians 3:17)

Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:23)

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (I Thessalonians 5:8)

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 1:14)

Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety. (I Timothy 2:15)

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (I Timothy 6:11)

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:13)

4.18.2010, Last updated 12.16.2023