Why is salvation by works the predominantly held viewpoint? | GotQuestions.org

Most agreed the Bible teaches that we are not saved by good works, but by grace through faith. However, a works based salvation, which is essentially an attempt to earn our salvation, is believed by many. Why is that? In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch answers the question, “Why is salvation by works the predominantly held viewpoint”.

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[phoebelyngonzales]

I have a Christian friend who said that you need to do good work to be save.I said we do good because we are thankful to God because HE saved us.

[larrybarnett]

why do people skip over the texts that are clear. saved by grace through faith.. not by works so no one can boast....what a clear passage that should turn to grace. i do humanbitarian aid, missionary work, and lots of volunteering. at no point in that do i believe that any of that is going to get me to "well done" it is because Jesus chose me. nothing more, nothing less. and amen!

[Ironfist]

There is NOTHING you can do to be saved by your own hands. Works is a RESULT of salvation.

[JonathanGrandt]

“fAiTh aLoNe bUt TRUE fAiTh iS nEvER aLOne”

[sbhgamen]

James is making an example in the passage of saying you have faith, but not helping others in need. That’s the works his promoting.

[jjmulvihill]

Because salvation to sin, instead of from sin has been the contemporary norm.
1. Saved by grace. 2. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 3. Walk in the Spirit, doing the works that God prepared beforehand.
Ref: Kingdom of Heaven parables & Hebrews 11.

[mpmattson]

..God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality..

[duckymomo]

We want to be “in control” of our own bc salvation

[boardtodeath]

Because it’s clearly told In the Bible that’s why. All the other people who think you don’t have to be obedient to Christ or physically work to endure to the end are rationalizing the truth away and will be found unworthy. You must repent, and it takes “work” to do it. You can twist scripture, you can find a abstract way to make it say what you want to believe, but the words are clear. Truth does not change. The door to salvation was opened by Christ, free admission, but you have to walk to him and go through the threshold, he cannot force it.

[NMbones]

This will be the main reason why so many will in FACT will cook in hell because of their selfrighteousness instead of trusting in our Lord for what he's already done for us its unfortunate many people think this way.

[stevendonohoe]

Works Gospel (Wisdom of men) Gift of Righteousness (Wisdom of God)

[jballday]

Man wants to pay off his debit but he can't it's like, "Let me earn some salvation today to pay off my sins."

[piotrkupka]

The maker of the video himself admits that there is a "true faith" which means: faith + works, and a "false faith" which means: faith without works. Faith with works is not "faith alone" - and the "false faith" cannot result in salvation. In this way "faith" and "works" are intrinsically connected.
Of course they are both not sufficient to grant us salvation - it happens ONLY by the grace of God who mercifully forgives us our sins. Yet we know, that not all people will experience this grace, and what makes the difference are good works in contrast to bad works of the evildoers - Jesus, the judge of the living and of the death gives us criteria for His judgment (like in Matth. 25) - and they all are connected to good works.

[JoshN]

While they didn’t say Catholic Church in the video, it certainly seems they were referring to the Catholic Church with the picture of the rosary. The church’s understanding of justification is worth looking into as it is not as he is describing it here. I would recommend looking into what the Catholic Church teaches on justification from her own sources. You can check out Catholic Apologist Jimmy Akin on how the church understands justification for a more nuanced and scripturally based view. You may not agree in the end with the churches position, but at least then you will understand what the church actually teaches, not what someone THINKS the church teaches. My brothers and sisters in Christ I ask you to pray for me and I will keep you in my prayers as well.

[craigsherman]

Who believes that you can earn initial justification? Certainly not Catholics or Orthodox.

[Snowdog]

So you are saved by free grace but you have to work to prove your salvation? This is false my dude. James is simply saying you have faith do something with it because you're saved it's not about proving you're saved. If it is how much work proves I'm saved a little, a little more, alot? Where is this mythical scale of how many works proves I'm saved?

[nickydaviesnsdpharms]

As an atheist i can tell you we do have a moral basis for making such judgement about what's right and wrong, we just don't appeal to a God that hasn't been demonstrated to exist but even if we did, that would still only be his subjective opinion. However, I wouldn't want to take moral advise from the bible God nor should anyone else for that matter, because he thinks nothing of drowning babies and everyone else too. I myself find that immoral, God doesn't, therefore i am morally superior in that regard.
More evil has been done in the world and continues to today as a result of Christianity and those religions than by any non religious people. Remember that when you're talking about how we know right and wrong because of him.
Lastly: our sense of morality as people is a result of our evolutionary psychology, we lived in tribes and any selfish person would be killed.

[datprawn]

If anyone brings up James, then might I ask who was he writing to?

[annemccormick]

Salvation by work is not true christ and christ by alone hut we must try tobe like him

[coldsteel]

People getting sucked into work bases or repentance salvation have never read the Bible to study it. The bible does not state that whover does the good works of repenting and belives in him will be saved. The gift of salvation is something given to those who Belive on the Lord Jesus that he is who he said he is and that he will do what he says he would. He took the punishment for our sins. Your guilty of your sins and the sintance God gives you for your sins is Death. It has nothing to do with works or repentance. Did Jesus state that if your repentance is good enought then I might decide to save you? Someone who claims that if you do not repent everytime you sin you lose salvation is to call Jesus a lier and state that going to the cross and dying for your sins was not enought to be forgiven of sin. Jusus paid it full past, present and future. God made salvation so simple that a child can figure it out. It is a gift not something you have to work for or it will be taken away from you if you don't repent each time you sin. The thing about repentance is the God will bless you when you turn away from sin because he know that when you sin it robs you of the life you could live. He wants to show you grace and give you gifts but if you dwell in sin you run the risk of having God correct you with the rod. Does a good father shower a spoild child throwin a tamtam and sining all over their life with gifts or does he correct them and point them in a better direction. Spar the rod spoil the child.