Is salvation by faith alone or by works?

[wintershub]

Coming from a Romanian orthodox I must say I am filled with joy to see such powerful sermons coming from foreign to Balkans and this region fathers of the orthodox church. You are truly doing Gods work father Spyridon, with humbleness I allow myself this pleasure of having to wish you strength and love into Jesus Christ, and may the peace of the Lord be with you and us all, may the Lords Will be done.

[jakelermana]

Sir please keep me in your prayers I am coming out of the New Age Movement and the Occult..
It has been very difficult thank you for the wisdom you provide.

[IanSwart]

Faith is demonstrated by good works. Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation.

[thanasis]

I needed to hear this message, I am Hellenic and leaving the protestant church, going back to Eastern Orthodox Christianity in search of salvation.

[GOLDSMITHEXILE]

"god resists the proud BUT GIVES GRACE to the humble"
"I the Lord dwell in a high and lofty place but also with him who is humble and contrite"

[georgeibrahim]

Paul speaks about Christians fulfilling the law by following the command to "love your neighbor as yourself. All Paul’s teaching comes down to this: Our own works can never justify us, but works that grow out of faith in Christ are part of our justification. That’s why Paul says in Philippians 2:12 you must "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

[ALLHEART_]

It seems every sentence you utter is edifying, father. God bless you. May God work through you to guide us on the straight and narrow.

[kibromteka]

A blessing father, thank you.I am from ethiopian ortodox.

[daniii]

The misunderstanding comes from the fact that in the West the word "Grace" means that God lets you go to heaven for free, while in Orthodoxy "Grace" refers to the Divine Light/Energy of God, which purifies and illuminates us. God's Grace (Divine Light) is heaven. What the Logos and the Holy Spirit received from the Father by nature we receive by Grace (Divine Light). And Jesus Christ gives us everything He received from the Father by Grace.

[pedrosmith]

As a Protestant, I completely agree with the father's view

[antonkirani]

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
Thank you for your words Father.

[gaborgabor]

Thank you very much for this video Fr. Spyridon! May your rewards be eternal for providing us with such important explanations!

[fcastellanos]

I am not sure why there is so much miss understanding about this issue. In Galatians Paul explicitly scolds the church because they wanted to achieve sanctification by following the law of Moses and not by faith. What James is referring to is that real faith produces works of repentance which means we start to resist our old corrupted nature and this is the work we should do. Some evangelical churches may believe that faith is all there is but faith without works of repentance is dead. We enter salvation by faith alone, God only accepts us by means of the cross from then on we have to strive to develop the fruit of the Spirit by resisting our evil nature and waiting for the righteousness from God as we are being transformed.

[cJsusloveu]

God's Grace is free it cannot be worked for, after we are saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ-in what He's done for us, we work as a thank you to Him and for rewards in Heaven, not to be saved; none of us would be worthy of such a saving before our perfect and Holy God.

[martinluther]

Ephesians 2:8-9
King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

[Tsumebleraar]

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your whole house! Acts 16:31 Yes, true faith would lead to a life of continuing repentance and good works!

[armyboyxx]

So much sense in this view, as someone who's grown up protestant it's been a blessing to learn more orthodox theology. I intend to convert in the new year.

[tsegayemiteku]

Thank you Father Spyridon very much. I am from Ethiopian Orthodox Church Deacon in one of Ethiopian Christian

[maninthewilderness]

In return for our trust (faith) in His only begotten Son, God the Father offers us forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Works have no part in God's free grace. Anyone who says that faith is invalid without "works" is adding human effort to the Gospel. Thank God for the free gift of eternal life!

[flash]

Very good sermon. It is the very last Words said we must be careful about, “We must work and repent to receive God’s grace.” God’s grace is always there waiting for us to receive and respond. I agree with the sermon if your faith is genuine and you have been form of the Spirit, your life will be produce good works to glorify God. Indeed this is God’s purpose for us as it was for Christ. Our carnal good works are as filthy rags before God IF we think they are going to somehow justify us. Our good works, as the sermon implies, should be because God lives within us and by by a loving faith in God we are zealous of good works so that we might please and glorify our Father in Heaven. Faith itself is a gift from God. We can lay no claim to it. It is the Father who draws all to Himself. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, there is none righteous, no not one; only God. And if there is anything truly good it is God within us doing His will for His glory.

Let us be clear, as the Apostle Paul said, we are justified by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we need to repent from our sin. Repent means turn from our own ways, the worlds way, that can only produce sin in our live and (repent ) to God ways. Please read Psalm 25:4-5. God saves us, sanctifies us —- it is His work no our own. Sanctification is a Holy Spirit process that begins in our life when we believe upon Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. In the end we are completely changed from mortal to immortal in a twinkling of an eye. It is as much or more a mystery on how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly as a sinner can be redeemed and sanctified to be transformed by the Word and Holy Spirit to have a new heart and spirit for the God’s aim that we become Christ-like. Jesus said, So the Father has sent Me, I send you. Jesus was sent by the Father to do His will, Christ knew that and pursued that aim perfectly all His life. May we awaken to calling God has put on all our lives that by loving faith we be found zealous of good works; not for our salvation, but for the Father’s glorification!