Grace, Faith and Works Throughout the Bible

There has long been a notion that somehow grace and faith oppose works. To be saved by grace and faith, we are told, absolutely excludes the possibility of doing anything ourselves to receive salvation. While many arguments are mounted to answer such wrong thinking one of the most powerful arguments is the testimony of the united word of God. By this I mean the examples of how God has always saved men and women throughout history. Let us think for a moment about several examples of salvation.

What of Noah? Genesis 6:8 says explicitly that Noah found ""grace in the eyes of the Lord."" None can doubt that Noah was saved by grace. If god has not chosen, because of His own mercy and love, to tell Noah of the impending flood (and what to do to get ready) Noah and his family would have drowned like everyone else. Grace saved Noah. Yet it was not grace alone. Hebrews 11:7 speaks of Noah's faith. What if Noah had not believed God's gracious warning? Noah was saved by faith, wasn't he? Yet it was not faith alone that saved Noah. The Genesis record tells us ""Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did"" (6:22). What if God warned Noah, Noah believed God, but Noah did not build an ark? Grace and faith would not save a disobedient Noah, would it? Grace, faith and obedience came together to save Noah from the flood.

Abraham's story is no different. By God's grace Abraham was chosen as the father of a great nation (Genesis 12:1ff). Again, it was not grace alone that saved Abraham. Romans 4:3 explains how ""For what does the Scripture say? ""Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."" The Romans writer even makes the point that works of merit, works that earn salvation or put God in our debt, could not help Abraham. However, was it grace and faith alone that saved Abraham? Abraham never had to do anything, never had to obey God, indeed, could not and must not obey? Why then does James tell us ""Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."" How can anyone understand how ""faith was working together with his works?"" Abraham was saved by grace, faith and obedience, wasn't he?

Other illustrations of this principle abound. Exodus 9:13-25 reveals how God graciously warned the Egyptians of the coming plague of hail. Scripture assures us that ""he who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. But he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field"" (9:20-21). Note that one had to believe the warning of the Lord, but again this by itself would not be enough. One had to do something, take action, in order for his cows to be saved. Interestingly, the text equates a failure to act with ""not regarding"" the Lord's word.

Joshua 6 tells of God graciously giving Jericho to the Israelites (6:2). Ye they still had to believe God's word and yes, still had to do something. Seven days of obedient action were needed to receive God's good and gracious gift. 2 Kings 5 details how Namaan was graciously healed of his leprosy. Before he could be healed, however, he had to believe the prophet's message and then do what he was told (5:11-12). Namaan's obedience did not nullify grace or make faith unnecessary, did it?

With these clear examples of how faith, grace, and obedience combine together how can anyone say that we be saved by grace alone, faith alone or obedience alone? The Bible demonstrates from start to finish that grace, faith and obedience combine together to please our God.