Dadburnett,
Your questions are as old as time itself, and I don't think any natural human being really knows the answer to it. Because of this, only the Spirit can answer your question.
Thankfully, the Spirit does speak through God's Word.
So I'm going to give your question the best answer I know of.
The Bible, on one hand, says "For by grace are ye saved through faith..." --Ephesians 2:8.
On the other hand, James says, "Faith, without works, is dead being alone." --James 2:17
So which is it? Faith? Or works?
I contend that we are justified by both, not by one or the other. Faith and works are not mutually exclusive. As it is written, in James 2:18-24:
18 Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without my works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God, thou does well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was call the friend of God.
24 Ye see then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?
I'm going to stop there, and point out that the Bible never says that Faith alone can save you. Neither does it say that Works alone can save you. Rather, the Bible tells us that Faith, combined with Works, is what justifies us. We are forgiven when we accept Christ. However, that does not make us perfect. It simply gives us a second chance, as it were.
But notice again in Verse 22:
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
If I understand this Scripture properly, it's saying that works makes faith perfect. James is pointing out that we can claim to be spiritual, and still be very much unspiritual in our lives. Like Jesus said, "Wouldst thou remove the mote out of thy brother's eye, and beholdest thou not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first remove the beam that is in thine own eye, then thou shalt see clearly to remove the mote out of thy brother's eye."
We can be filled with faith until the cows come home. But works is what makes our faith real, both to others and to God. It's our proving ground through which God sees if we are real or fake. True faith not only believes that Christ is the Son of the living God; it also acts on belief to make others' lives richer and better.
What would Christianity be, if we only had faith? We would be a dead religion.
What would Christianity be, if we only had works? We would be a legalistic monolith that would be trying and convicting everyone of some crime or another.
But what is Christianity with faith and works? It is real Christianity, really following Christ, really living as He lived and being what He called us to be. Whether it be feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, clothing the naked, or whatever other service He wants us involved in; Christianity is not just having faith, but doing the works of Him that saved us.
So really, the question of whether salvation is of faith or of works, really is not a fair question. This is because salvation is of both, not one or the other.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him -- Hebrews 11:6
AND
Faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone -- James 2:17
So it's both, according to Scripture. As hard as it is for us to hold to that, faith and works come together to bring the glories of Christ Jesus to a dying world.
--Sean
