Beth-El Baptist Church

10/21/2012

Greg Tomlinson


Is the principle of by grace alone biblical?


One of the great dividing points between Roman Catholics and Protestantism in general, even amongst some Protestant groups, is the relationship between works (behavior) and salvation. One of the claims of the Reformation was that “salvation is by grace alone”.


  1. If it were not by grace, then what would the other option(s) be?

John 1:17 Romans 11:5-6


There are only three concepts for obtaining salvation that can be possible. Salvation is either by works alone or by grace alone or by a mixture of the two.


  1. Why can't salvation be by works alone?

Romans 11:5-6 Ephesians 2:8-10

Romans 3:19-21; 3:26-28; Galatians 2:16; 2:21; 3:10-11; 3:21-23


Salvation could never be accomplished by works alone because the Law of God exposes the reality of sin in our lives. When we understand the role of the Law of God properly, we understand that the Law of God can do nothing for anyone except for condemn. In order for salvation to be accomplished purely by obedience to the Law of God, an individual would have to follow and obey every detail of every law perfectly for their entire life. Even then, salvation would elude them.


John 3:36 John 5:22-24; 14:6

1 John 2:22-25


Even if someone could somehow keep the Law of God perfectly, which is impossible, they would need Jesus Christ as well. It is ONLY through faith in Jesus Christ that salvation can be obtained. To reject the Son (Jesus Christ) IS to reject the Father.


  1. Doesn't one's behavior work alongside of grace to obtain salvation?

Galatians 3:2-3 James 2:14-24

Isaiah 64:6-7 Ephesians 2:10


Even in the book of James which states that “ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24), that it is the faith that saves the individual but his faith is demonstrated through his works. The passage of James must be taken in its full context. The individual was laying claim to salvation but refused to function in obedience to the Law of God. His claim to faith was useless because it did not have any practical impact on his life. If the demonstration of the reality of salvation in a person's life is through their love one for another, then how real is the love of God and for the brethren in a person's life if he has no desire to help out others who are having troubles in this life.




  1. What role does one's behavior play in the salvation program?

Galatians 3:2-3 Jude 1:3-5

Romans 5:19-6:2; 6:16-18 Luke 17:7-10

1 John 5:3


Our works can never provide any benefit to our own state of salvation. Our works can only demonstrate the presence of salvation in our life. Even in complete and perfect obedience to every command of God, the best that we can properly be identified as is as an unprofitable servant.


  1. Why is salvation by grace alone so important?

Romans 3:25-28; 4:2-3 John 1:12-13; 15:5-6


Salvation by grace alone is so important because it gives God and Christ all of the glory, honor and recognition for salvation. Without salvation by grace alone, it identifies our salvation as being that “OUR” salvation instead of Christ's salvation and as a result, the one who is saved would be justified in boasting about his own abilities in entering into salvation.