Faith And Works

A group of young Christians came to speak to a well-renowned Professor about a certain matter they had been discussing. They all stood together now in his office and after a brief awkward silence, a student stepped forward, cleared his throat and asked, "Teacher, we've been taught that everyone does evil and that God hates evil. But how are we saved?" The teacher paused for moment and then asked, "What is it that the teachers of the Scriptures have taught you?"

The student who had asked the question replied, "They teach that men are saved by faith alone. They teach what the Apostle Paul taught when he wrote 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.' If we could earn our way to heaven why would Jesus have had to come and die?"

A second student immediately replied, "I've been taught that saying that we are saved by faith alone is just Easy-Believism. If we are saved only by faith then why does James write that faith without works is dead? Why does he ask, rhetorically, if such a faith can save? Do you believe that dead faith alone is all you need? Clearly we need faith and works!"

A this moment a third student interjected, "This hair-splitting between faith and works is ridiculous! A work, like giving to poor, is clearly a work and we all recognize it as such. But is believing a certain way any less of a work? Giving to the poor is a work done by hands and believing a creed is a work done by the mind but both are works. Both require something of us. If we use honest terms you'll all agree that we're saved by works, and works alone, because what else is there in life? Everything we say, think, do, dream, imagine - it's all a work of some sort."

All the students began to speak at the same time arguing amongst themselves so that they didn't notice the Professor gathering his things to leave for the day until he had stood up from his desk and walked halfway to the door that the group was presently blocking. Reminded again of his presence and why they had come , they all fell silent and gazed at him waiting to see whose side he would choose and what his arguments were.

The Teacher paused and said to them, "We are not saved by faith. Neither are we saved by works." Then he passed through the crowd and walked out of the office.