What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

This is a great question! There are many who are so confused regarding good works and salvation in the New Testament. Let’s get into the Bible and find out exactly how good works and salvation should work together.

We must first start by recognizing that there are two dispensations in the New Testament. Simply read the book of Acts, where the apostle Luke leads us out of the Kingdom dispensation under Jesus and the 12-apostles and into the grace dispensation under the apostle Paul. I mention this because it is vitally important to understand that salvation and the context of good works both change between the two dispensations. 

GOOD WORKS IN THE KINGDOM DISPENSATION

In the Kingdom program, good works were necessary to prove one’s faith for salvation. Read James 2:17-26 to get an understanding that salvation depended upon the works that demonstrated one’s faith confession in the identity of Christ. Salvation began with a confession of Christ as in these examples,

John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 20:31 But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you [all Israel] might Have Life [Gk., Zoë, God's Spirit life] through HIS NAME [his identity].

Luke 12:8 "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

John 11:27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

Acts 9:20 Immediately he [Paul] preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Believing in Jesus according to the gospel of the kingdom meant believing Who He was, i.e., believing in His name (John 3:18; Acts 2:21, 38, 3:6, 16, 4:7, 10, 12, 17, 18, 30, 5:28, 40, 41, 8:12, 16, 9:14, 15, 21, 27, 10:43, 48). The gospel of the kingdom focused upon the identity of Christ.

Once a confession was made, then there were requirements to do to prove one’s faith. Peter preaches on this in Acts 2:38. Repentance, water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit, were initial actions that corroborated what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:5, but then they would continue to obey the commandments, selling all their possessions for the Kingdom, forgiving one’s brother for God to forgive you, etc. All these were part of the good works that was added to one’s faith to prove and maintain salvation. Jesus said that nobody who put his hand to the plough and looked back was fit for the Kingdom, Luk 9:62, and one had to pick up his cross and follow Christ. Further scriptures that confirm this are,

Luk 3:7-8  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Act 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 

Thus, we see that it was necessary to add good works to one’s faith confession of Christ to qualify for salvation. The reason for this standard is because at this time SALVATION WAS VALIDATED BY WHAT YOU DID. This is different to salvation in the grace age as we will shortly see.

GOOD WORKS IN THE GRACE DISPENSATION

In the Grace program, good works are not necessary to prove one’s faith for salvation. In this dispensation, salvation begins with hearing the grace gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, 1Cor.15:1-4. One’s faith response to this message, (to place one’s trust in Christ, and to believe that the work He did on the cross is sufficient to forgive one’s sins and justify one before God), is all that is required, Rom.4:25. Unlike in the Kingdom program, in this dispensation, SALVATION DOES NOT DEPEND UPON OUR WORKS, BUT UPON THE FAITH AND WORK OF CHRIST HIMSELF, Gal 2:16.

Scriptures that confirm this are, 

Eph 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Rom 11:6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 

Gal 5:4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

SO, WHAT THEN IS THE GOOD WORKS THAT PAUL SPEAKS OF, IF WORKS ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR SALVATION IN THIS DISPENSATION?

Let’s first define what ‘good works’ are, because it is not the same as the good works in the Kingdom dispensation. There, good works were performed by the person themselves. Here, in this grace dispensation, good works are the result of our obedience to the workings of the Word within us.

First, let’s investigate where the source of our good works come from, and guess what, it does not come from ourselves; our goodness or our efforts. Paul writes the following to Timothy,

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given b y inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The words Paul uses here, namely, “doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction”, are connected with learning and study. It is by the knowledge of the Word that we are reproved, corrected, and instructed. We need to get the Word into us, we need to mature in the knowledge of the written Word and be renewed in our mind, 1Tim.2:4; Rom.12:1-2. Only then can the Word start to influence our thoughts, our decisions, our speech, our actions, and our daily walk. Without the knowledge of the Word within us, we cannot walk in faith or by the Spirit, and without this, we cannot produce the good works that God desires of us. It is the Word of God that works within us and produces the results that God desires.

Php 2:12-13  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  (13)  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Rom 6:16-17 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  (17)  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Did you notice how much Paul refers to obedience. Well, in this regard, what is it that we obey? Our conscience? Our minds? Our own judgements? No! It’s that form of doctrine that has taken root in you through reading and study. It is obedience to the working of the Word within you, that living stream of water that cleanses your mind and quickens your spirit. It is this that we are to submit to and obey. It is this that mortifies the flesh and causes the good works that God wills and works in us. It is the Word itself that is the source of good works, if we are willing to obey it and give into its influences within us.

So, in summary of good works and salvation in our dispensation, it is clear that good works does not add to or validate salvation. Those works are already done by Christ for us. We can add nothing to it. Rather, the good works that God desires is the result of growing in knowledge of the written Word of God, and as we do, Christ forms within us and starts to produce the spiritual fruit as listed in Gal.5:22-23.