"Saved by grace": why is faith alone not enough?

The house of salvation is built by good works. Photo: UOJ

Modern Orthodox Christians inevitably have to engage in polemics with Protestants. ; others go on missionary visits from door to door; and some even resort to preaching over the phone.

Seeing so many different forms of evangelism, one regrets that Orthodox education and outreach are not always as well developed.

Sometimes what we lack is manpower, sometimes knowledge – and sometimes simply the willingness to serve the Church through preaching the Gospel.

But we have much to share with people! Even if we approach someone with nothing more than the New Testament and St. John Chrysostom’s commentaries on it, we can reliably draw our listeners toward Orthodoxy. In the Gospel, we find the primary source of God’s Word. The Apostolic Epistles provide us with fundamental knowledge of the Christian faith. And Chrysostom’s rich sermons, full of vivid imagery, help us apply the teachings of the Gospel to real-life situations, revealing their deeper meaning.

A “missionary kit” of an Orthodox Christian

A “missionary kit” for an Orthodox Christian should always include the Gospel and and Apostolic citations on the key questions of our faith. In polemics with Protestants, it is precisely these that need to be used. After all, Sacred Tradition and the patristic tradition do not exist for Protestants. These sources of theological knowledge are not authoritative for them.

A priest I know, who converted to Orthodoxy from Protestantism, when taking monastic vows, was able to prove to his former brethren that a celibate lifestyle is blessed by God on par with marriage. And he proved this exclusively with quotes from the Gospel, which convinced opponents of celibacy.

I think we should also learn to skillfully operate with the text of the Holy Scriptures. Then we can prove our point not only with our words but by referring to an authoritative original source.

“You are already saved”: a misunderstanding

Quotes from the Epistle of Apostle Paul to the Ephesians should also be included in our “missionary kit”. It sets forth the doctrine of salvation. The Apostle speaks astonishing words about how we are already saved by the grace of God revealed to us in Christ.

Salvation is often associated with a future event.

But we should realize that the salvation of humanity from sin is an already accomplished act.

Through the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Lord, the salvation promised by God from ancient times was granted to people.

This salvation is general, all-encompassing. Besides, there is the personal salvation of each individual, occurring after their death. And it depends on the measure of our spiritual perfection. This type of salvation is precisely outside the field of Protestants' vision.

Salvation “not by works”? What the Apostle said with a verse later

Protestants believe that personal salvation occurs only through faith in general salvation. Simply put, if you believe that Christ died for our sins and rose for general salvation, you are already saved for eternity.

The Protestant doctrine is based on the idea that by entering the Christian community through a one-time repentance, a person receives a guaranteed ticket to the Heavenly Kingdom.

Proponents refer to the words of Apostle Paul: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can.” (Eph. 2:8-9).

However, they do not want to quote the next verse, which says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

The gift of salvation and the labor of virtue

Virtue serves as the guarantee of personal salvation. Through it, we learn to properly use this gift of God.

Faith alone in the redemptive sacrifice of Christ and the acknowledgment of one's previous error is not enough. One must constantly grow in virtues.

This can only be achieved through personal asceticism. Mere philosophical reflections in the spirit of the Gospel will not prepare the soul for meeting God.

Moreover, a virtuous life is not only our personal choice but also a calling blessed by God. Let us strive to use these arguments not only in theological disputes with Protestants but also in our own spiritual life to become “the light of the world”, lighting the lamps of human souls.

Read also