I really enjoy talking to believers about the relationship between the Gospel truth of a justification by faith alone and that of the Gospel always producing works in our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Titus 3:3-8: “For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.”
It’s really simple actually- God connects us, by grace alone/his choosing, to himself like a branch gets connected to a vine. Then, as a result, we vines naturally begin to draw in the nutrients and bear fruit. That fruit is works. We who are connected will all bear fruit. If a branch doesn’t bear fruit, it’s not connected. This is grace and works. They are both parts of the truths that transform us.
So, it is NOT AT ALL wrong to say that if you’re never saved without works. Even the thief on the cross bore the fruit of repentance.
Keeping these complimentary and back-to-back truths in balance opens up delightful areas of prayer and diligence in our lives. The Bible beautifully adorns the varied sides of these truths. The works that we do never in any way contribute to either the forgiveness of our sins, or our standing as believers. That comes completely from unmerited grace. But believers are not fruitless.
