That is a very popular question in these last days, and one whose answer is written very clearly throughout the Holy Bible.
It is written,
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James 2:17
However, there are many in the religious arena nowadays, who are of the corruptible seed of John Calvin and the like, usually having been indoctrinated by the Baptist denominations, and also man-made churches whose titles generally include the word “grace”…who insist, contrary to the teaching of the whole of the scripture, that a man is saved “by grace alone, through faith alone”.
This phrase, commonly spoken by such religious men, is a perversion of what Paul the apostle wrote in Ephesians 2:8,9:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Paul wrote these words, “…to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 1:1); and we can clearly see that the word “alone” does not appear in the text of Ephesians 2:8,9.
We can also see by the writing of Luke, in Acts 19:1-6, that the original recipients of that letter (the saints at Ephesus) were saved when they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and Paul had laid his hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
Acts 19:5,6
This is how the saints at Ephesus were saved, by the grace of God through faith.
As the Lord said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…”
(Mark 16:16)
Much of the reason that men in the false churches insist that they are saved without doing anything to be saved, is because they have been taught to be ignorant of what the word “saved” means.
They imagine that “saved” means that God, without them having done anything, has granted them a place in his kingdom; and no matter how they behave themselves, they are going to inherit the kingdom of God; because, according to their doctrine (the antichrist doctrine called “eternal security”), they “cannot lose their salvation”.
But that is NOT what the word “saved” means.
“Saved” means delivered. It means rescued. It refers to the state of a man who was a sinner, and has been delivered from the power of sin and darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13); and is therefore no longer a sinner, but a saint.
And this salvation happens for us when we believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(Acts 2:38)
This is how a man is saved from his sins, and converted from a sinner into a saint. And then, as he continues in God’s word, being led of the Holy Ghost, he will not be led to sin, but to live holy, as God is holy, so that he will be able to stand before the Son of man on the day of judgment, being guiltless.
That is what “saved” means.
So can a man be saved by faith alone?
It is written,
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:18-26
Jesus said that, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)
The Israelites were saved from Egypt by being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:1,2); and even after that, those who disobeyed God and refused to believe his word perished in the wilderness, and are in hellfire, even now.
And so it is written,
“To day if ye will hear his voice,
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”
Psalm 95:7-11
And so it is today.
We who are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ in baptism (a baptism of water and Spirit, as it is written) are saved from the power of sin and darkness, so that we can live our lives by the power of Christ in us, to serve and please God.
And, if we are faithful and endure unto the end, then we shall be saved from the coming wrath and inherit the everlasting kingdom of God, and reign with him forever.
Alleluia!
And so, we conclude that a man is saved by the grace of God through faith, but not by faith alone; for faith without works is dead, being alone.
A man who believes that he is saved without having obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ is straightly denying the truth of the holy scriptures; and the fact that he falsely and blindly declares that he is saved, does not make him saved from anything.
It merely makes him a fool.
“Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.”
Ecclesiastes 10:3
It is the witchcraft of theology that hath deceived such a man, for he thinks himself to be wise, and has in reality become a fool.
And, as the Lord said,
“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Matthew 11:25,26
Not every man hath ears to hear; and so those of us who do, have very much to be thankful for.
So, let the redeemed of the LORD say so!
Alleluia!
Amen.
