“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; 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, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

In a study of any world religion concerning the topic of salvation, Christianity stands alone. In other religions, the path is inevitably paved with some type of good works, but one of the pillars of Christianity is the concept of Sola gratia meaning that salvation is available by grace alone.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8,9 ESV)

So then if salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Christ, is the idea or importance of works in the lives of followers of Christ negated? The answer to this question is found in the verse immediately following the passage listed above. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 10 ESV)

Scripture makes it clear, then, that each of us is expected to walk following the commands of Christ in our daily lives. No serious follower would answer that a Christian should live an immoral life or one that fails to care for the needs of others. If this is the case isn’t Christianity just as dependent on works as other religions?

The key difference is one of motivation. All other religions follow a path that demands adherence to some type of rule to gain access to their concept of God. Instead, the Christian responds out of an attitude of gratitude to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1: 10 ESV)