Both Theology and Philosophy try to explain what happens after death. Basically everyone or the great majority of persons recognize that there exist both salvation and condemnation. After countless explanations about how to get salvation, we can see nowadays divisions that seem to be not reconcilable: Those who say that salvation is reached through good works and those who say that men can get salvation exclusively through faith. It is necessary to give a stop to this divisions through a clear and true explanation that let people know what both faith and works do in God's salvation plan for human beings.
First of all, it is important to say that faith and works are not enemies nor rivals, but it is the opposite, when they both get together, they make people to have a pure character that pleases God, as well as a virtuous life to those who are around us. It's sad that some religious are focused only on faith or only on works, making things as if faith and works were enemies.
James 2:18 says: "Bus someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
As we can see, works give testimony or reveal the level of sincerity of our faith.
There also exist a very important reason that we need to mention, and it is that God is who gives salvation, so we don't have to see faith nor works as authors of salvation, but as participants of it.
Just as love is shown giving to the one that we love, real faith is shown by good works, and it does not mean opposition between faith and works at all.
Abraham is known as "the father of faith", but it does not mean that he did not have good works, since when God asked him to sacrifice his own soon Isaac, he was willing to do it, showing that his faith was real and that he did not have hypocrisy.
Personally I have been able to realize about both extremes of the relation that some people give to faith and works. On one side we find those who say that they have faith and that's the excuse that they use to make any immoral act and for disobeying completely to God's commands. On the other side there appear those who think that because of their generosity, social position and wealth, they can trade salvation with God, considering themselves worthy of eternal life, what is completely false because just one sin make us be in the list of sinners. Both extremes are the same wrong.
Some have tried to see works as a complement of faith, but what is correct to say is that real faith is shown with good works, and not that works are a complement of faith.
The worst situation is that some persons or religions have used this as a motive for divisions, attacking the value of faith or the importance of works and gaining from that only to confuse people.
Salvation comes from God, we receive it by faith and we manifest it through good works or good deeds. It is necessary to comprehend that God loves when we believe in what he has promised just as he loves that we obey him. Faith and works are the best friends!!!
Jaime Montoya
jaimemontoya@jaimemontoya.com
www.jaimemontoya.com
