Grace = Faith = Works = Salvation

Many attempts have been made to sum up salvation in an equation, though they have been mostly failures.  It cannot sufficiently be done, so I don't expect to succeed myself, but I figure I would put forth my own idea of an equation.  The worst equations are the simplest ones, and simplicity is the deficiency of equations, which is why no salvation equation will ever sufficiently cover it.  But it is important to point out the false ideas that have come from or led to these simplistic equations.  I'm talking about the 'works = salvation' and the 'faith = salvation' equations.  The Protestant churches will relentlessly rag on the 'works gospel', so there is no need to elaborate about that fallacy.  But the over-reaction to it leads to another fallacy, which gets little wind.  It is very important to make it clear that a person cannot be saved by faith alone, as James clearly puts it in 2:19.  And if you read the WHOLE of Paul's letters, you see that he also saw the necessity of faith and works.  What I want to point out, though most of all, is what Jesus said.  Jesus absolutely did not allow us to remove works from the equation, with what he said.  Some quotes from Jesus that prove that works are necessary:

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Matthew 7:17-19

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.  Matthew 10:22

Then the man who had received the one talent came.  'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.'  His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant!  So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.  Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  Matthew 25:24-30

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'  Matthew 25:41-43

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.  Mark 8:38

But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.  Luke 12:45-46

As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him.  For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.  John 12:47-48

If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.  These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  John 14:23-24

Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.  Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.  Revelation 22:12-15

We can see, as clear as day, that a person's deeds are closely tied to salvation.  To remove works from the equation is to deny the words of Jesus.  But does this mean that salvation is not based on faith?  Well, no.  This is why I came up with the equation that I did.  Our faith does not just happen on its own, but it is something that is caused by God.  I do believe that we all have the free will to accept or deny God, but it is also quite clear that the Scriptures teach predestination.  Both must somehow be true, as another paradox, of which there are at least a few in the Bible.  So I believe that faith in Christ is the result of God's grace, which is the first part of the equation - 'grace = faith'.  But faith, by itself, is not true faith.  True faith must result in works, so there's the second part of the equation - 'faith = works'.  And finally, as Jesus says in Revelation, we are judged by our deeds, giving us the final part of the equation - 'works = salvation'.

Grace = Faith = Works = Salvation

Maybe this doesn't sit well with some of my Protestant friends.  Maybe you were taught in church that even whispering "works equals salvation" is sacrilegious.  Well, if I'm wrong, then go ahead and show me how I'm wrong.  When I read the Bible I simply take it for what it says.  And the Bible says very clearly that a person is judged by their deeds and misdeeds.  That's not to say that the blood of Christ means nothing, but to say that the blood of Christ must wash us, or we have no place in heaven.