Got Faith? or Got Works? Which one? Maybe both?

Question?

Are we saved by faith or works?

Answer!

In essence we are saved by GRACE (Council of Trent; session 6, canon 1), through faith (Ephesians 2: 8-9). But the type of faith we have is a call to obedience (Rom 1: 5; 16: 26), and a faith that works through love (Gal 5: 6). The nature or type of faith we have makes all the difference in the world, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11: 6), for faith without love is useless (1 Cor 13: 2) and faith without works is dead (James 2: 18-24) and faith alone will not save (James 2: 24). Summary: Salvation is a free gift from God through Jesus that we receive gratutiously. However we can lose this inheritance through unconfessed, unrepentant mortal sin in our soul (Catechism 1861). We can't earn salvation but we can sure lose it.