Article of Faith: Faith Or Work, Which Will Save Christians?

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Today, one of the most controversial topics of the New Testament is the question of how believers will attain salvation. Over the years, it would seem that two groups have emerged in the body of Christ, all providing dissimilar answers to this crucial question.

The first group of Christians are those who claim that salvation can only be attained through faith in Jesus Christ. To this group of Christians, once a sinner confesses his sins and believes that Jesus died and resurrected, he is saved.

For this group of Christians, it is the faith in the Son that saves not our works. One of the commonest scriptures they quote is John 3:16, which reads:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Also, Galatians 3:11 supports the argument of Christians who believe that it is faith, not works, that justifies a Christian. The scripture reads,

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Nevertheless, there exists a second group of Christians who believe that salvation can only be attained through works. These category of Christians acknowledges the role of faith in the Christian journey but they believe that it is insufficient to attain salvation. Consequently, they base their argument on James 2:24-26:

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. [25] Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? [26] For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Furthermore, the latter group of Christians often cite Jesus himself. They allude to the famous story of the rich young man who came to Jesus and asked how he could be saved. At first Jesus told the young man to keep the laws of Moses. And when the young man insisted that he had kept all the laws since the days of his youth, Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give them to the poor, and follow him. This implies that Jesus endorses works as the precondition to attain salvation. See Mathew 19:16-21.

So, I am asking the Christians here today to honestly tell me how salvation can be attained - through faith or through works or both? I will like to know what you think and with scriptural evidence.