- Redemption by Belief / Faith on Christ Alone, Secure, Apart from Good Works -
by Emerald Leaf Ministries
Often people are unaware of just how many New Testament verses demonstrate eternal redemption to be solely based upon belief / faith on the atoning acts of Christ, apart from personal good works.
The following verse list and supplemental quotations shouldn't to be taken as exhaustive; more could be added. Inclusions are simply a large sampling of the immense scriptural support (hundreds) for faith alone, apart from works, and for eternal security. Nearly whole chapters exist in the New Testament which explain and break down the elements of these truths, leaving the reader with no other logical conclusions than these. Those longer expositions are not included. The focus here was to feature a great number of clear and easy to follow verses.
Faith alone, apart from works:
Reference each verse listed below, keeping in mind the biblical word definitions, included here...
KEY: believe + faith in the Greek = pisteuo + pistis : to be convinced, persuaded, believe, entrust.
Luke
7:48-50 ; 8:12 ; 18:42
John
1:6-8, 1:12 ; 2:11, 2:23 ; 3:14-15 + 16, 18, 3:36 ; 4:39 ; 4:41+42 ; 4:53 ; 5:24, 5:45-47 ; 6:28-29, 6:35, 6:40, 6:47 ; 8:24, 8:28-30 ; 9:35 + 36-38 ; 10:24-25, 10:42 ; 11:14-15 + 25, 26, 27 + 41-45 ; 12:11, 12:36+37, 12:46 ; 13:19 ; 14:1-6 ; 17:20+21 ; 19:35; 20:29 + 31
Acts
4:4 ; 9:42 ; 10:43-44 + 45 ; 11:17, 11:21 ; 13:12, 13:39 ; 14:1 ; 15:7-8 ; 16:1, 16:30-31 ; 17:3-4+5, 17:11-12, 17:32-34 ; 18:8, 18:27-28 ; 19:8-9 ; 20:21 ; 28:23+24
Romans
1:16 ; 3:22, 3:23-25 + 26, 27, 28 + 30 ; 4:2-3, 4:4-5 +6-7, +9-11, +13-16, +23-25 ; 5:1+2 ; 9:30-32 ; 10:2-4 ; 11:6 ; 15:12-13
1 Corinthians 1:21 2 Corinthians 4:4
Galatians
2:16, 2:21 ; 3:2, + 3:6, 7, 8, 9, +10-11, +12-14, +21-22 +24, 25, 26 ; 5:5
Ephesians 1:13, 1:19 ; 2:8+9 1 Thessalonians 1:7 ; 4:13-14 2 Thessalonians 1:10
1 Timothy 1:15-16 ; 3:16 ; 4:10 2 Timothy 1:9-12 ; 3:15
Titus 3:5 1 Peter 1:18-21 ; 2:6 1 John 5:9-13 Jude 1:1
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Further supporting scriptures and security verses important to the subject...
John 10:28-30 "And I give unto them ETERNAL life; and they shall NEVER perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one"
Colossians 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened [made alive] together with Him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [Old Test. Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross"
2 Corinthians 3:6 "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; NOT of the letter [Old Test. Law, written standards, ordinances], but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"
Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, GRACE [unmerited, undeserved kindness] did MUCH MORE abound"
Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
1 Cor 15:3-4
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures"
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He hath made Him to be sin FOR us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN Him"
2 Corinthians 1:22 "Who hath also SEALED us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts"
Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory"
John 5:24 "Verily, verily [truly, truly], I say unto you, he that heareth my word [Jesus'], and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH everlasting life, and SHALL NOT come into condemnation; but IS passed from death unto life"
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse FOR us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree"
Galatians 4:7 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ"
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another"
Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption"
1 Peter 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant MERCY [pardon over deserved consequence] hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance INcorruptible, and UNdefiled, and that fadeth NOT away, RESERVED in heaven for you, Who are KEPT BY the power OF GOD through faith unto salvation READY to be revealed in the last time"
Romans 3:10
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one"
Ecclesiastes 7:20 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not"
Psalms 14:3 "They are ALL gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is NONE that doeth good, no, not one"
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief"
Romans 4:6-7 "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God IMPUTETH righteousness WITHOUT works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered"
Romans 5:15 + 17 ... v15 "But not as the offence, so also is the FREE gift. For if through the offence of one [Adam] many be dead, MUCH more the GRACE of God, and the GIFT by grace [undeserved kindness], which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many"
v17 "For if by one man's offence [Adam's] death reigned by one; much MORE they which receive abundance of GRACE [unmerited, undeserved kindness] and of the GIFT of righteousness shall reign in life BY one, Jesus Christ"
Hebrews 10:10-12 "... we are sanctified [positionally] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for ALL. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can NEVER take away sins: BUT this man [Jesus], after He had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOR EVER, sat down on the right hand of God"
John 10:30
"I [Jesus] and my Father are one"
John 14:10 "Believest thou not that I [Jesus] am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works" . 1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" .
John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth"
John 4:13-14 "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But WHOSOEVER drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall NEVER thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into EVERLASTING life"
John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in NO WISE cast out"
John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him [the Father] that sent me [Jesus], that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have EVERLASTING life: and I WILL raise him up at the last day"
Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the UTTERMOST that come unto God BY HIM, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them"
Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conversation [manner of life] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will NEVER leave thee, NOR forsake thee"
2 Timothy 2:13 "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He CANNOT deny Himself"
2 Timothy 4:18 "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and WILL PRESERVE me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen"
John 3:16
"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"
2 John 1:2 "For the truth's sake, WHICH dwelleth in us, AND shall be with us FOR EVER"
1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, NOT of corruptible seed [of ourselves, works, or physical birth], but of INcorruptible [Christ, the perfect one's sacrifice, or spiritual birth imperishable], by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever"
Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in ONCE into the holy place, having obtained ETERNAL redemption FOR us"
Hebrews 10:14 "For by ONE offering He hath perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified [positionally]"
1 John 5:11-13 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us ETERNAL life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God"
Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And WHOSOEVER will, let him take the water of life FREELY"
John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free INDEED"
Acts 10:43-44
"To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name WHOSOEVER believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter YET spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word"
John 6:47 "Verily, verily [truly, truly], I [Jesus] say unto you, He that BELIEVETH on me HATH everlasting life"
Romans 4:5 "... to him that worketh NOT, but BELIEVETH on Him [Jesus] that justifieth the ungodly, his FAITH is counted for righteousness"
Titus 3:5a "NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His MERCY He saved us..."
- In closing...
Those who've trusted 100% on Christ alone, and none of their performance, are God's children forever. God's faithfulness to His promise is pictured in the account of Hosea's unbroken devotion to his unfaithful prostitute bride. Good works have their own place, but have absolutely nothing to do with meriting, maintaining, or proving one's eternal destiny. The Gospel is distinct from all other matters addressed in scripture...
2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY dividing the word of truth"
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (The Bema) "For other foundation can NO man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build UPON this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a REWARD.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall SUFFER LOSS: BUT he HIMSELF shall be SAVED; yet so as by fire"
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT of works, lest any man should boast"
1 Corinthians 1:29 "That no flesh should glory in His presence"
Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I NOT give to another, neither my praise to graven images"
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 "BUT I FEAR, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him"
Galatians 3:2 "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
God, who's perfect, put on flesh (Jesus), shed His holy blood suffering in death, and resurrected as a substitute payment for every sin we'll ever commit. Thus, those who've believed this, not trusting in "self" or supposed "good", are eternally secure at the moment of faith, without conditions. It's the FREE gift paid for by Christ.
We can never help atone for sin. We're ALL inherently imperfect in our thoughts, words, deeds, emotions, intents, etc. Bribing God with such imperfection falls short every single time. This is why Christ's sacrifice was necessary. Only Christ's payment has redemptive power and value; Christ is sufficient. Believing is receiving.
Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made alive] together with Christ, (by GRACE ye are saved;)"