Circle of Faith

Too often, there is a confusion among Christians (Protestants especially) as to how faith and works play into grace and salvation. My take on the whole issue is, admittedly, circular. Quite simply, it goes like this: a person is saved by grace and only by grace. Nothing else. No other “sola” is needed. Furthermore, it cannot be somehow measured or verified in this life. Belief in that salvation by grace is the beginning of faith. As faith grows, good works come as a result of that faith. Yet, as humans in this life, those good works are the only tangible things we can “measure.” Of course, this does not mean that someone who did a lot of good works (say Mother Teresa) gets a better spot in heaven, more gold in her heavenly clothing, or anything else. Sorry, but the only thing those “saved” get in “heaven” is face-to-face contact with the God of everything. Nor does that mean that someone who does no good works is not getting into “heaven.” This doesn’t even mean that someone who does a lot of evil works while claiming to be a Christian isn’t getting into “heaven.” To reduce salvation to some kind of measureable object is in effect reducing something infinite like grace into something finite like works.