By pitting one verse against another, the Bible sometimes seems contradictory. God, the Creator of the universe inspired the Bible, though, so there cannot be any real contradictions. Apparent contradictions disappear with proper understanding of the text.

Emphasizing man’s need to rely on the grace of God, Paul wrote, “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9). A simple definition of grace is “unmerited favor.” God grants that  unmerited favor for the salvation of mankind. Paul said salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast,” indicating that man cannot perform any meritorious works that would earn salvation. Salvation is by grace.

The apparent contradiction comes when we compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with James 2: 24, in which James wrote, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” The two passages are not really in conflict, because James and Paul were each speaking of two different kinds of works, as each emphasized a different aspect of salvation.

Paul emphasized that the grace of God saves, and man cannot earn his salvation by works of merit. The fact that God’s grace saves, however, does not mean that God relieves man of the responsibility to obey Him to receive the benefits of that grace. If salvation is by “grace alone,” with no acts of obedience, then God, “who is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), would automatically save every man, no matter what he did. We are saved by many things, however.  “For we are saved by hope” (Romans 8:24). Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Christ  “became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” Peter wrote of the obedience of Noah and his family, saying “the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21). The apostle John wrote, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

How can salvation come by grace, by hope, by Christ, by the blood, and by baptism? All of these save because salvation is “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), that is, an obedient faith. As James said, “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). A living faith is a faith that works, that obeys the commands of Christ, including being baptized. As one is baptized into Christ he makes contact with the cleansing blood of Christ (Romans 6:3-7). Hebrews chapter 11, sometimes called “Faith’s Hall of Fame,” is filled with examples of “grace through faith.”  “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice” (Hebrews 11:4). “By faith Noah … prepared an ark” (Hebrews 11:7). “By faith Abraham … obeyed” (Hebrews 11:8). We cannot earn our salvation through works of merit, but we must obey God to benefit from his marvelous grace. “By grace through faith” we obediently accept God’s love.