Answer
The “faith-alone” principle will not provide salvation without good works because Paul says:
“And now faith, hope, and love, these three things remain; but the
greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).
Love means good works.
Explanation
There is a prophecy in the Old Testament about the Messiah:
“Jehovah is delighted for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify
the Law and make it honorable” (Isa 42:21).
This is what Jesus as the Messiah did in the Sermon on the Mount.
“You have heard that it was said to the ancients: "Do not commit
adultery. But I say to you, Everyone looking at a woman to lust after
her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mat
5:27-28).
So, the Messiah magnified and tightened the Law instead of nailing it on the cross and abolishing it.
That is why Jesus stated clearly:
“Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to annul, but to fulfill. Truly I say to you, Until the heaven
and the earth pass away, in no way shall one iota or one point pass
away from the Law until all comes to pass” (Mat 5:17-18).
Objection:-
Some argue that, yes, Jesus fulfilled the Law by keeping it but after fulfilling, He abolished it.
This is a wrong argument because the same Greek word for fulfill is used by Jesus in John 15:11:
“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and
that your joy may be fulfilled”.
Just as Jesus did not abolish their joy after fulfilling it (they had that “full” joy even afterwards), He did not abolish the Law after fulfilling it.
Apostle Paul also says the same thing:
“Then is the Law annulled through faith? Let it not be! But we
establish Law” (Rom 3:31).
But why and why did Jesus say that He will not abolish the Law?
Because, “So indeed the Law is holy, and the commandment holy
and just (righteous) and good” (Rom 7:12).
“the Law is spiritual” (verse 14).
Jesus is not crazy to cancel something that is good, holy, righteous and spiritual. Besides, He said:
“It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh does not profit,
nothing!” (John 6:63).
Since Jesus came to give abundant life (John 10:10) He will not abolish something that is “spiritual”.
Good Works for Salvation
No wonder when a young man asked about salvation, Jesus said:
“If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (Mat 19:17).
The young man asked Him, “Which” commandments (verse 18) and Jesus pointed to the Ten Commandments (same verse).
First of all, we have seen that love is greater than faith.
But, what is the Scriptural definition of love?
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not heavy” (1 John 5:3).
“And this is love, that we should walk according to His
commandments” (2 John 1:6).
This is the Scriptural definition of Love. The secular definition is something else.
So love = obeying God by keeping His commandments.
True Love is Two-directional
Jesus Christ defines this bi-directional love:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And Jesus said to
him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and
great commandment.
“And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." On these two commandments all the Law and the Prophets
hang” (Mat 22:36-40).
The first command involves faith in God and Jesus Christ. The second command involves “good works” for others.
The fact is, Jesus was summarizing the Ten Commandments into two; love to God and love to fellow humans.
The first 4 of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love God and the second 6 instruct us how to love our neighbors.
This is beautifully explained by Apostle Paul:
“…..love one another. For the one loving the other has
fulfilled the Law. For, "Do not commit adultery," "do not murder," "do not steal," do not bear false witness, "do not lust," and if there
is any other commandment, in this word it is summed up, in the
words, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Rom 13:8-9)."
[Notice that it is not Jesus only who has fulfilled the Law but we also are required to fulfill the Law!]
Paul & the Ten Commandments
“For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters
is to obey God's commandments (faith in God and love to man)” (1
Cor 7:19).
“For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any
strength, but faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).
“Because of this, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and
love toward all the saints” (Eph 1:15).
“that through faith Christ may dwell in your hearts, having been
rooted and founded in love” (Eph 3:17).
“hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love toward all
the saints” (Col 1:4).
“but the end (telos=goal/purpose) of the commandment is love out
of a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith not pretended
(i.e., not faith alone)” (1 Tim 1:5).
“remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of
love” (1 Thes 1:3).
Conclusion
So, “working lawlessness” is disobedience to God by not keeping the commandments of love to God and love to fellow humans.
Jesus did not abolish this “good, righteous, holy, and spiritual” Law of love by nailing it on the cross.
‘Faith alone’ and ‘no works’ for salvation is in fact teaching “anomia=lawlessness”. Jesus compares that to building a house on sand. It will fail.
