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Salvation Caused by Actions: 80 Bible Passages

Salvation Caused by Actions: 80 Bible Passages

Last updated on: June 6, 2026 at 12:52 am by Dave Armstrong

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Salvation Caused by Actions: 80 Bible Passages 2026-06-06T00:52:10-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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. . . Proving That “Faith Alone” is a False Doctrine

Photo credit: self-designed cover of my 2013 book, Revelation! 1001 Bible Answers to Theological Topics.

[Bible passages: RSV]

1. The “doers of the law . . . will be justified” (Rom 2:13).

2. The “end” of “sanctification” is “eternal life” (Rom 6:22).

3. We should “abound in love to one another and to all men” in order for God to “establish” our “hearts unblamable in holiness” before Him (1 Thess 3:12-13).

4. We’re “saved, through sanctification by the Spirit” (2 Thess 2:13; cf. Heb 9:14; 10:10, 14).

5. “God . . . saves the upright in heart” (Ps 7:10).

6. If we “repent,” we’ll “be redeemed . . . by righteousness” (Is 1:27).

7. The “righteous” will be saved (Is 26:2).

8. Salvation is the “effect” and “result” of “righteousness” (Is 32:17).

9. “He who walks righteously” will be saved (Is 33:15).

10. “He who . . . speaks uprightly” will be saved (Is 33:15).

11. Those who “hearkened to” God’s “commandments” were saved (Is 48:18).

12. Those who “keep justice” will be saved (Is 56:1).

13. Those who “do righteousness” will be saved (Is 56:1).

14. The “righteous man . . . enters into peace” (Is 57:1-2).

15. Those “who walk in their uprightness” are saved (Is 57:2).

16. “According to their deeds, so will he repay, . . .” (Is 59:18).

17. If we “ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it” then we’ll “find rest for” our “souls” and be saved (Jer 6:16).

18. God commands us to “Obey my voice” in order to be saved (Jer 7:23).

19. God commands us to “walk in all the way that I command you” in order to be saved (Jer 7:23).

20. God will “give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:10).

21. If we “do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed” we’ll be saved (Jer 22:3; cf. 21:12).

22. If we “judge the cause of the poor and needy” we’ll be saved (Jer 22:16).

23. If we “obey the voice of the LORD” we’ll be saved (Jer 26:13).

24. “in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them” (Ezek 36:19).

25. “I will . . . requite them for their deeds” (Hos 4:9).

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26. “Seek good, . . . that you may live” (Amos 5:14).

27. “As you have done, it shall be done to you, your deeds shall return on your own head” (Obad 1:15).

28. “A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits” (Mt 7:18-20).

29. “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21).

30. “For the Son of man . . . will repay every man for what he has done” (Mt 16:27).

31. “And behold, one came up to him, saying, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, “. . . If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:16-17).

32. “And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will . . . inherit eternal life” (Mt 19:29 + Mk 10:29-30 + Lk 18:26-30).

33. “Come, . . . inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food . . . And they will go away . . . into eternal life.” (Mt 25:34-35, 46).

34. “Come, . . . inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for . . . I was thirsty and you gave me drink. . . And they will go away . . . into eternal life.” (Mt 25:34-35, 46).

35. “Come, . . . inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for . . . I was a stranger and you welcomed me. . . And they will go away . . . into eternal life.” (Mt 25:34-35, 46).

36. “every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk 3:9 + Mt 3:10; 7:19).

37. **“**love your enemies, . . . and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Lk 6:35).

38. **“**do good, . . . and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Lk 6:35).

39. **“**lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High” (Lk 6:35).

40. We must “obey the Son” in order to have “eternal life” (Jn 3:36).

41. “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, . . .” (Jn 5:28-29).

42. “Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, . . . He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth . . . and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. . . . bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples” (Jn 15:2, 5-6, 8).

43. “in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:35).

44. “he will render to every man according to his works” (Rom 2:6).

45. Those who engage in “well-doing” will be given “eternal life” (Rom 2:7).

46. “every one who does good” will be rewarded with “glory and honor and immortality” (Rom 2:7, 10).

47. “. . . heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:17).

48. “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. . . let us conduct ourselves becomingly” (Rom 13:11, 13).

49. “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13).

50. “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish” (Phil 2:14-15).

51. St. Paul wrote that he had “suffered the loss of all things, . . . in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8; cf. Mt 19:21).

52. Paul was willing to “share” in the “sufferings” of Jesus “that if possible” he could “attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this . . .” (Phil 3:10-12).

53. Paul thought that those who “labored side by side with me in the gospel” were saved (those whose “names are in the book of life”) (Phil 4:3).

54. “work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Col 3:23-24).

55. “remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love . . . For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you” (1 Thess 1:3-4).

56. “put on the breastplate of faith and love, . . . For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:8-9).

57. “inflicting vengeance upon . . . those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. . . . To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by his power” (2 Thess 1:8, 11).

58. “Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in . . . love and holiness, with modesty” (1 Tim 2:15).

59. “set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. . . . attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. . . . Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, . . . for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4:12-13, 15-16).

60. “aim at righteousness, godliness, . . . love, steadfastness, gentleness. . . . take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Tim 6:11-12).

61. “keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach . . . They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed” (1 Tim 6:14, 18-19).

62. “he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Heb 5:9).

63. “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, . . . you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised” (Heb 10:24, 36).

64. What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? . . . So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. . . . faith apart from works is barren . . . You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, . . . You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. . . . faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26; this is the only time “faith alone” appears in the Bible, and this entire chapter directly refutes the doctrine over and over).

65. “chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:2).

66. “if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear . . . Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth . . . love one another earnestly from the heart” (1 Pet 1:17, 22).

67. But “rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Pet 4:13).

68. “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue . . . so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom” (2 Pet 1:5, 11).

69. “make every effort to supplement your faith with . . . self-control . . . so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom”(2 Pet 1:5-6, 11).

70. “make every effort to supplement your faith with . . . godliness. . . so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom” (2 Pet 1:5-6, 11).

71. “make every effort to supplement your faith with . . . love . . . so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom” (2 Pet 1:5. 7, 11).

72. “what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, . . . Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Pet 3:11-12, 14).

73.”And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 Jn 2:3-4; cf. 3:24).

74. “keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).

75. “Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev 2:5).

76. “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10).

77. “I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. . . . [23] . . . I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve . . . He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations” (Rev 2:19, 23, 26).

78. “they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life” (Rev 3:4-5).

79. “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. [13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’ “(Rev 14:12-13).

80. “And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. [13] . . . and all were judged by what they had done” (Rev 20:12-13).

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Related Reading

Sanctification and Works Are Tied to Salvation [National Catholic Register, 9-26-24]

Bible vs. “Faith Alone”: 90 Proofs (90 Bible Passages On Catholic Justification, Sanctification, and Faith + Works [from 21 out of 27 NT Books]: All Disproving Protestant “Faith Alone” Soteriology) [8-26-24; revised and expanded on 9-10-2 and 10-4-24]

Final Judgment & Works (Not Faith): 50 Passages [2-10-08]

St. Paul on Grace, Faith, & Works (50 Passages) [8-6-08]

Banzoli’s 45 “Faith Alone” Passages; My 200 Biblical Disproofs [6-16-22]

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Photo credit: self-designed cover of my 2013 book, Revelation! 1001 Bible Answers to Theological Topics.

Summary: Compilation of 80 biblical passages in which a good work or action or deed is said to be one of the direct causes of salvation: all contrary to Protestant “faith alone” soteriology.

Salvation & Justification

biblical soteriology

Faith Alone

Faith and Works

Protestant soteriology

salvation and works

salvation caused by actions

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