What Do Orthodox Christians Believe About Faith and Works?
How can one get from the one kingdom to the other? By the unity of grace, faith, and works. Not that these are equal, for grace is uncreated and infinite, our faith is limited and can grow, and good works flow out of authentic faith. Works cannot earn us this great treasure – it is a pure gift – but those who receive this 9ift do good. We are not saved by good works, but for good works. This is seen in Holy Scriptures in Ephesians 2:8-10, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ St. Maximos the Confessor, writing in the seventh century, states clearly the view of the Church concerning dead works: Many human activities, good in themselves, are not good because of the motive for which they are done. For example, fasting, vigils, prayer, psalmody [the singing of hym
