This is an introduction to the topical article section entitled "Does (this verse) teach Works Salvation?", which is intended to act as a kind of encyclopedia that provides an explanation for verses that people commonly try to make teach works Salvation, or otherwise appear to teach works Salvation.
Very little of the Bible is written to the unsaved. Only the Gospel of John is written to the lost (John 20:31), and it's so clear on how one must get saved (John 3:15-16, 3:18, 3:36, 5:24, 6:39-40, 6:47, etc.) that critics of Free Grace theology, and the doctrines of Salvation by faith alone, and Eternal Security, would rather it didn't exist.
Most of the New Testament is written to believers who should already know the basics of John's Gospel, and deals with the coming Kingdom of Christ, and how to live in light of that coming Kingdom. The major, glaring problem in the interpretation of the New Testament by critics of Free Grace theology, is trying to turn every other verse into a verse about Salvation from Hell. This is because once one denies that Salvation is by faith alone, everything becomes a criteria for Salvation, so they look for it everywhere.
Every single passage that anyone has ever used as a proof text for loss of Salvation or works Salvation is dealing with missing some aspect of that Kingdom, including various rewards, losing fellowship with God or a higher experience in this life, or otherwise being punished here on this earth. They do not deal with entering that Kingdom in the first place. Entering is free (Romans 3:24), building an inheritance of rewards is expensive (Luke 9:23).
You must read the New Testament with this firmly in mind, otherwise you will become a grade-A heretic looking for Salvation from Hell in every chapter.
A common-sense principle in interpreting the Bible is to interpret every verse in light of clear statements, our interpretation of which, in context, is in line with the broader themes of the Bible.
For example:
John 6:47
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
We interpret the above clear statement to mean what it plainly appears to say - that simply believing in Jesus gives one Everlasting Life. Does that interpretation make sense, in light of the broader themes of Scripture?
Well, elsewhere we are told that Salvation is not by own works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5, 11:6, Titus 3:5), for a reason. We are told that Eternal Life is a free gift (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23, John 4:10), for a reason. We are also given metaphors that make Salvation out to be easy, for a reason.
The message is called "good news" (Gospel), for a reason. Jesus is called a Savior (Matthew 1:21), for a reason. We are told to rejoice (Philippians 4:4), for a reason. We are told that we can know we have Eternal Life presently (1 John 5:13), for a reason. Living believers are frequently called saints, for a reason. Living believers are said to be sons of God (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26: 1 John 5:1), for a reason.
Salvation is said to be "by grace" (Ephesians 2:8-9), for a reason (Romans 11:6). The standard at the judgement will be perfection (Acts 17:31), for a reason. We are warned about thinking we are righteous (Romans 10:3-4), for a reason. We are told that keeping God's Law cannot justify us (Galatians 2:16), for a reason. Salvation is said to be offered "freely" (Romans 3:24, Revelation 22:17), for a reason.
Salvation by faith alone glorifies God, and fits into the broader themes of the Bible. Therefore, using John 6:47, and manifold other verses stating the same thing, is the foundation to build on, and from which to interpret all other verses of Scripture.
Verses from the Gospel of John especially, as mentioned above, are the logical foundation for any Salvation doctrine, since it is written to tell someone how to get saved (John 20:31). Common sense says that such a book should be the first resort when constructing our doctrine on Salvation.
In summary, which verses form your foundation, and your interpretation of them, will determine how you understand the entire Bible. My assertion is that all false prophets interpret the verses discussed in this section in a way that contradicts the clear themes in Scripture, and then use their interpretation of those verses to nullify Ephesians 2:8-9, John 6:47, etc.
Just two verses of Scripture show us, even before looking into any of the verses covered in this section, that none of them could possibly teaching that someone's works play a role in getting them to Heaven.
The first of these two verses is John 6:47, which was already shown above:
John 6:47
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
This verse shows that faith alone is the only requirement for Eternal Life, and nothing in the context allows for anything to be added to the statement in addition to faith.
This leaves the self-righteous Pharisee one "out", and that is to redefine "belief" to mean works or obedience. That's where our second verse comes in:
Romans 4:5
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
This verse shows that faith is not a work, and does not necessitate works, as the faith that makes you righteous is separated from works. In other words, this verse disproves the idea that faith is actually obedience, and prevents the redefinition of what "faith" is.
Therefore, every believer has Eternal Life, before a single work is performed.
A similar thing can be shown with Ephesians 2:8-9, especially when used in conjunction with Romans 11:6. In those two passages, we learn that (paraphrasing) "Salvation is by grace through faith, not works", and "if it's by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace isn't grace". That shows that works are utterly disconnected from our eternal Salvation.
So, in encountering any verse that speaks on good works, we automatically know that it has nothing to do with getting to Heaven, because nothing in the Bible will ever contradict John 6:47 with Romans 4:5. They are clear statements, in line with the broader themes of the Bible, that make any works-based Salvation interpretation of any other passage impossible. They are an unshakable foundation.
The firm, clear foundation of Salvation by faith in Jesus, which causes incredible joy, genuine gratitude for God, and love for other people, is the point from which we interpret any difficult passages we encounter.
In light of this foundation, no verse in Scripture possibly teaches that unrighteous, bad people, that is to say, any and every person (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:10), can get to Heaven with their filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), in whole or in part (Galatians 5:4, Romans 11:6).
This section will explain how each verse or passage is being misinterpreted to teach works Salvation, and will provide a commentary on what they actually mean in context, and in line with our foundation of grace.