Salvation: Grace or works, or both (by grace and maintained by works)?

Grace alone.

But, such grace is obtained by

- faith

- works

- obedience

If you question a Christian carefully, even a "faith alone" believing Christian will usually provide an explanation that ends up including those same three things. The exceptions are the "once saved, always saved" Christians. For those, even a full, detailed explanation does not include obedience as a requirement (and probably many do not include works, either).

By Grace. Ephesian 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.…

James 2:14-26 i believe is opposing the notion that saving faith can be a mere intellectual exercise void of a commitment to active obedience.

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Salvation is from the merits of the Christ's life, death, and reassurection. That is grace. You must die in the friendship of God. Jesus said, if you would be my friend, do as I have commanded you.

Conversion, turning away from your former way of life is not just a moment in life; it is a commitment in life that continues into the future. Faith and works is chicken and egg. Can one be present without the other?

Grace enables us to do good works which merit salvation.

"A person is justified by works and not by faith alone." -James 2:24

"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." -1 Corinthians 3:12-15

"God...who will repay everyone according to his works" -Romans 2:5-6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0MIEsvOes

The Evangelical position is not Grace and not by works but Faith by grace and not by works. In any case I understand your question. The entire New Testament is clear that we are saved by what we do and not by what we believe. However, if we don't believe and have Faith it is difficult to do any works and the book of James is clear that we cannot separate Faith and works When Jesus was asked by the "rich young man" what must he do to inherit Eternal Life, Jesus told him, "Obey the Commandments". The rich young man said, "This I have done since my youth." The next sentence says that Jesus "loved him"

Grace is the first, and by far most important thing. But, we are expected to take that grace, and do things with it. Simply accepting the gift of life, and sitting around doing nothing about it is pretty pointless, don't you think?

The Bible could not be clearer. There are multiple passages stating the necessity for faith - and multiple passages stating the necessity for good works - living one's faith, not just believing it. Both of these - faith and good works - are expressions of God's grace, and neither of them is possible without God's grace. So salvation is through grace alone, expressed through faith and works of Christian charity.

Both

James 2:14-26English Standard Version (ESV)

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Grace. But works show what is in your heart. God gives "E"s for effort.

If works were able to "maintain" salvation then works would have been able to confer salvation. And they are capable of neither. And, if works were able to save, then Jesus was crucified for no reason.

Romans 3:23 states, "For ALL have sinned and COME SHORT of the glory of God". The consequences for our sinful state: "For the wages of sin is death [eternal, spiritual], but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23). Everyone is in the same boat with respect to failing to measure up to God's expectations and standards. All fail - no matter how good or bad a person in man's eyes. God fixed that through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that, whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Thus, belief in Jesus is the path to salvation. And, Jesus said that He was the only way: "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6).

Jesus said that not one of those that the Father had given Him would be lost: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27-30)

Some Christians fall into disobedience and even bring shame to the name of Christ. The Apostle Paul was speaking of a man who was sleeping with his father's wife: "So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)

The Apostle Paul points out the basis for eternal reward and loss of reward - not loss of salvation: "If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

Paul amplifies the futility of works: "We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16)

Works, however, follow salvation as evidence of being saved - not to God, but to people:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

In summary:

1. We are not saved by works, but by faith and God's grace alone

2. Works do not enhance or secure salvation, nor does bad behavior affect salvation

3. Works are the basis for eternal reward or loss of reward - only