Sure, Michael, I’d be happy to. I know from our earlier conversation and from your profile that you’re currently a Buddhist. I don’t know how much Christian education (if any) you may have received in your earlier life. Also, many of the people who read this may have no prior Christian education, even if you do. So, I’m going to approach answering your question from the most basic, beginner level. I hope that’s okay.
(Well, almost “most basic, beginner level.” I’m not going to define salvation. I may be making a mistake there; if someone wants a discussion of salvation, please feel free to ask and I’ll treat that subject separately.)
To your question: at issue here is the means of salvation. There is a common expression among many Christians that goes like this: “We are saved by faith.” This point of view, which I’ll elaborate on in a moment, is held by most, but not all, Christian sects. Protestants, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and Pentecostals will generally agree with the statement, “We are saved by faith.”
The most frequently quoted scripture in this regard is, “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.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NIV)
To summarize the common Christian understanding of this passage: we can do nothing to earn salvation. There are no “works” or “deeds” that we can do that will ever cause God to save us. We believe that he will be merciful to us because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin on our behalf.
This belief has a Latin name: sola fide (SO-luh FEE-day), which may be translated as “faith alone,” or “only faith.”
This belief raises a dilemma: if we can be saved only by faith, what happens if we continue to sin after being saved? Is our salvation nullified? Are we then condemned again?
There are a couple of different answers to this question. Some Christians say, “If you continue sinning, you didn’t really ever believe, and you were never really saved, because if you really had faith, you’d change your way of life.” Other Christians say, “You’re still saved even if you sin, but there should be evidence of growth — you’ll sin less next year than this year. It’s a process.”
I’m summarizing, and I can’t possibly capture in this short reply all the nuances of thought the different Christian groups have on the relationship of faith and works/deeds/actions to salvation.
Now, my article, “What Happens When You Please God,” presents the idea that pleasing God involves obedience. This obedience is works/deeds/actions that are in alignment with the teachings of Jesus. I run afoul of many Christians when I make this claim. Many Christians will be offended by my article (if they read it), and will argue that “No, we please God by our faith.”
Earlier, I quoted Ephesians 2:8–9, used by many Christians to teach that faith, not works/obedience, is what matters. But now, let’s look at the next verse: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)
Obedience matters. In other words, our works/deeds/actions matter. It’s God’s idea. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15)
This is all one thing. Believing God, loving God, obeying God; it’s all one.
As a Buddhist, the concept of obeying God may be problematic for you, and I understand this. Christians have created this problem by “putting words in God’s mouth” that God never spoke. Furthermore, they have described punishments that God never intended. If you understand God as the Teacher, who wants you to find the Way, but is willing to let you avoid if it if you so choose, it may make more sense. When we don’t see with God’s eyes, we see incorrectly. When we don’t do what God would do, we suffer, and we create suffering.
I apologize that my answer is so long. I didn’t know how much common knowledge we shared, and so I did a lot of background explanations.