Ever since the days of the apostles Paul and James, who seemed to be in contradiction, Christians have struggled to define the proper tension between faith and works. Salvation, Paul stresses, is "not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). But James argues, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18).

In clear and compelling terms, best-selling author John MacArthur reconciles these two seemingly divergent threads of biblical truth, addressing the difficult questions head on: