Lets be clear about something, brother. Nobody can be saved without first being saved by God's grace or without faith or belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Nobody can put the cart before the horse. That would be “
Works ALONE Salvationism” if one thought they had to do something in order to be saved. Such groups like the “
church of Christ” believe they need to be water baptized in order to be initially saved are promoting Works Salvationism mingled in with trying to be saved by God's grace. It takes away from the glory of God's mercy and what He did at the cross. I also believe we are not only initially saved by God's grace without the deeds of the Law, but I also believe that God's grace is foundational to our salvation. What does this mean? This means that if a believer sins, they do not go out and do a good work to offset (or absolve) their sin, they go to God's grace by confessing their sins to Jesus Christ in order to maintain their forgiveness with the Lord (See: 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1).
Anyways, I see Zacchaeus' actions as a reflection or natural outpouring of his faith. This is why faith without works is dead (James 2:17). For Hebrews 11 talks about how faith led to the great men of God to bring forth actions or works of faith. Paul talks about the work of faith in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11. This is a part of our faith. So when folks try to surgically cut out the “works of faith” from faith, they are actually destroying the faith by doing so. James says that works makes one's faith perfect. For it is written: “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22). One's work of faith is a part of the faith. What many fail to understand is that the works Paul talks about are the Works of the 613 Laws of Moses (as a whole or package deal). He is referring to things like circumcision; For there were certain Jews who trying to deceive Christians into thinking they had to be initially saved by first being circumcised (See: Acts of the Apostles 15:1, Acts of the Apostles 15:5, Acts of the Apostles 15:24, Galatians 2:3, Galatians 5:2, Romans 3:1, Romans 4:9-12). For if a person thought they had to be first circumcised to be saved, they would be making the Law ALONE or Works ALONE the basis of their salvation instead of having faith in Jesus Christ and His mercy.
In any event, the confusion arises here because folks do not understand that there are two aspects of salvation. There is our being first saved by God's grace initially and foundationally (without works), and then there is the Sanctification Process that follows afterwards (that involves an outpouring of that faith with the work of faith and God working through the believer to do good works and to live holy - See: Philippians 2:13, and John 15:5). Why is sanctification of the Spirit a part of salvation? Well, the Bible tells me so in several places. Three big ones are 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Galatians 6:8-9, and Romans 8:13. Lets take a look at them.
“...God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
In other words, the gospel calls us. Imagine an old phone ringing with the words “gospel” written on the phone and you pick up the phone to listen, and a voice on the other lines tells you this...
“God has chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and a belief of the truth.”
Many do not like this message (Which is the gospel call), so they most likely will throw their phone and or smash it with a sledge hammer.
Galatians 6:8-9 says,
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:8-9).
Very simple verse here that gets twisted or ignored by many. It says that the person who sows to his flesh (sin) shall reap corruption, but the person who sows to the Spirit shall reap everlasting life. Everlasting life is salvation. It says in verse 9 what this sowing to the Spirit looks like. It says let us not be tired in “well doing.” This means we are doing good (i.e. good works) as a part of sowing to the Spirit and this is a part of reaping everlasting life. Very simple to understand here. A person who does not like this truth will have to do backflip twists to undo what it says. I just read it and believe it.
Romans 8:13 says,
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8:13).
Again, instead of sowing to the Spirit we see that we put to death (mortify) the sinful deeds of the body by the Holy Spirit so that we shall live (i.e. live eternally). But if we live after the flesh (sin) we shall die (die for all eternity). This is the correct interpretation because Romans 8:1 says, “
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”