Those who teach that works must be added to faith as a condition for salvation can never tell you when you have done enough. This fact alone exposes why you will never find assurance of salvation in their systems. The problems with believing our right standing before God is a result of Christ’s work, plus our merit are innumerable, but the inability of its proponents to answer the question, “How much work is enough?” exposes its destructive effect on the hearts of those who adhere to it.
I refer to the effects of this doctrine as destructive because there are only two possible responses to imbibing this theology, and neither is edifying. The first is bondage to pride. Someone who is blind to their sinfulness will begin to rejoice in their goodness. After all, they are contributing some merit to their salvation. Jesus has not done it all, so there is room for boasting. The second response is bondage to constant anxiety. Anyone awake to their corruption will tend in this direction. They will strive and struggle but will never find themselves able to rest in Christ because, as long as they live, Christ’s work will never be sufficient, and their work will never be complete.
Works play an essential role in the Christian life, but they are the result of our salvation in Jesus and new birth, not the cause of it. When we stand before the Lord, there is only one to whom we will point for our acceptance before God: Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law that we could not, paid our debt on the cross, and credits his righteousness to our account. Even when we experience significant sanctification in this life through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will never point to our righteousness as the basis for our salvation. Remember, even the Pharisee who thanked God that he was not like other ungodly men gave God credit for his righteousness and all his works, yet he walked away unjustified (Luke 18:9-14). When we point to ourselves in any way as the basis of our right standing before God, we point to our condemnation because our works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It is when we beat our breasts like the tax collector and look outside of ourselves to Jesus Christ that we find the righteousness we need.
There is no “It is finished” in faith plus works theological systems; there is only bondage. If we want to be free in Christ, we must reject the notion that our righteousness is anything other than Christ’s perfect righteousness accounted as ours. We are justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28). Set aside your corroded crown and the bondage it brings, and rest in the righteousness of Christ. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).”
-D. Eaton
The Fight of Faith 
Indeed. Works have absolutely nothing to do with attaining salvation. But works will always accompany a true salvation. A true faith in Jesus Christ, such that it leads to salvation, as opposed to the belief that demons have and cause them to tremble, will always be accompanied by works. James 2:14-26, Faith without works is dead. Such “faith” has no works because it is not a real faith.
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