Salvation Requires Human Activity

Though often embraced out of genuine sincerity, the idea that absolutely nothing a person does brings about their salvation is both Biblically erroneous and logically impossible.  The Bible explicitly says that upholding Mosaic Law will not alter the soteriologal state of any human, but this is quite distinct from the typical evangelical claim that human action has nothing to do with salvation.  Even a single verse referencing something a person must do to be saved contradicts the standard evangelical position.

The very act of committing oneself to God (whether or not this is described as "believing" in Christ) inescapably requires human activity.  To commit to God, one must make a conscious decision, and to make a decision is to do something.  No Christian, short of advocating for some form of Calvinistic doctrine, ultimately believes that the Bible teaches that humans contribute nothing at all to ensuring their own salvations.  Now, this does not mean that they realize that they do not believe this.

Acknowledging a fact is not the same as denying the opposing claim.  For instance, many Christians would quickly admit that the Bible is incompatible with moral relativism, only to turn around and literally claim that moral obligations are drastically different depending on whether one was born before or after the death of Jesus.  Something similar can be observed when it comes to the human effort involved with becoming a Christian: it is not uncommon to find Christians who understand the logical and Biblical contradictions of Calvinism and yet fail to directly affirm that it is impossible for beings with free will to not contribute to their salvations.

That the Bible teaches that humans cannot secure redemption by obeying the commands of Mosaic Law--by not murdering people, by caring for the poor, by pursuing justice, and so on--does not mean that humans do not have to actively, freely choose to commit themselves to God.  After all, the Bible plainly states that whoever commits to God has obtained salvation (though there is no obvious way to demonstrate that salvation cannot be lost once obtained).  Thus, it cannot be said that nothing one does can ensure salvation, as the Bible only teaches that not even moral excellence can erase past guilt.

Many evangelicals dance around this every day, yet stop short of simply admitting that Christian soteriology does not regard God as being entirely responsible for anyone's salvation.  Humans must do something to be saved, but the requirement is not moral perfection.  Instead, it is commitment.