Romans 1:5b

Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

(v5, NIV)

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

(v5, ESV)

There is a calling taking place. This call is to bring for obedience. This isn't just any obedience, it is obedience that comes from faith. In the ESV, it is the obedience of faith. John Piper comments on how ambiguous this is. For example, you can say "acts of courage" and you mean acts which come from courage. However, you can also say "block of wood" which means the block is made of wood. So, is obedience coming from faith, or is obedience made of or composed of faith. Both are true, but which does Paul mean here? Apparently, commentaries and split on this matter, but John Piper leans towards the NIV's take on this matter.

As we have been stepping along these verses about the gospel of God, we learn about grace. It is by grace through faith that we are saved. Nowhere does it mention obedience, though you can imply it through Paul's actions. Paul has been called and set apart and he reacts through obedience. Obedience can be related to works. We can obey what someone says and hope that it merits some sort of result. However, that is not how we receive grace. We receive grace by faith. It is not by obedience or works that we receive grace. However, we see that Paul reacts with obedience. If you read 1 John, we learn about how a Christian should live and act. John wrote that so that believers would have assurance of their salvation. This walking in the light and loving one another is not meriting to salvation, but assuring of salvation that was already given to us freely.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

(James 2:18, NIV)

In this passage, James talks about faith and deeds. Never does he say that deeds merit salvation. However, faith without deeds is dead. If you say you have faith but don't have any deeds, you don't really have faith. Faith and deeds go hand in hand. However, deeds and grace don't really go together.