Upvote:1
First, there are many denominations that believe that salvation is by works and faith. The international church of Christ is the first one that comes to mind.
There is also a belief labeled as "Lordship Salvation" which says that if you are saved, you will have good works or a progressing life of righteousness to the end and if you do not, then that is evidence that one was never 'saved' in the first place.
The issue with both is that they deny the completed work of Christ, the receipt of the Holy Spirit at the moment of belief, the new positional identity of the believer in the eyes of God, the fact that believers are still in the flesh and will wrestle with sin until glorification.
Upvote:3
You say (and I quote) “salvation means being blameless, doesn't deserve punishment.” Before going any further, and in order to properly answer your question, it is necessary to briefly clarify the Christian view of sin, punishment, salvation (justification), and exaltation. Christians understand salvation as deliverance or redemption from sin and the consequences of sin - death and separation from God. This is accomplished:
“by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” (1 Peter 3:21-22).
This is entirely by God’s grace – it can never be earned:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Even the faith that Christians have is a gift from God:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Any good works we do are as a result of what God has prepared for us to do, but good works do nothing to “earn” salvation. That is the view of mainstream Protestant Christianity.
The point is that each and every person is to blame for their sins and each and every person deserves punishment. But what God does is to impute His righteousness to those who come to saving faith in Christ Jesus. The blame that we deserve has instead been put onto Christ Jesus and he has borne the punishment we deserve. Only by having faith in what God, in Jesus, has done, can we be declared righteous before a holy and just God.
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).
Likewise, justification is a free and undeserved gift from God. Without exception, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus... [God] justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21-26). Salvation comes only from having faith in what Christ Jesus has already accomplished.
You say (and I quote): “Exaltation means raising to a higher status and getting advantages like raising to the status of an angel.” That may be the view of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), but nowhere is there any biblical expectation that believers in Jesus Christ will be exalted to the status of an angel. Yes, exaltation is the action of elevating someone in rank or power, and after the resurrection of Jesus he was:
“exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33) and “God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel” (Acts 5:31).
The problem is that some denominations think Jesus was created by God as a mighty spirit creature, who then came to earth to be born and dwell with us, and that this Jesus is an angel. This is where any view of being exalted to the position of an angel (or to become a god) is unbiblical and has no part in traditional Christianity. Jesus is no created angel. Hebrews chapter one makes this very clear. All God’s angels worship him and he alone is the Son of God – not as in many sons, but the one, the only, Son of God – unique.
The only denomination I can think of that believes humans can progress to godhood and be exalted to a rank even higher than the angels are Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Although they have many ordinances that must be observed, they would deny that their salvation is a result of faith and works. Source: What roles do faith and works play in the LDS/Mormon understanding of salvation?
Edit: I have located source material from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints about exaltation:
Gods have an ascendency over the angels, who are ministering servants. In the resurrection, some are raised to be angels, others are raised to become Gods. (Joseph Smith, ‘Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith’ page 312)
Doctrine & Covenants 132: 20-23: “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.”
The link below is from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, part of which says this on the subject of exaltation:
If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, to live with our Heavenly Father in eternal families. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give His children (see D&C 14:7). Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-47-exaltation?lang=eng