What does faith alone mean in Christianity?

In the Reformed tradition, 'faith alone' signifies that salvation is received solely through faith in Jesus Christ, without any reliance on personal works or merits. This doctrine is rooted in passages like Romans 4:5, which says that to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, faith is credited as righteousness. Therefore, true faith is thoroughly transformative and produces good works as a result, yet those works do not contribute to salvation but flow from it. The focus remains on Christ as the object of faith, ensuring that believers understand their inability to earn salvation and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice.