Chapter 5
Faith and Works
“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10 NAS)
Through the New Testament, we can glean a rich understanding of the salvation that we have through Jesus Christ. In the previous chapters, I have discussed some of the fundamentals of the Faith. It is important as we continue to learn from the Word that we keep everything in context. It is easy to inadvertently remove key scriptures from the text and apply them to our present culture. Words often change in meaning as time goes on, and so does word usage. In the rich variety of cultures that we have in America, there are also many differing traditions that may influence our understanding. For this reason, it is important that we study doctrine within the context of Scripture, lest we end up off course.
Faith
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” (Joh 6:47 NAS)
Faith can have a broad and varied meaning in our culture, but within Scripture it is specifically speaking of the confidence that we have in God and His Word. Jesus Christ was the Word (revelation of God) and He lived among men. He provided salvation through the forgiveness of sin through His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected on the third day, finalizing the promise of God for redemption from sin and eternal life. Our belief in Jesus Christ as our savior is the foundation of our faith, it defines our faith.
As we have seen in our previous discussions, our faith leads us into obedience. Because we believe, we repent of our sins and obediently follow Christ in baptism. This results in our sins being forgiven and we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. As a clean vessel, we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit. In turn, this gives our faith a new depth. This is way beyond believing something because it is true. This is a living faith. This is the faith that is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. For we have experienced the witness of His Spirit with our spirit.
The Works of the Law
“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” (Ga 2:16 NAS)
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Ro 3:28 NAS)
What are the works of the Law? In the context of the verse from Galatians, Paul is dealing with those who are insisting that the new Gentile believers get circumcised. This is one of the works of the Law that was necessary under the Law. If we were to study the Law we would find many other works that were necessary to make atonement for sin. There was the priesthood, washings, and sacrifices that were also necessary for the continuing atoning for the sins of the people.
All of this changed with the coming of the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled the role of high priest. Jesus also fulfilled all of the other works of the Law. He Himself became the Lamb that was sacrificed once and for all for the sins of the world. Our circumcision would no longer be superficial, but rather the removal of the flesh from our heart. We now are able to live and walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh. We have become a kingdom of priests before God. The works of the Law are no longer necessary for Christ has fulfilled all things necessary for salvation. Christ has done what the works of the Law could not do. The works of the Law could not save you, but they were merely a schoolmaster teaching us of things to come.
It is faith that saves us. It is the faith that I have defined that compels us to make Christ Lord of our lives. It is the faith that leads us to follow Him in righteousness. As clay is in the hands of a potter we become the workmanship of Jesus Christ, created for good works.
But What About the Law?
“3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Ro 8:3-4 NAS)
The Law of God has not changed and it cannot change. The Law is a reflection of the character of God. God is love. God is Holy. God is good. Likewise, the Law reflects those attributes of God. It was the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that made it possible that our sins could be forgiven. Cleansed from all unrighteousness, God’s Spirit can now dwell within us. If we walk according to the Spirit the Law will be fulfilled in us. The fulfillment of the Law in us is that we would love God and love our neighbor. The commandments of the Law were there to teach us how to love God and our neighbor. Christ’s death on the cross did not nullify the commandments. It made it possible that we might live them.
“19 And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” (Eze 11:19-20 NAS)
False Doctrine
“Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” (Ro 3:31 NAS)
“1 ¶ What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Ro 6:1-2 NAS)
There are teachings within our Christian circles that claim that the Law is no longer valid or necessary for Christians. Some have gone so far as to say that even the Ten Commandments have been nullified because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. They say that if we simply believe that Christ died for our sins we will not be held accountable for our violations of the Law.
Much of the 6th chapter of Romans deals with this issue. Christ did not simply die to save us from the penalty of our sin, He died to save us from the bondage of sin. Freed from the bondage of sin we are empowered to live unto righteousness.
Works of Faith
“ What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (Jas 2:14 NAS)
I have seen a dramatic shift in Christian America in my short lifetime. It is not just in the American culture itself, but within the Church too. The Church of America is in dire need of revival. Revival is needed because the core of Church doctrine has been compromised in most of the churches in America. I have laid out God’s basic plan for salvation as it is presented in Scripture. Through the book of Acts and the writings of Paul, Peter, and James we can see how following God’s plan plays out in the lives of believers. The centuries that have passed since God has given us His Word on the subject have not changed these principles one iota. A comparative examination may be painful, but never-the-less it is necessary.
James presents us with a question: Can faith without works save us? He builds his case from the Scripture and presents us with a clear and precise answer.
“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (Jas 2:26 NAS)
On the flip side, it would seem like much effort has been given to convince people that the opposite is actually true. From much of the teaching that is prevalent in the Church today, you could easily come to the conclusion that faith without works can save a person. It is certainly true that we are not saved by works and our salvation comes by faith. But before we can truly understand, we must know what faith is and how the element of faith is instrumental in providing salvation for us.
By the time of the protestant revival, much of Christianity had devolved into a works based religion. The purity of the Gospel had been contaminated through traditions, pagan influences, and the ambitions of unrighteous men. The Church had set itself up as the source of salvation and the arbitrator of truth and judgment. The Church set itself between God and man, filtering the Word of God through its doctrines before it reached the common man.
It was in this setting that men like Martin Luther arose. Men who were driven by a desire to know God found their hearts’ desire by digging through the writings and traditions and obtaining access to the Scripture itself. Here in the preserved message of God they found the clear path to salvation.
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Ro 1:17 NAS)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9 NAS)
The impossible task of trying to earn salvation was removed like a heavy burden as these men experienced a new birth. At last, they had peace with God and a zeal to share the path to freedom with the world around them. It was appropriate that the emphasis was on salvation of grace that came through faith and faith alone. The burden of the Law had been lifted off their shoulders and they breathed a sigh of relief.
In the Scripture, they found testimonies of those like themselves who had shared their common experience of freedom from the bondage of the Law, fellow believers who found the grace of God through the blood of Jesus the Christ. The good news of the Gospel was revived that we could experience newness of life through the shed blood of Jesus. Salvation was a gift that was received by faith, and not by works.
A Reminder
Previously I walked you through the pathway of Salvation as presented in Acts. So, I need to remind you that salvation is deliverance from the penalty of sin, but also deliverance from the bondage of sin. For we were all born in sin, the offspring of Adam, and thereby inheriting a sin nature. As newborn Christians, we have been forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Having had our sins paid for by the blood of Jesus, God can now fill us with His Spirit as promised in the Scripture. This was not the ritual cleansing that was done through the works of the Law, but the reception of the gift of forgiveness and cleansing, paid for by the sacrificial death of Jesus.
We were not saved by our works but saved unto good works. For now, we were freed to walk in newness of life, in righteousness before God. In other words, we have become alive through Christ Jesus, hence the term born again. By faith, we have accepted salvation. Now we must walk in faith in the new life of freedom from sin.
Sounds pretty simple, does it not? Faith is simply trusting God as He leads us on the path of righteousness. Following Jesus through the leading of His Word is actually the definition of discipleship. By feeding on the Word we are nourished in the new life that we have received through Christ Jesus. We have been saved by grace, now we must grow in grace through faith.
But What About Works?
But what about works, are works no longer necessary? Faith without works is dead. You can argue that a dead horse is still a horse, but the benefits that come with a horse do not exist if the horse is dead. You cannot ride it, or plow with it, or have it pull your wagon, no matter how much you believe in horses.
Let me give you another illustration. A farmer does not receive a crop simply by plowing, cultivating, and watering. If he first has seeds to plant then the possibility for a harvest exists. But if he does not plow, cultivate, and water having the seed will not benefit him at all. Works are necessary, but the life is in the seed, and faith in that seed is what motivates the farmer to work. Without the works that faith inspires the seeds will not sprout and grow to maturity. Faith without works is dead.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10 NAS)
Our salvation is not the result of our good works, if it was, I am afraid we would not make it. The price of salvation was more than we could pay. Our salvation is because of Jesus’ work, and we are His workmanship. Nevertheless we were created for good works that we should glorify God in all we do. Our works are the result of who we are. Who we are is not a result of our works. We are who we are because of our faith in our savior and Lord Jesus the Christ. Our faith is often expressed by what we do and say.