FAITH AND WORKS

FAITH AND WORKS

It seems that many of our fellow Christians do not understand the role of Faith and Works in our relationship to Jesus Christ. As a result, many of us are confused, and wish we could sort out the differences in the two elements.

As believers in Jesus, most of us will acknowledge that we are saved by Faith in the finished work of Calvary. But, DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT?

Without being insulting, I seriously doubt that we fully understand the complete meaning of “SALVATION BY FAITH”.

Most of us seem to think that Salvation has to be augmented by some form of “works” to help the process along. We are NOT convinced that we can be COMPLETELY SAVED by FAITH ALONE. Our “Street-corner education” has had us convinced that if we indulged our desires to participate in any of the myriad forms of entertainment, we would “blow” our chances of Heaven. They were a “one-way” ticket to hell. Sure thing!

The Bible has quite a bit to say about many types of “works”, and some of them are DEFINITELY CONDEMNED. They have NO PLACE in the life of a Christian.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKS:

THE WORKS OF THE LAW (definitely condemned) These are the ceremonial laws imposed through Moses for the same purpose that Faith plays today in our relationship to God—WITH ONE OUTSTANDING EXCEPTION.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the WORKS OF THE LAW, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.

These works of the Law were the animal sacrifices, the observation of certain holidays (holy days), and rituals that folks were to go through in order to find favor with God. Each man was responsible for the welfare of his own family. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED BY SIMPLE FAITH IN THE ONE SACRIFICE OF JESUS ON CALVARY.

Under the Law of Moses, each man was responsible to take his sacrifice to the Altar at specified times, and hold his hands on its head while the Priest slew it. Neglecting to do it would result in his whole family being cut off from the Blessings of the Commonwealth of Israel.

Since Jesus caused the Veil of the Temple to be rent from top to bottom when He bled on the Cross, we can now approach our God without the services of a human priest or an animal sacrifice.

The ONE SACRIFICE OF JESUS eliminated the need for any future effort on our part, EXCEPT TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SUFFICIENT FOR ANY AND ALL OF OUR NEEDS FOR THE WELL-BEING OF OUR SOULS.

That sounds too simple for many of us to grasp, so we struggle with the necessary Faith, feeling that we must add something to it.

Such UNBELIEF is our greatest enemy, and must be dealt with if we are to have a prosperous Christian walk

WHEN WE STRUGGLE, WE NULLIFY HIS PROMISE

We MUST LEARN to put our trust in JESUS rather than in anything we can do. He gladly takes the responsibility for the welfare of our soul.

WORKS OF THE FLESH:

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS, AND LET US PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.


WORKS OF FAITH:

Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Rom 5:1 Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have ACCESS BY FAITH into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Faith in Jesus for the well-being of our soul will produce a different lifestyle, but in no case will the different lifestyle add to or detract from Salvation by Faith. That is a GIFT from God, and is maintained by our CONTINUED FAITH in Jesus Christ and the Blood of Calvary.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

FAITH WILL, HOWEVER, leave a trail behind itself, mute evidence that something wonderful has happened in our life. Things that we once hated, we will now love, and vice versa. Our lives WILL take on a different flavor, but these things are a RESULT of salvation instead of a PART OF it.

Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also


Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Act 26:20 But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and DO WORKS MEET FOR REPENTANCE.

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE THAT A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.

Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Rom 4:5 BUT TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
ROM 4:6 EVEN AS DAVID ALSO DESCRIBETH THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE MAN, UNTO WHOM GOD IMPUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

GOOD WORKS:

Tit 3:5 NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION, AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST;
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Tit 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

OUR OWN WORKS:

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

THE WORKS OF GOD

Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I WILL BE TO THEM A GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE TO ME A PEOPLE:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.

Oh, if we could fully grasp the import of those verses! Most of us visualize God as a stern, unbending Being who is keeping track of all of our shortcomings and trespasses, waiting to “pop” us for each infraction of the rules. NOT IF WE ARE IN JESUS!

Jesus told Peter that Satan had desired him, in order to sift him as wheat is sifted, but that He had prayed for him. Had He prayed that Peter would finally “get it together” and stop being so up and down in his walk with the Lord? HE DID NOT!

Rather, Jesus had prayed “THAT THY FAITH FAIL NOT”. Without Faith in the shed Blood of Jesus and the Cross of Calvary, we would all be “high and dry” in our relationship to God.

Eph 2:8 For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created IN CHRIST JESUS unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.