Is This Thing On?

Yesterday I claimed that the point of Christianity is not to make bad people into good people -- not a moral code -- but to make dead people into living people. The point of Christianity is to restore a relationship between God and His creatures. It is not to make good people, but to save us from our own evil and the bad things that result from it.

"So," someone might well say, "why all this morality stuff? If the point is not to make bad people into good people, why do Christians care so much about good and bad?" Good question. The claim of Eph 2:8-9 is "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." See? Not works. So what do works have to do with it? This, I suppose, is where people get easily muddled. "Doesn't Christianity include good works?" Yes. "But didn't you just say that's not the point?" Yes. "So good works are a part of Christianity?" Yes. "Oh, so it is like every other religion!" No.

Martin Luther said that we are saved by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. The verse that follows the two I quoted above says this: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10). So there is a fundamental difference in the good works of other religions and the good works of Christianity. In all other religions, you do good to avoid bad consequences. In Christianity you do good as a result of the restored relationship with God. Here, look at what Paul writes in Ephesians 4. First, keep in mind what he has said up to this point. He has said that as believers we have all the heavenly blessings already (Eph 1:3-14). He has said that we were dead in sin but are now made alive in Christ (Eph 2:1-10). He has said that originally only Jews were allowed this connection to God, but now the rest of us have this wonderful opportunity (Eph 2:11-22). He has said that we can actually experience the love of God that exceeds our capability to know (Eph 3:14-21). This is all really, really big stuff. He concludes, from this rational basis,

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:1-3).

Now, there is no doubt that humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity, and peace are all Christian virtues. And, in fact, the rest of the letter goes on to explain all sorts of explicit behaviors that we should practice -- good works. But look at the reason. "Therefore" is the word he uses. "Therefore": for this cause, for this reason. Because of all that he has said about our calling, "walk in a manner worthy." We are not called to earn our calling. We are called to respond to it. We are not called to be good to acquire something. We are called to be good because of what we have been given. Religion operates on a basis of earning God's favor. Christian virtue is based on the premise of thanking God for the favor He has given us that we don't didn't earn.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul puts it this way.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13).

In this scenario, we are to "work out" our salvation. "See? Works!" Well, it isn't achieving salvation, but working it. However, note the reason ("for"). "It is God who works in you." That's a radical difference. We do good works as Christians not because we need to earn God's favor or achieve salvation, but because God is working in us to desire to do good and to have the power to do good. Now that is not the standard religious perspective.

You've heard the standard comedian who tells a joke and it falls flat. He taps the microphone and says, "Is this thing on?" Is it working? Is everything okay? Because, you see, if the microphone is working, he failed to be funny. Works operate in that manner in the Christian life. Is this thing working? Jesus called it "fruit" (John 15:1-2). James referred to works as the proof of living faith (James 2:17). John wrote that the one born of God was incapable of making a practice of sinning (1 John 3:9). Note cause and effect. Cause: Born of God. Effect: An aversion to sinning. Not vice versa. Works are a part of Christianity, functioning as a helpful indication of whether or not a person has actually been restored to a relationship with God. He who is forgiven much loves much. Good works are the natural response of a grateful heart, the unavoidable outworking of the presence of God in a believer's life. So, you might want to test yourself.