This is one of my question entries; it just may not look like it at first.
There is a lot of confusion on the topic of works and Christianity. If you ask most people, works are a major part of Christianity. To the casual observer, they are everything because, well, all religions are about "being good." To the more informed Christian, we know that we are saved by grace apart from works ... and, yet, we are constantly being told, by preachers and by Scripture, how we are supposed to live. We seem to handle that dichotomy well. "Not of works" and, yet, lots and lots of works. It is so confusing that many people grow up in the church not realizing that it's not about works even while they quote the "not of works" texts. Others recoil so strongly that they start their own cults of "not of works" to completely eliminate the problem ... in direct opposition to Scripture.
So, what do we know? We know that we are "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" (Eph 2:8-9). Works do not produce salvation. Paul belabored that "not works but grace" message to the Galatians who were tempted to think otherwise (Gal 3:1-9) and the Ephesians (Eph 2:8-9) and the Romans (Rom 4:1-5) and ... well, you get the idea. Let's just say it was his repeated theme. We got it. Good. We also know that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10). It is undeniable that the Bible in general and the New Testament in particular are full of commands about how we should live, what we should do, how we should think, and so forth. (If I need to offer you references to support that claim, I suspect you're not reading your Bible.) So we also know that works are important; they just don't cause salvation. How are they important? They demonstrate a changed heart (John 14:15). They serve the purpose of God in the world (Matt 5:16). They are the certain product of living faith (James 2:17).
So, here we are, down to my question from you. We know that we are not saved by works; we are saved by grace. We know, on the other hand, that works are vital to the Christian life, not in a causative way, but as a necessary result of a changed being. My question is how do we get that across? I ask because we're not doing it very well. We might focus on "saved by grace" and end up ignoring works. Or we might recognize "faith without works is dead" and end up focusing on works. How do we strike the proper balance here so we 1) don't think of works as saving and 2) don't think of works as beside the point? I think, if you look at Church history, you'll find this has always been a problem, so I'm not asking, "Definitively, how do we solve this for all time?" I'm asking if you have suggestions on how we can maintain that balance where salvation comes by grace through faith but grace through faith produces works, keeping the two in their proper place with their proper importance. It feels like we're in a boat and everyone leans to the "grace" side and we begin to tip, so we lean to the "works" side and we begin to tip, so ... I'm wondering if any of you have ideas on how to better express/address this.
8 comments:
I remember reading or hearing, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?". I would think that if salvation occured in a person, then there would be evidence of that fact. No evidence (good works)? No prior event (salvation).
Judge, courtroom, defendant, jury...all interesting anaolgies to the issue, I think.
Be in the Word daily, renewing your mind. I don't think there is a permanent solution for even one person. Just like our struggle with the flesh, proper theology is a constant battle.
Bruce and David, I agree with what you're both saying. The problem I have is finding out how to express "Saved by grace apart from works" alongside "faith without works is dead," of helping people to see that we are not saved by works -- Christianity is not a "be good and go to heaven" religion -- but that works are not irrelevant. I see it plainly in Scripture and in reason, but I don't know how to best help others to see it.
I thought you laid it out pretty clearly in your post. We are saved by grace alone and the evidence of salvation is good works.
And still people easily go to one side of the error or the other.
Which can only be countered by regular theological study.
i will use two illustrations to make my case.
when Moses came down from the mountain he carried the tablets, the law of God.
although the law was the excepted theology of the day, the people were affected more so by the Shikinah Glory radiating from the face of Moses.
when Mary and Martha were in the presence of Christ, Martha was doing all that she thought was good works in preparing for the meal. but Mary sat a Jesus's feet. When Martha complained, Jesus said that Mary chose the better activity. My conclusion is that all things good will come naturally from spending time with the Master. it is not so must what we know but, Who we know. He is the vine we are the branches, we can do nothing apart from Him.
if we are to bear fruit, we must abide in the vine. if we are to live we must drink from the well of living water. and thats all i know....
There you go, Bob, using Scripture to make your point.
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