Home
What's New
Cults
Escaping the Cult
Apologetics
Current Trends
Bible Doctrines
Bible Explanations
Ecumenism
Emergent church
Prophecy
Latter Rain
Word Faith
Popular Teachers
Pentecostal Issues
Trinity / Deity
World  Religions
New Age Movement
Book Reviews
Testimonies
Web Directory
Tracts for witnessing
Books
Audio 
DVD Video
Web Search
The Persecuted Church

 

For printing  our articles please copy the web page by highlighting  the text first - then click copy in the browser-  paste the article into a word  program on your computer. When the text is transferred into word, click to save or print.      

 

 

 

 

                            

 

Your works are unable to save you

Nowhere after Christ died and the new covenant was enacted does it say one must keep the commandments to be saved; that would mean we are saved by our work. The law commands a self effort of obedience, of works, the gospel asks one only to believe on Christ and his work for us. The law is how God dealt with Israel in the old covenant. Faith by GRACE is how he deals with people in the new covenant.

A few scriptures explain what is and is not salvation given to an individual.

Eph.2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
 Paul says salvation is NOT of works, not of yourselves, but by grace through faith.

Titus 3:5 also makes it clear “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Here we see the idea of cleansing (even as water is emblematic of the Holy Spirit whom the Scripture often refers to being poured out), His work is the renewing.

In fact Jn.3 when it refers to water (most think its baptism) it does not mean water, for it actually means in the Greek born from above, and it is the Spirit that gives us the new birth. Jesus says this clearly in the same teaching "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6) making a distinction of what is made of earth and what is not made.

Luke 24:49 he would send “the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." In other words after he ascended he would send the Holy Spirit from above. This is why it says in Acts 2:33 the Holy Spirit was poured out, fell upon (Acts 11:15).

The church did not believe any work could save. The church began as a Jewish church and the Scriptures are in a Jewish context and unless one approaches the hard passages with a Jewish frame of reference they will not always be understood.

Heb 6:1 “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God”

Repentance from dead works; when do our works become alive, acceptable? When they are done in Christ. Which means one MUST be saved by faith first to have living works done in Christ; works done by faith. This is what Eph 2:10 explains after it stated we are saved by faith. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

One must be in Christ to do the works God has prepared beforehand. This excludes any (supposed good) works done prior to salvation. Those who believe they were born with Spiritual gifts are completely wrong on their position because of this as well. We are all born with natural talents, but spiritual gifts can only come by the indwelling of the Spirit that dispenses them (1 Cor.12:7-8). 2 Cor. 3:6 says “the Spirit gives life.”

James 2:20 “faith without works is dead?” And works without faith is obviously dead.

When James speaks of works he is referring to acting in our new nature. As Paul writes, Gal 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Gal. 3:11-12 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

Here Paul draws from two Old Testament sayings to make the New Covenant clear what is required. In other words, if you choose now after the new covenant is installed to keep the law you must live by the law; keep it all. (But if you break one portion of the 613 commands you have broken it all.)

Lev 18:5 'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.

Neh. 9:29 And testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, 'Which if a man does, he shall live by them.' And they shrugged their shoulders, Stiffened their necks, and would not hear.”

Ezek 20:11 “And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them.”

Ezek. 20:21 “Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, 'which, if a man does, he shall live by them'; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.”

On the other hand, faith speaks like this.

Hab. 2:4 "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

Rom. 9:32 Paul explains of Israel “Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”

Gal. 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Gal. 3:2 “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Gal. 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Its not both but only one that the new covenant operates by by grace through faith

Gal. 2:19-21"For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Rom 4:13-14 “Paul explains the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect

So according to Paul it is ONLY faith, not faith plus the law that is effective for salvation.

Paul further explains in Rom. 9:30-32 that even the Gentiles “who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”

Here is where faith is to be put in: the gospel that saves.

1 Cor. 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” That is grace Christ doing what we could not.

Hold fast: Gr: katecho - to retain, to keep in ones memory and have possession. He is explaining to them in contradistinction to believing in vain, that they must faithfully retained the doctrine as he delivered it; continue believing it, and not let false teaching remove them from it. Clearly the addition of the law and relying on ones works would be part of his warning.

Copyright (c) 2012 No portion of this site is to be copied or used unless kept in its original format in the way it appears. Articles can be reproduced in portions for ones personal use, any other use is to have the permission of the author first. Thank You.

To Support

 

Ministries

We would like to hear from you. Please send us an e- mail and let us know how we can be of  more help. Our time is valuable just as yours is. Please keep in mind, we only have time to answer sincere inquiries. We will use discretion in answering any letters. 

NOTE: we do not accept attachments,  please send the mail viewable in email.