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The Persecuted Church

 

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What gives us salvation?

(Which comes first; faith or works?)

James is often used by sects, cults and religions to prove we must do works to be saved, but this is not the intent of his statement.

James says I will show you my faith by my works - NOT we get saved by works. James is saying his faith was already his possession before he did any works. This is evident by his asking others to show works if they truly possess faith. He is asking them to show what they are supposed to have as a lifestyle. By their faith they will be doing works that will be pleasing to God. They may not do all the same things but they will be doing the will of the Lord to others.

James says to show me your faith by your works; good intentions are not good enough. There’s an old saying, The road to hell is paved with good intentions. People can do good works, what it looks like to the human eye may be good, but it is God who knows both their motivation and whom their trust is in when they do their works. Anyone can do a certain amount of good, but it is a whole other matter to do good that is acceptable to God.

Those who use the James passage ignore at their own peril the clear teachings that no works are involved in obtaining or maintaining salvation. Eph.2:8 explains how we are saved; this is a hard scripture to answer, so it is avoided.

People concentrate on what they do because they do not understand what Jesus did. Instead of turning to God’s grace that is easily assessable they turn to their own abilities, they trust in man, themselves.

 We are illumined to understand the gospel by the Holy Spirit. First, he explains our condition of sin before a holy God. If you are not saved (by the gospel) then you have no knowledge of the gospel, for the power of  the gospel saves all immediately who submit to it and confess Christ’s death for their sins and resurrected for their justification. We are to embrace the gospel as if there is no other way, (because there isn’t), it is our survival.

 Eph, 2:8-10 “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. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

 We were appointed to do works, but it is in Christ; this kind of faith means one who does works in Christ (Eph.2:10), which means they must be saved first. It is doing the will of God and specifically what He has prepared you, called you to do. So works are to accompany those who have salvation.

Works do not give us salvation. Titus 3:4-5 explains “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 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.

 What of Paul who says, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phili. 2:12) He means to continue in what you have received, as it states in v. 13 “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” In other words faith must be present for one to do any work or it is not acceptable in his sight.  Our obedience is not whether we have good intentions, but faith, because faith is connected to obedience.  The Pharisees had good intentions when they added more laws upon Moses’ law to keep people from sinning, but good intentions is not just what God wants from us.

 Like Joshua and Caleb who had faith, continually. They made it into the Promised Land wandering the wilderness for 40 years while all the others did not. Their actions exhibited their faith.

Because faith is a continuous belief, not a one time act, salvation begins by faith but it must be held to the end, endurance is essential.  As Paul stated “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim 4:7-8)

 Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

Faith gives us righteousness, (right standing with God) not works.

 If we go to Gen. 4:9-10, we find that Abraham was justified, He had the righteousness that God gives by faith only.

Paul makes it absolutely clear in Rom. 4:2-5: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”

Paul writes in Rom. 4:20-25: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

Here Paul gives the gospel and the effect of believing the gospel.

 Rom. 10:3-4: For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.”

Do you agree with Paul, who wrote, And being found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law (by works) but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil.3:9). Faith is what God asks of us. His righteousness is given to those who exercise faith, not to those who work.

Titus 3:4-8: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

Salvation is not of us and is all of Him; He initiates the grace and we respond with our heart and will, through faith to what He has done.

 

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