SALVATION, GRACE, FAITH & GOOD WORKS - 4 Faith and its relationship with good works

SALVATION, GRACE, FAITH & GOOD WORKS - 4 Faith and its relationship with good works

This topic is the single contentious topic in the modern church, faith and works. On one extreme end we have a group advocating for faith alone whilst on the other extreme end another group is advocating for works alone. In the middle, another group is being torn by these extremist groups and as a result the middle group is a perplexed and confused group yet the two, faith and works, have no contradictions at all.

This theological argument on whether salvation is by faith or by works has triggered disagreement amongst different Christian denominations for quite some time. Whilst differences of opinion among Christians movements today are still common, the bible and Christian doctrine is very clear both faith and works are important. In fact, as we will proceed with this discussion it become clear that one is a product of the other.

Works are usually associated with the law whilst faith is usually associated with grace. The bible, in John 1:17, says, “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” In yet another scripture the Lord says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. …….. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20. These scriptures speak of the coordination of the law and grace. In other words, there is a coordination between works and faith.

John is telling us that the law came through Moses. In yet another scripture Paul writes, “…. The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Gal. 3:24. John goes on to say, “, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” whilst Paul further writes, “but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school master. For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” John 1:17 & Gal. 3:25,26. Effectively this shows that the two have something in common.

The greatest argument revolves on justification. The question that then begs answers is, “Is justification received by faith or by works, or both?” if we are able to define justification, how it comes about and how to maintain it we will be able to answer this question properly. The simplest definition of justification is the act of pronouncing or making righteous in the sight of God. This simple points to the fact that he who declares a person just has the final say. It effectively rules out what the applicant of the justification may do.

For someone to declare something or someone just it follows that he measures it against certain standards. Whenever an applicant fails the standard, that applicant will not qualify to be declared just. Now God has set holy, righteous and upright standards which anyone wishing to declared just must fulfil. Paul in his writings said that those standards are contained in God’s law. In Romans 7:7 he says, “Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Again in Galatians 3:24 he says, “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” Throughout the bible God makes reference to his laws and ordinances whenever he lay down the standard he desires man to meet.

The pioneers of our faith have without fail pointed out that not a single person has manged to meet the standard. Isiah lamented that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way.” Isiah 53:6. When we made the best effort Isiah again lamented, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isiah 64:6. Only one person managed to meet the standard and that person was Christ hence Isiah in relief cried, “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” because God made Jesus Christ “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21.

This thus means that the justification we are talking about is not of our own accomplishment but of Christ hence Ephesians 2:8 says “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Romans 3:20-28 further reinforces this fact by saying, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”

Does this then render works completely irrelevant? Does it therefore mean that we may now live the way we please because we have already been justified by faith? Absolutely not. You see, once one is justified, that person is expected to leave a righteous and upright life. The faith by which he obtained justification is expected to produce within him works which prove the existence of such a faith. In other words, works are a product of faith hence the evidence thereof. In that vein, the apostle James in verses 24-26 of the second chapter of his epistle writes, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Faith which is unable to express itself through works is most likely not faith at all.

You see, faith is not just a heap of empty words but an expression of what one believes. Works are the evidence of genuine salvation. They validate or reveal the truth of a person’s faith or in summary they are the apparent, observable results of being justified by faith. True faith discloses itself through works hence the apostle James wrote, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

In the same vein in Romans 6 the apostles Paul puts across the following argument. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In chapter nine of my book Saints Made Merchandise, I demonstrate the unwavering connection of faith and works. There I restate that when the Lord returns, all rewards will be premised on what we did when we were still on earth.