SALVATION, GRACE, FAITH & GOOD WORKS

1 The Christian and good works

The subject of good works and the Christian faith has been very topical throughout the Christian history. Some have swung to the extreme end of the pendulum by claiming that in the absence of good works no one can be saved whilst others have swung to the other extreme end of claiming that good works have absolutely nothing to do with the Christian faith or salvation.

Those on the first end of the pendulum believe that without good works or some form of self-inflicted punishment salvation will not be complete. This is believed to be the source of indulgences in the medieval ages. People then believed that the performance of good deeds or the purchase of indulgences had the capacity to cut short the period of suffering after death.
In this group resides also those who are convinced that the sign of real Christians is good works. Everyone who is Christian must prove it through good works.

The interesting issue is that the Bible is very clear on the subject of salvation and good works. The epistle to the Ephesians in chapter 2 from verse 8 reads, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
This scripture brings to the fore very crucial information in relation to our salvation particularly the Gentile Christian. Firstly, the Gentile was far removed from God. This can be proved by the meaningless and useless gods that the Gentile used to worship. In Europe and some middle eastern territories men actually carved statues they would then bow to in worship. Imagine such level of stupidity.

In other parts different people used to worship various spirits which had absolutely no link with the one true God. Others worshipped trees, animals, long departed relative and other objects of worship such gods of this and that. The Gentile did not know YHW and were lost. In fact, Jesus once said, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” John 4:22
In a nutshell, Gentiles were strangers and foreigners to God. They were a bunch of lost nations. In Acts 17:22 Paul said of the Gentiles, “I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” In other words, Gentiles, though in a way they were religious, they were a pious people which reverenced spirits or some false gods. They did not worship the true God although he had set people’s national boundaries so “that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; ……, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:27-28
Without men performing anything good or spectacular, Christ brought salvation to everyone, Gentiles included. Man did not merit salvation but God brought the salvation because of his own Grace. Paul writes, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is therefore a free gift from God. Nobody can perform any work to obtain salvation. Therefore, works do not produce salvation.

In a nutshell, we are not saved by our works and our good deeds cannot be a condition for eternal life because salvation is an unconditional gift by the free grace of the living and sovereign God. However, our good works may someday prove to be the evidence of this great salvation as well as some form of assurance in our bid to be pleasing to the great and mighty God who unconditionally saved us.

Secondly, salvation is a result of God’s grace and we grasp it through faith. Whilst grace brought us salvation it is important to realise that without faith in Christ it is very possible to miss the entire gift in a disappointing manner. The writer to the Hebrews once wrote, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Faith without grace equally is of no use because what brings the salvation is the grace of God. The apostle James, in verse 19 of his 2nd chapter wrote, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” However, it is interesting to note that in spite of such great faith not a single demon will receive salvation because the grace which brings salvation was directed to humans and not to any other creature. Hence it is apparent salvation is by grace through faith.

Now if it is not of works does it then mean that works are of no effect at all? The apostle James writes, “” But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”” James 2:18-20. In total agreement, the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:10 writes, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Here the two apostles are in agreement that good works form a great equation in the life of a Christian.
In my book Saints Made Merchandise: An Analysis of Tithes, Alms & Offerings I write, “When Paul points out in Ephesians 2 verses 8 to 10 that although works did not save us but that we are saved by grace through faith, that we were elected before the creation of the world to do good works for which we are called, the message becomes clearer. So when we walk by this faith we will naturally perform good works of which alms are a part. I believe that is why alms deeds aid our prayers. It is not because the deeds are magical but because they are propelled by faith and in acting in response to our prayers the Lord will be responding to our faith. We do alms because of the faith of Christ in us and it is this faith, which cause our prayers to be answered. We thus live daily by faith.

The foregoing brings me to yet another observation concerning alms deeds. Alms deeds are good works and as Paul puts it, we were saved by grace through faith and are called to do good works, which God foreordained us to do before this world was founded. These good works are numerous and alms are just some of them. Paul expands what he wrote in Ephesians 2:10 by writing the following in Titus 2:11 to 14, ‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous unto good works.’ Can you see that the grace of God that brings salvation actually teaches us to be passionate about good works? I therefore can now say that if we indeed have been saved by the grace of God through faith, alms deeds and all other good works have now become our eagerness. James 2:24 can now be seen to be in great and sound harmony with the Pauline doctrine on justification by faith. Those who live by faith just find themselves involved in alms deeds because when they first believed the grace of God taught them wonderful things.”

The above quotation points out to my earlier assertion that our good works may someday prove to be the evidence of our salvation. It is wrong to disassociate good works from salvation. It is true that salvation is a result of the grace of God and not of works. However, good works are a result of salvation. In Matthew 3:8 John the Baptist once said, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” In Matthew 5:14-16 the Lord himself said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
In Act 9:36 the bible reports that “At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.” It appears throughout the bible that salvation always resulted in good works. In fact, one of the early apostles once remarked, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Jas 1:27. It is interesting that to note that when the Lord spoke of rewards and judgement he linked both to works. In Matthew 25 he said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

As you can see, works play a very significant part in a Cristian’s life. The New testament church valued works very much. Even the Lord himself, gave a lot of regard to the application of works. To the seven churches of Asia Minor he mentioned works to all of them. Rev 2:2,9,13;3:1,8,15. In Rev 2:19 he said, “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first” which is a clear indication that faith, love and works are in the same class. It further indicates that it is desirable that works must improve with time. The later works must be better than the earlier one. Regarding the grand finale, the Lord says, “… behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Rev. 22:12’13.

In my next post I will further elaborate on the requirement of works in the Christian Faith.

2 What is Salvation and what effect does it have on good works

In my last post I stated that in this post I will further elaborate on the requirement of works in the Christian Faith. In order to do that we must first answer the question, “What is Salvation?” There are two definitions we will look at namely the dictionary definition and the theological definition. These two definitions will assist us understand the meaning of salvation and its effect to mankind.

The dictionary definition is “Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss and it can also mean a means of escape.” Preservation is basically protection or conservation. This then points to the act of defending, shielding or providing safety from danger. Deliverance on the other hand means liberation, rescue, release or the provision of freedom. This points to the elimination of bondage or oppression.

The theological definition is “Deliverance from sin and its consequences, which deliverance is brought about by faith in Christ and its synonyms are redemption, deliverance or reclamation.” This points to the buying back, retrieval or recovery of mankind from the devil or from the power of sin. It speaks of the repossession of mankind by God almighty and the regeneration of the saved person. Redemption is the act of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

The two definitions, as can be seen, are not in disagreement in any way. However, the theological definition goes further than the dictionary by exposing a hidden mystery regarding the relationship of man and God. From the theological definition we realise that deliverance and redemption are key components of the salvation of man. It exposes man’s need for deliverance. In Romans 3:23 the bible reads, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This effectively means that not a single person has not sinned. In fact, in Romans 5:12 it is further written, “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” These two scriptures make plain the level of man’s depravity and serious need for salvation.

On a certain day following a very good sermon, certain Jews surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ. In response to their faith Christ promised them deliverance and freedom but the Jews in turn claimed that they were not in bondage to any person yet on that very day they were under the dominion of Rome. John 8:34 say, “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Through this single statement Jesus clarified why humans have a propensity of doing evil thigs rather than good things. The preacher once remarked, “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” Ecc 7:29. The preacher had realised whilst man had been created upright, man was no longer good. The reason for the corruption of man is sin. Even the apostles also wrote, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” Romans 7:14-24

Humans by nature desire to do good but for some unknown reason they always find themselves thriving in evil. This always happens against man’s wish because man is a slave of sin. Man is in bondage. Indeed, the Lord made it abundantly clear when in John 8:34 said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” No matter what amount of effort man may exert to attain uprightness he will not achieve anything because, “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isiah 64:6. It is because of this fact why we cannot save ourselves. Not a single person has the capacity to do good and in the process save himself. That is why it’s written, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

However, the scriptures read in Ephesians 2 that we were “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Whilst it is true that works cannot and will not save us, it is equally true that God desires that we must do good works because “he ordained that we should walk in them.” Unfortunately, Paul says that because of the bondage of sin we are forced to do the evil of sin which reigns in man. The good news is that the salvation of Christ delivers us from that bondage so that we will be able to do the good which we so desire.

When Christ redeemed us, he led us to the freedom of doing good. Redemption is the act of purchasing something back, and Jesus Christ did just that because it is written, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18,19. Because of this new freedom we must not be slave of any one because the bible says to us, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men” 1 Corinthians 7:23.  The same bible further reads “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

Our use of the word redemption means that Jesus Christ, through his sacrificial death, purchased us from the slavery of sin thereby setting us free from that bondage which made us fail to do the good we so much desired. It is now the reason why on the resurrection day good works will be pivotal to the final outcome. Jesus said in John 5:28-29, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” It thus follows that rewards are based on works, that which we did in our bodies whilst on this earth.

In my book Saints Made Merchandise, as i was commenting on Matthew 7:22-23 in contrast to Matthew 25:31-74, I write, “I used to wonder at the contrasting features in the two above passages recorded in the book of Matthew until the day I realised the wealth of information in the two scriptures and the immense harmony the two have between them. In the first passage we have a group of people who claim to have done great works of power in the name of Jesus but the Lord says he never knew them. He further says that the group is made up of workers of iniquity. To me the passage was a marvel as well as a riddle. How could the Lord call people who prophesied and performed astounding miracles in his name workers of iniquity? How could he say he never knew his own prophets? Truly casting out devils in the Lord’s name is not a work of iniquity.

It took me years to comprehend and accept Matthew seven verses twenty-two and twenty-three. One day I realised that no human being has the ability to prophecy, cast out demons, or to perform miracles and great works of extra ordinary power. Not a single apostle ever healed a single man.

I know that one may say what about the exploits recorded in the book of Acts. Just hold on I will come to that.

At the temple gate called Beautiful a lame man was healed and everybody present credited Peter and John, the apostles with the miracle of healing but the two apostles denied the recognition out rightly. In the book of Acts chapter three verses twelve to sixteen Peter explained to the crowd that the lame man was healed by Jesus the Prince of Peace himself. True Peter made the physical contact with the lame man but it was Jesus who performed the actual healing because Isaiah says that by the stripes of Christ we are healed and not the stripes of Peter. It is Jesus who came to deliver captives therefore it is him who brings deliverance to demoniacs. If you ever prayed for a sick person or you cast out a demon it is no secret that you called on the name of Christ. If you never did it in the Lord’s name, then you are either a god or goddess. All of us do it in the name of Jesus Christ and all praise and credit go to him. The positive results are brought by Christ and not by our great faith or us. So the reality is that it is Jesus Christ who performs the works of power through us. We are only vessels through which he does them and there is none among us who can do a single work of power unless he does it through us.

Let me prove this with the story of Jonah. This Old Testament prophet prophesied to the city of Nineveh in the name of the Lord announcing that unless the inhabitants of that city repented with fasting, the city would be destroyed in forty days time. His word was received and everybody repented with fasting and sackcloth. This to Jonah was a very heavy blow because he knew that the city would consequently not be destroyed because the king and all citizens had taken heed to the word of the Lord preached by Jonah. In the end God did not punish the city because he saw that the inhabitants of the city turned away from their evil ways. Therefore the destruction prophesied by Jonah was negated and the prophet was exceptionally livid because his prophecy was denied fulfilment.

Jonah had no control over his word and what he prophesied but the Lord had all the power. When Jonah prophesied, the Holy Spirit convicted the people and they accordingly repented. All this was beyond Jonah’s control. If Jonah were in control he would have seen to it that not a single person repented so that the punishment he predicted would come in fulfilment of his prophecy. The same can happen to us. We can preach and teach but can never convict people of sin to cause repentance. We can pray for the sick but have no capacity to heal, it is Christ alone who can perform the healing. We may command a demon to leave its victim and if it does, it does not do so for fear of us but of Christ who works through us. Because of this I do not see how we can on that day have the audacity to stand and tell Christ that we did what he actually did.

The second passage speaks of the credit given us by the Lord, and indeed the works mentioned in that passage are what we can do. Every man has the ability to give and that we must do. Will the Lord be proud on that day to say to us you did it therefore inherit the kingdom or he will say you should have done it but you never did it. Lo, he says in Revelation 22:12, ‘behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give everyman according as his work shall be.’

Did you ever read Matthew 25:36 slowly, circumspectly and critically? It reads, ‘I was sick and you visited me.’ Note that he did not say, ‘I was sick and you healed me’ but ‘you visited me.’ What we are able to do is visiting the sick and it is the Lord’s duty to do the healing. We all know that when we visit a sick person we normally pray for the sick person for healing but the Lord in the above passage decided not to mention prayer but the act of visiting. I am of the opinion that the reason that we must take note of is that it is the Lord who performs healing and not our holiness or faith. That is why on that great day the Lord will not mention the healings brought about by our prayers and faith but the visits we made which led to the prayers. Did you ever read John’s account that Judas Iscariot used to misappropriate funds he was entrusted with? Did you also read Luke’s testimony that claimed that the same apostle thief also cast out devils in the Lord’s name and they left screaming? So you still think it was Judas casting out devils? No! I say it was the Lord.

Whatever we do whereby great works of power are put on display is not out of our ability or proficiency but it is the Lord’s doing. We always say, ‘in the name of Jesus Christ be healed,’ because we will be standing in the Lord’s shoes. We will be doing it for and on behalf of Christ solely depending on his power and that is why demons, sickness and disease submit because they fear the Lord. James says that devils actually tremble before the Lord. The reason why when we pray for the sick some get healed and others do not is because the Lord performs healing on whomsoever he wills and at his own time according to his own determination. Timothy used a little wine and refrained from drinking water (Tim.5: 23) because of his stomach ailment and persistent infirmities not because he lacked faith or that his church had failed to pray for him. It equally was not because of lack of faith on Paul’s part that he sought the Lord three times regarding a ‘thorn in his flesh’ or his infirmity without immediate response. It was because the Lord heals according to his own timing and willpower therefore it is not our prayers, which heal, but the Lord himself.

Now the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew makes it clear that we can do good works. We can feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick and prisoners and give shelter to the homeless. We can provide a home to orphans and widows. We may not be able to heal but we can give alms or pay visits. True we have no power to make people rich but we have the capacity and ability to assist a poor brother. We are very much in a position to give food to a hungry brother. Every one of us can do some good work and alms deeds are a part and parcel of good works. Whenever I discuss alms deeds apply the same principles on all other good works.

Paul says in 1st Corinthians three that Christ is the foundation upon which we must build our works. He further says that our works shall be tested by fire so be careful how you do your works. So much has been said by some to discredit acts of good works. We are only not supposed to put our trust in our works but the Lord who is supreme. The Lord infact keeps a record of our works and he monitors them to ensure that we do not slacken in doing good. To the church at Thyatira, in Revelation 2:19,24-25, he said, ‘I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works: and the last to be more than the first. I will put you none other burden but that which you have already hold fast till I come.’ To another church he said, ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and art dead,’ and in yet another place, speaking to the whole church he says, ‘my reward is with me, to give every men according as his work shall be.’ Rev. 3:11; 22:12.

This is what we can do. Everyman was created with the capacity and aptitude to do good works. The preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:29, ‘Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.’ I believe that this is why at times wicked man may once in a while perform some rare good works. I have heard of instance when thieves or prostitutes have given out alms. This was so because God created all of us with the capability of doing good but it is unfortunate that Satan spoiled that good nature which was inherent in us. We thus have no excuse for not doing good since our salvation resuscitated that good nature because the grace of God that brings salvation appeared to us teaching us to do good and to live godly lives. Because of that ability and competence within us to do good, on that great day the Lord will be in a very good position to either say, ‘I was hungry and you gave me food’ or ‘I was sick and you never paid me a visit.’ Because we have the capability to do good, he will reward all of us according to our deeds and he will try our works using fire.

We may not all be apostles, pastors, evangelists, prophets or workers of miracles but we can all be performers of good works, we can all give. All of us can give alms and do good works because the Lord has given us that potential. Furthermore, his Holy Spirit enables us to do good works against which there is no law because love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. See Galatians 5:22. When we learn to give others we will have started to bear each other’s burdens, which is a great act of love. Alms are as a result an act of love and not a performance of duty. The moment alms cease to be acts of love they will stop be Christian. That is the point that makes a distinction between alms given by saints and those given by unbelievers. The unbeliever on average gives out of duty whereas the believer gives out of love. The believer gives so that he may bear a fellowman’s burden but the unbeliever gives because he may one day need similar help also from others. The latter, therefore gives in order to receive whereas the former gives in order to assist. The world believes that it is everyone’s duty to help because one day you may need the same help but Christianity says it is every saint’s joy to carry another man’s burden and it is part of every saint’s faith to give assistance when it is required.

When we bear each other’s burdens, the world will see that we love each other and will for that reason know that we are Christ’s disciples. They will not acknowledge our faith because of what we say but because of what they see us practice. Without love all our acts of good deeds are void and of no religious significance.

True, the ability to do good deeds is within us but what we need most is love to make that capability to do good potent. The apostle Paul says, ‘the good that I would do I do not: but the evil I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.’ Sin can therefore make our desire and knack to do good impotent. When we get rid of sin, good must flow out of us freely and abundantly. That is precisely why Paul said the grace of God that brings salvation causes a passion for good works. Has Christ delivered us from the law of sin and death? If he has then we have no justification for not doing good acts. He thus has every reason to either commend us or upbraid us for not sharing with others that which we possess. If we have money and have been delivered from the law of sin, why do we not freely give those in need? When those who dwelt in Judea were delivered, no one among them lacked anything because as many as had shared freely with those who did not have. Very few sermons on giving are recorded in the book of Acts but great acts of giving and sharing are recorded. Too many sermons on giving have been preached in our day and age but fewer acts have been observed. Why?

Many of us cannot provide for our own households and close relatives despite having the means so how can we provide for the saints? During the days of Timothy, the church never provided for the needs of the needy who were related to well to do saints because those well-off sure that their relatives never became destitute since they saw to it that their needs were met. How can you assist an outsider when your own next of kin are wallowing in poverty? Is that not being hypocritical? I often wonder what spirit works in many modern day Christians who always have enough money to extravagantly splash into offering bowels and always buy expensive groceries and suits for pastors whilst their own parents are suffering in poverty without getting any form of assistance from those Christians. Charity must begin in the home. We indeed can provide for the needs of our relatives and those of the saints and the general public because the law of sin no longer has any hold in us because, ‘the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous unto good works.’ It is true that we cannot all be apostles, but we can all be doers of good. We may not all be rich but we can all share what we have with the brethren. If the Lord with wealth at all blesses us, the purpose of that blessing is so that we use it to put on display the love and mercy of the Lord. Let us therefore strive to be rich in good works rather than in dollars and cents. What we can do let us do it not grudgingly.

Please read 1st Timothy 5 and 6:1”

3 What is Grace and what effect does it have on good works

It is important that we look at the issue of grace if we are to make progress in this post. Grace is normally defined as the free and unmerited favour of God, as demonstrated in the salvation of sinners and the conferral of blessings. The Greek word χάρις or charis pronounced khä'-rēs from which the word grace is translated in the bible also means, among its many meanings, favour.

In turn, favour speaks of an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. It is a liking for someone or the approval and support that someone. Some confuse this word with the word favouritism. Favouritism speaks of partiality. Favouritism is an act of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person at the expense of another. The difference here is that favour arises from kindness whereas favouritism or partiality arises from unfairness. When we therefore make reference to God’s unmerited favour we are merely alluding to God’s kindness and love beyond what we deserve or merit which he has bestowed on us. It is his own act of benevolence which we never earned.

The good book, in Romans 5:8, says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ At this stage we must realise that God is holy and holiness is the most exalted of all his characteristics. On the other hand, man is not holy. When man was created, he was perfect and holy because he was created in the image of a holy and perfect God. (Read Gen 1:27,28,31 & Ecc 7:29). However, the first human beings sinned against God and these unholy parents brought up offspring in their own image meaning that all subsequent human beings were sinners. Holiness and sin cannot live together hence because of sin man was separated from God because it is written, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Rom 5:12;5:23

This thus means that there had to be reconciliation between God and man for them to live together otherwise they had become enemies. Man was the aggressor so it is man who was required to make amends so that the two could live together. One challenge, though was only one thing could atone for sin and that thing was blood because, “…. according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” Hebrews 9:22. Man could not provide such a sacrifice because human blood was tainted with sin and animal blood was inferior to man so it could not atone superior blood. So God, because of his kindness, he provided the sacrifice. When God decided to provide the sacrifice for our redemption, he did not ask man to do anything first so that we could merit salvation. He provided the atonement whilst we were still sinners. This is what is called grace because the kindness that he bestowed us was never earned. On the contrary we deserved punishment for our sin because, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 6:23.

The salvation we enjoy is nothing to boast about because we did not earn it. it never was deserved but God in his own kindness and love delivered it to us freely. This is why the bible in Titus 2:11-14 says, “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” This is complimented by Ephesians 2:10 which reads, “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

When we perform good deeds it is not that we are buying atonement because we have no capacity to do so. Devils sinned against God and could not provide atonement for their sins and they are now doomed. Man also sinned and now deserves destruction because of that sin. Fortunately, the grace of God has brought us salvation. That same grace teaches us live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age and also to do good. Good deeds are therefore not a price for salvation but are obedience to the teachings of the grace of God.

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.

5 What is Faith

The dictionary definition for faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. This points to a strong unshaken belief or credence in the reliability, truth, or ability of that someone. In other words, it is a firmly held sureness on the capabilities and abilities of the person in whom the trust has been entrusted. It is also the unwavering acceptance that something or someone is true.

The bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. According to Strong’s lexicon, the Greek word translated faith here is pistis (πίστις) which generally refers to the conviction of the truth of anything or belief especially the persuasion or certainty in respect of man's relationship with God and divine things. It points to the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and giver of eternal salvation through Christ. In that regard it is the strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God.

This thus means that faith is not a blind acceptance of things or state of affairs but is based on the trustworthiness of God’s reliability and ability to control the affairs of man and of the universe. It is itself the evidence of our belief. The same Hebrews 11:1 in the New Living Translation reads, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” It is what shows the demonstration of our anticipation or of that which we hope for. It is because of this hope that the early Christians were prepared to face persecution and die for Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:1-6

It now makes sense when we read that faith is the substance because it is not a mirage, fantasy or empty talk. When faith is referred to as subsistence it follows that that it has actual existence and it is the courage, firmness and steadfastness of mind with a tenacity that cannot be moved. That is why the Lord assured us that a person with an iota of it can command a mountain to move and the mountain will comply. Because of this, the writer of the book of Hebrews firmly stated that faith is in itself “the evidence of things not seen.” Let it be known to you that evidence is proof and proof means that something has been verified or tested. Faith therefore puts things to the test and proves them. Things that are not seen have been proven by faith hence faith is not blinkered naivety but a firm belief with the predominate idea of trust in God and in Christ which springs from the influence of Christ and of God.

Because of this confidence, Shadreck, Misheck and Abednego were not afraid of Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. Daniel, when cast into the den of hungry lions, stopped the mouths of the lions. They managed this because faith is not naivety but evidence. When confronted by Elijah, the prophets of Baal wounded themselves but got nothing done because they were gullible and were not in possession of the faith of God. On the contrary, Elijah who had the conviction and persuasion or certainty that God exists proved God’s existence by ordering fire from the sky. In short, faith demonstrates whilst naivety or gullibility has nothing to show just like the apostle James stated in James 2:18-20.

Faith is not just talk but it is action. Faith is the expression of the deep seated conviction of our hearts. It is a firm and unshakable trust in God. True faith relies fully on God whilst false faith believes in one’s own faith. True faith depends on God. It says if God is not involved in our affairs we are doomed. Faith in that regard is reliance on God and no one else.