I will be concluding my Sunday message series in the book of Philippians near the end of May. This will give us a fresh start to the summer transition and of course the challenge is: what is the focus of our next series. As I continue to explore these possibilities I have had some interesting experiences over the last six months that have placed a couple of items on my radar scope. The first is the issue of “works”; the second is “obedience”.
Both of these issues have an interesting feel to them. If you grow up in a church environment, you are probably familiar with them but you may also be uncomfortable with dealing with them. On the surface these would not seem to be necessary but if we look at them closely we have some sensitive differences to figure out.
Works tends to be very controversial and has some theological clutter that you many find confusing. For example, Paul makes the very clear and demonstrative statement in Ephesians (among other places) that we can never be saved by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Gaining a right standing before God is never based on works of the Law (Romans 3:20). Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (God’s standard of righteousness). Romans 3:27-28 emphasize this same fundamental idea that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. The statements are irrevocable and clearly stated; the idea is that no one will ever have any basis or reason to try and prove their own worth by boasting of their own goodness before God (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever be able to persuade God that if He is really a loving God He is obligated to let anyone into heaven based on their own merits. One key idea that I will talk about next week is that Paul says that even if one’s motivation for good works is grounded in a divine source (e.g. the Law) that trying to obey that God-given Law is of no value and does not gain a right standing with God (you might have to think about that issue for a moment – next week).
Works, on the other hand are intricately linked to our salvation by James. Notice these statements that he places forward:
- What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14 NAS)
- Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (James 2:17 NAS)
- You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. (Jam 2:24 NAS)
- For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (Jam 2:26 NAS)
So what is the difference between the two? We obviously cannot unpack all of this here but let me suggest a way to think about it:
Before the cross – faith alone in Christ
After the cross – faith produces works as evidence of genuine faith in Christ.
Works can never be part of gaining a right standing before God; this is what Paul meant when he said that we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, not as a result of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). James is looking on the other side of the cross (or as we say the other side of the same coin). After our regeneration and conversion, after the Spirit of God has been given to a person and they are given the righteousness of Christ. Then James is telling us that, if we have truly accepted Christ into our life through faith, that same faith ought to produce good works in our life after accepting Christ. True salvation generates works that are an outworking of our faith in Christ as we learn to walk with Him. The continuity is built upon our faith – the faith we use to respond to the gospel is the same faith that will produce good works (Romans 1:16-17). Once we receive Christ and received a right standing with God, then we learn how to make right choices and actions in everyday life that reflect His righteousness. These become our “good works” that ratify or validate the genuineness of our original faith in Christ.
Pastor Brad
