Works of the Law, Good Works

[mailmandan]

The Bible clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works - Ephesians 2:8,9. It's not according to our works - 2 Timothy 1:9. It's not by works of righteousness which we have done - Titus 3:5. Certain people would argue that "not saved by works" only applies to fleshly works or specific works found in the Law of Moses (particularly circumcision), but not good works in general which follow faith in Christ. The Bible says that we are created in Christ Jesus unto/for good works (Ephesians 2:10) but the Bible does not say that we are saved by good works.

 

[p_rehbein]

Common misunderstanding for many folks..........."works" are a FRUIT of our salvation. We are ONLY ABLE to do good works when we have received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.......thus no man can do a "work" good enough to achieve their salvation. Saved by Grace and that a gift of God, through faith..........

Now, ONCE we become a blood bought, born again child of the Living God, we DON'T just sit around somewhere doing nothing but chanting........"I'm saved, I'm saved........" We MUST get busy working for the Kingdom. God has a PURPOSE, a PLAN for each of us...........and we are to seek to do His Will.........and this is where "good works" come into our lives.

People simply confuse salvation with sanctification and justification...........they incessantly hold on to the idea that they can do some "work" that is "good enough" to earn their salvation..........yeah, well, the phrase "exercise in futility" comes to mind.

 

[mailmandan]

Common misunderstanding for many folks..........."works" are a FRUIT of our salvation. We are ONLY ABLE to do good works when we have received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.......thus no man can do a "work" good enough to achieve their salvation. Saved by Grace and that a gift of God, through faith..........

Now, ONCE we become a blood bought, born again child of the Living God, we DON'T just sit around somewhere doing nothing but chanting........"I'm saved, I'm saved........" We MUST get busy working for the Kingdom. God has a PURPOSE, a PLAN for each of us...........and we are to seek to do His Will.........and this is where "good works" come into our lives.

People simply confuse salvation with sanctification and justification...........they incessantly hold on to the idea that they can do some "work" that is "good enough" to earn their salvation..........yeah, well, the phrase "exercise in futility" comes to mind.

Amen! Excellent post! Faith is the ROOT and works are the FRUIT of salvation.

 

[clarkthompson]

We are saved by faith so we now can do good works before we have faith there are no good works.

 

[johnluke]

Originally posted by mailmandan:

Amen! Excellent post! Faith is the ROOT and works are the FRUIT of salvation.

If there is no fruit, was there really no ROOT?

 

[johnluke]

Originally posted by clarkthompson:

We are saved by faith so we now can do good works before we have faith there are no good works.

If James is right (the sames James that writes in the Bible) then you can't be right also. If James says that without good works your faith is dead (James 2:20), you have a problem. What comes first, the chicken (faith) or the egg (good works). I don't think there is a Christain alive that did not do one massive work before they received the Holy Spirit and that was to simply go to God and ask Him to confirm an inward belief and baptize you in the Holy Spirit. That simple but massive work has been done billions of times over the centuries and God has responded billions of times to confirm their belief, and now armed with the Holy Spirit, their faith will lead them to extraordinary works of faith that will glorify God and build the Kingdom of God here on earth.
In the end, if they bear no fruit, (which means they do no GOOD WORKS), their faith is DEAD, perhaps never rooted in faith, perhaps never to be saved.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)

 

[DavidLOVESsnow]

Originally posted by clarkthompson:


If James is right (the sames James that writes in the Bible) then you can't be right also. If James says that without good works your faith is dead (James 2:20), you have a problem. What comes first, the chicken (faith) or the egg (good works). I don't think there is a Christain alive that did not do one massive work before they received the Holy Spirit and that was to simply go to God and ask Him to confirm an inward belief and baptize you in the Holy Spirit. That simple but massive work has been done billions of times over the centuries and God has responded billions of times to confirm their belief, and now armed with the Holy Spirit, their faith will lead them to extraordinary works of faith that will glorify God and build the Kingdom of God here on earth.
In the end, if they bear no fruit, (which means they do no GOOD WORKS), their faith is DEAD, perhaps never rooted in faith, perhaps never to be saved.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)

You are correct, but get ready to get into a huge argument.

 

[mailmandan]

If there is no fruit, was there really no ROOT?

No fruit would demonstrate no root. Notice that James said what good is it if someone says or claims to have faith but they have no works. Can that faith save him? The answer is no because this is not genuine faith but an empty profession of faith, a dead faith. ​A living faith is confirmed by good works.

 

[mailmandan]

If James is right (the sames James that writes in the Bible) then you can't be right also. If James says that without good works your faith is dead (James 2:20), you have a problem. What comes first, the chicken (faith) or the egg (good works).

James does not mean that our faith is dead until it produces good works and then it becomes a living faith. A dead faith does not produce good works in order to become a living faith but BECAUSE it's a living faith; just as a dead tree does not produce fruit in order to become a living tree but BECAUSE it's a living tree. We are made alive in Christ by grace through faith, created in Christ Jesus UNTO/FOR good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). We show (not establish) our faith by our works (James 2:18).

In the end, if they bear no fruit, (which means they do no GOOD WORKS), their faith is DEAD, perhaps never rooted in faith, perhaps never to be saved.

Amen! The absence of evidence (good works) can be construed as evidence of absence (faith).

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)

Faith without works is dead and it's not because works are the source of life in faith but because works are the demonstrative evidence of living faith. We are not saved by works, but works prove of manifest the genuineness of our faith.

 

[BradC]

There is a deeper meaning to this then perhaps we would like to consider. Satan can not take away the salvation that we have by grace through faith in the cross of Christ as a born again believer, but he can strategize to get us to grieve the Spirit and get involved with works that are absent the love of God and our first love. If Satan is successful in getting us to give place to him and his strategies, that will grieve the Spirit and the love of God in us and make it inoperative. When that love is inoperative we will no longer be motivated to do the good works that we have been given to do at the first when we were saved by grace.

Faith always works by love and Satan's plan is to quench that love to make us unfruitful in every good work. If we continue to give place we will eventually have no desire for the things of God because the love of God was made inoperative in us and our faith became as dead instead of being alive unto God. This is the process that operates in the heart of the believer to get them to depart from the faith that works by love because the love of God no longer is operative or actively being shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. They are born again being saved by grace but are unfruitful in their works and though they have the faith of the Son of God, it is dead (dormant or lifeless) with no fruitful works of love.

The church at Ephesus had this problem and Jesus addressed it in (Rev 2). Here is the what the Amplified Version says in (Rev 2:2-5)...

2 I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.
4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].
5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.