Grace vs. Works

 

We know that we cannot earn our salvation. Only Jesus could have paid the price that was required to bring us back into right standing with God. Yet, while we know this, nevertheless there are sometimes conflicting sounding ideas regarding grace vs. works that can be rather confusing. For example, one scripture says that we are not given the spirit of fear, (2 Tim. 1:7) yet another scripture says that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling… (Philip. 2: 12) Hmmm…

 

Acts 9: 31.  Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria , and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

 

I love that. Notice that the church is to have both fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost at the same time. How do we distinguish between what is works and what is grace through faith?

 

I like to think of it using this analogy:

 

Suppose that you wanted to attend a prestigious University and obtain a degree there but you didn’t have the high tuition fee. A stranger comes along and gives you a scholarship for the whole amount. What exactly have they given you in this generous gift? Have they handed you the degree? Certainly not! What they have given you is the chance for you to have a very close relationship with the University which can, through diligence and faithfulness on your part, lead to the completion of your goal of obtaining your degree. On the other hand, if you choose to be foolish and waste the time and the opportunity that you have been given, and you slack off and go to parties and football games and neglect your studies, then when final exam time comes and you fail, you will be ashamed. It would be understandable then that he who gave you the scholarship would be very disappointed in you. To him who is given much, much is expected. Loyalty is expected. Diligence is expected. Faithfulness is expected. Paying back the scholarship amount is never expected. Whether you are faithful or unfaithful; profitable or unprofitable, that gift remains free.

 

We cannot earn our place in a relationship with our Creator. Jesus paid for that opportunity. But having been given that chance to get to know God and have a close personal relationship with him, we are expected to make good use of the time and opportunity to get to know Him. Make Him and His will for us top priority in our life; take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. We are exhorted to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called” (Ephesians 4: 1). That’s practically University lingo right there. Or as Peter said it in

 

1 Peter 4: 10.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 

Meaning, don’t waste this opportunity that you have been given. And be willing to show mercy to others even as you have been shown mercy by God. This is all summed up beautifully in:

 

Micah 6: 8.  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

 

Doing justly happens the moment we become born again and are justified by faith in Jesus and we receive forgiveness of our sins because of His finished work of substitution for us. That is, Jesus died in our place so that we can be justified before God. (Just as if I’d never sinned.) Loving mercy is us extending this same kind of forgiveness to others who have wronged us and therefore forgiving them. Walking humbly with our God is what we do for the rest of our life, everyday. We allow Him to be Lord over us and we trust Him with everything as we learn to wait on Him. In this, we exercise faith and are a true disciple, learning from Him daily.

 

Another similar analogy might be that if you were a racecar driver and you wanted to compete in the Indianapolis 500 but you didn’t have the enormous amount of money required to enter and compete. A sponsor then arrives who is willing to provide you with everything needed for you to run the race. But this does not guarantee you the victory or the trophy. It’s still up to you to do your part. Paul used this kind of analogy and said that we are in a race and must run to win, and that this requires temperance in everything else. Jesus spoke of someone putting the hand to the plow and then looking back as being not worthy of Him or of His kingdom. Imagine trying to compete in the Indy 500 and trying to watch a nearby drive-in movie at the same time or something; or else pulling over to go visit the snack bar. Again, it is faithfulness to Him and to His will for us that is at issue.

 

John 1: 12.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13.    Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

Notice that you can be born of God, but still must become a son. This is where we participate by living by faith. Faith in Jesus places us in right standing with God instantly. However this same faith must be maintained daily and it becomes like a long distance race, with all kinds of temptations to quit along the way. What was given to you the moment you received Jesus, was the power to become a son of God. It doesn’t mean that you are one instantly. To him that overcometh…

 

Jesus taught about the need for us, who are likened to branches, to abide in Him who is the vine, and that we must allow His life to flow through us to produce fruit. (Without ME you can do nothing.) It is by grace that we are grafted into Him. It is through faith that His life is made manifest in us. If we do not live by faith, we will not produce fruit and we run the risk of being taken away.

 

John 15

 1.  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
 2.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
 3.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
 4.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
 5.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 6.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 

Remember also the parable of the sower and the word. Some grain sprouted and grew up quickly but ran into trouble before it produced any fruit. Is it works to be good ground? Is it works to make sure that no other god is before the Lord? Is it works to keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life? Is it works to become intimately familiar with the shepherd’s voice so that a stranger’s voice will not be followed but fled from? We could go on with examples, but hopefully you get the idea.

 

So then, we are saved by God’s unmerited favor to us in giving us His Son to die in our place so that we through Him might know God. But it is up to us to go to God and seek Him and His will for us everyday in everything.

 

Hebrews 11: 6.  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

Barry Amundsen