When is the last time you heard an inspiring sermon on……WORKS?

While we’re not saved by works…..we are also not saved from works!

God releases His covenant of grace:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8, 9).

He immediately follows it with His covenant of works:

 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Eph: 2:10.

Let’s think about ‘works’, especially as it relates to the rapture and end times etc.

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it.  But let each man be careful how he builds upon it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire” ( 1 Cor. 10-15).

“That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life”  (1 Timothy 6: 18, 19).

 

 

“What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?  Even so, faith, if it has no works (corresponding action) is dead (ineffective) being by itself” (James 2: 14, 17).

“For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits (loses the right to) his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul”  For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense (reward) every man according to his deeds” (Matthew 16: 26, 27).

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

(In 180 A.D. – Irenaeus, an early church father, made the following statement regarding the importance of God’s will):

“To believe in Him is to do His will.”

We could go on and on with scripture after scripture verifying the importance of ‘works’ but let’s just look at two more verses; one as it relates the rapture and one that sums it all up.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.  Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city” (Revelation 22: 12-14).

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, who He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds.  These things are profitable for men” (Titus 3: 5-8).

Sounds to me like ‘works’ are pretty important!

But, as I look back over thirty years as a believer, the issue of ‘works’ stands out as a subject that casts a subtle and sinister shadow over the Body of Christ. 

It seems that we are continually reminded about ‘the danger of works’.  But heralding the generalization of works as negative, without proper explanation, has an unintended effect of bundling all works together.  In effect, “the baby is thrown out with the bath water”!  We wonder why so many people are uncommitted, but frequent warnings about the danger of ‘works’ without explaining God’s plan of ‘works’ may be spawning a generation of ‘hearers and not doers’ of the Word (James 1:22).  Could this be ‘the seed’ that spawns the end-time church with the “Laodicean” spirit?

            And yet, I understand the concern.  That is, the fear of opening up the subject of ‘works’ might influence some to gravitate towards religiosity, self-effort and ‘dead works’.  Avoiding the ‘works of the flesh’ is very important but generalizing the subject as negative can, and will, cause confusion in the Body, especially with new believers.  But, all this can be handled by good teaching.

            We see in Ephesians 2: 10 that ‘good works’ originate from God, are inspired by the Holy Spirit and responded to, by obedience.  The motive behind these ‘works’ is love.  Unlike works of the flesh, we understand that these are given by Him, and are therefore God glorifying.

            This might raise the question about the definition of good works.  After all, many of man’s works are good, and yet they may emanate from a carnal nature.  Although well intended, there may be a hidden agenda.  The real motivation may be to do something beneficial in order to reinforce one’s own sense of goodness thereby hoping to gain God’s favor.  Thus, these works become self-glorifying.

It is the motivation behind ‘works’ that corrupts.  Sometimes, man’s  “good works” ends in pride… and becomes an abomination to God.  Therein, lays the problem with ‘works that originate of the flesh’.  Therefore, we can conclude that:

            The real issue is not ‘works’ but the motivation behind them.

            If you’re not sure whether your works are ‘good works’, examine your motive!  But if your motive is to offer them in love for the sole benefit of helping others, let’s err on the side of doing them.   

            “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6).

            Given in love with the hope of edification.  Tyler Cole