“Good Works” are an essential part of the Christian life; as a child of God and a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, we do God’s work in this world. I read an article how the Apostle Paul preached the gospel in order that people would believe and bear the fruit of obedience that flows from true saving faith. Furthermore, those who profess faith in God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) show that they are not just all talk but actually possess faith when they do not deny God by doing evil works. Titus 1:16 says, “They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” In other words, when we do good and not evil, we reveal that we have actually placed trust in Christ for salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Godly works prove our faith. James 2:18, 22, 26 says, “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” The Apostles know nothing of people who can make Jesus their Savior without also submitting to Him as Lord. To tell people that they can be carnal (in the sinful flesh) Christians, that they are secure in Christ simply because they make a verbal profession of faith but have nothing to show in way of love for others and serve God, is to give them a false assurance. But in insisting that godly works are necessary to prove faith, we must be on guard lest we make our works part of the righteousness that we think moves God to declare us righteous in His heavenly courtroom.
Romans 3:23-25 “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.”
The article points out that it is a careful line to walk indeed to insist that works are necessary to prove our faith but that our works do not in any way justify us, but we must be committed to this lest we deny the graciousness of grace. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “grace” as: (1) Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him. (2) Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. (3) The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. (4) A state of reconciliation to God. If our judicial standing before Almighty God is based not on what we do but only on what Jesus Christ has done, then we can do nothing to take ourselves out of His hands.
Romans 1:7 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
To come before God with the empty hand of faith that receives Christ requires that we first release any claim of righteousness. We must relax our grip on our own good works, confess our utter reliance on divine mercy and not bring our achievements before God as if He owes us His righteous declaration for our obedience. When we find ourselves thinking this way (of having earned and being owed), we must return to the gospel and remember that we stand before God unafraid only when we are covered by the obedience of Christ.
Grace in Christ.
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