Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
There are many people in the world today, trying to work to get to heaven. They think that their salvation depends on them earning it or being worthy of it. The gospel of the grace of God stands opposed to this notion, we could never earn salvation because our good works are as dirty rags before the Lord. But one may ask, are we not exhorted to do good works all throughout the Apostle Paul’s epistles? The answer is yes, but if we notice each exhortation unto good works, it is always given after we realize Who saved us, how He saved us, and how He empowers us to do good works.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are saved by God’s grace, which was manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for us, so upon belief and acceptance of God’s gift, we could live, even though we deserved eternal damnation for our sins. This definition of grace is found throughout the epistles. 1st Corinthians 5:12 is one of many verses that define God’s grace:
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
So here is the oft repeated pattern: His finished work, His work believed on, and then His working in us.
So then, the good works we are to do, are actually His workmanship and can only be carried out if the Holy Spirit is empowering us. We see another example of this in…
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
When we read, “purify unto himself a peculiar people” this is the sanctification process. For a magnified view of this purification process we read…
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord.
And in…
Ephesians 3:20
Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.
And in…
Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.
So we see that when He saved us, God empowered us to do good works, and it’s by His working that we can “maintain good works” as Titus 3:8 says. So how do we yield to Him and His working so we might partake in some of these good works? Let’s hear the Holy Spirit Word’s through the pen of the Apostle Paul…
1 Thessalonians 1:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
May we realize that God’s Word is our spiritual food which effectually works in us who believe. May we not starve ourselves, but feed on God’s Word consistently. May we pray that God would increase our hunger for his Word, and that our Lord would live His life in us, so that we, like Paul, can say…
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
In the Lord Jesus Christ,
Derrick
A study of the Sword 