This statement needs to be prefaced, but at it's core, there is a pivotal truth to be grasped. In John 3, Jesus is talking to the pharisee Nicodemus. Nicodemus is an intellectual and a teacher who has come to Christ by night. Nicodemus probably wants to talk about the finer points of theology, but Jesus has another plan. He sees the real issue at stake. He says to Nicodemus, "You need to be born again." This baffles the pharisee. Jesus tells him that "unless a man is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit." You see, Nicodemus had been placing his trust in his Jewish heritage. He had been missing the big picture. It wasn't about his genetics or about his circumcision, it was about his heart. The externals could not change the internal. Faith saves today and it has always been the means of salvation. John told the pharisees in Matthew 4 that God could raise up sons of Abraham from the stones! Circumcision could not and would not save them. Jesus had to.
Jesus compares his sacrifice to the snake upon the pole. Do you remember that story? God sent serpents to plague the Israelites in the desert. God told Moses to put a serpent up on a pole and that any man who wished to be healed may look upon it and be healed. This is such an incredible story because it demonstrates the free grace of God but it also demonstrates man's hardness of heart. Surely some Israelites did not look and thus died in their unbelief! This comparison is followed by the ever famous John 3:16. "...that anyone who believes upon him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Now that would settle it right? But Jesus goes on in verse 20 and 21, "for every man that doeth evil hateth the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought in God." Faith causes action! Faith is not passive. One does not simply say, "I believe" and his unbelief disappears. Faith requires a work of God in man's heart. Ephesians 2 says that God quickened our dead souls and it also says that we are saved by faith and even that faith is a gift of God! This is so no man can boast. So the question comes, if by faith we are saved, what room have works? Let's see what John says.
1 John 2:3-6 "And hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he (Jesus) walked." John is absolutely crystal clear. If we are not seeking the Law of God, our faith is not real. James says that faith without works is dead.
Here is where the problem arises. Am I saying that works save us? By no means! It is faith alone. As Martin Luther discovered, the righteous shall live by faith. It is through faith we are saved and made new. Yet, this faith must be real. A living and dynamic faith. Not a cold dead faith that is not faith at all. A living faith exhibits certain qualities. Just as a living human being performs functions such as breathing and heart beating, so too does a living faith exhibit a pursuit and love of God's commandments. A dead man may protest that he is alive, but if he does not exhibit the qualities of a living man, there is no way we can believe him!
In summation, we are saved by faith alone in Christ's sacrifice to cancel the penalty of sin. But this faith exhibits a keeping of God's commandments. If that is not present, then it is not faith all. The problem is essentially a problem of cause and effect. The faith saves, but a living faith produces works. If you don't have the works, that is indicative of a dead faith. But I reiterate, it is the faith that saves.
God Bless,
Stanley
P.S. We are, of course, all sinners and we strive in this imperfectly. The key word is that we are striving. Romans says that no man seeks after God. If a man is seeking after God, it is only because God has quickened his dead soul because otherwise he would have no desire to commune with the Living God.
Jesus says 'If you love Me keep My commands', so whatever word He speaks to us in our walk with Him we must not only listen to it but act on it. This is how we have our minds renewed in Him. Otherwise we shall remain carnal.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. The Holy Spirit through James said that we are to be doers of the word not only hearers, many are simply hearers and think they are saved. Many say, especially young folks because that's who I communicate with on a daily basis, many of them say they love God and know Him yet they fornicate and indulge in the works of the flesh.
ReplyDeleteMany say they believe in God but don't believe the Bible to be true. So many things that are indicative to walking in the flesh they participate in yet they say they have faith and they believe.I told a friend of mine the other day on facebook if believing alone was sufficient for salvation we would all be saved who said they believed. The Holy Spirit through James said, even demons believe, so faith although it saves, works that come from having true faith are bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Good post Stanley, and definitely something worthy of consideration and thought. The danger of just having faith is that you could have a very rich person worth millions or even billions saying 'oh yes, I believe in God and have faith' but that's all they go to. What's the point of 'believing' in God if it doesn't move us to act in some way? Yes, it is faith that saves us, but as written faith without works is, indeed, dead! If we fervently believe in God, it can be a private thing, becomes academic and dare-I-say-it a bit Middle class; it has no bearing on how we act and how we treat other people. What's the point of that kind of faith? IT IS dead. If many of those in the elite, the wealthy and powerful, who proclaim their Christianity and their faith, really were Christian, they would re-order society, and they would pay their taxes and help the poor quite simply; and I'm not talking politics here, just common sense. Too many people hide behind private faith, when sometimes they should be living their faith and doing something useful for others.
ReplyDeleteI think your point is fair Tim. If there is a very rich person who really loves the Lord, he will take God's command to bless the poor seriously. After all, just as we love others because of Christ's abundant love so too should we love others with our money if the Lord blesses us with much. I just think that the agent of that love and blessing should be out of the abundance of the heart and through the church. Not ripped out of their hands by the government.
ReplyDeleteSadly, America has become saturated with a dead Christianity. It's an outward tradition or an emotional experience that is not backed up by transformation or truth. America needs a revival. Maybe God will send the Third Great Awakening soon.
You know Stanley, you're absolutely right; good works MUST come from the heart, not from guilt or by stealth taxes or anything like that.
DeleteYou wrote: 'Sadly, America has become saturated with a dead Christianity. It's an outward tradition or an emotional experience that is not backed up by transformation or truth. America needs a revival.' This is very topical for me as very probably my next post is about Britain needing a Christian revival too, possibly for the same reasons America needs one. Christianity in Britain is often a badge of respectability, or to say you are part of a well-to-do clique, and often not much more than that sadly.
That's ironic, because it's the opposite in America. In America, it's mom, apple pies, pick up trucks, and Christianity. It's the lower and middle class people. Many merely hold to it out of a sense of community or tradition. Yet, the "intellectuals" in our country reject and look down upon it. The media does too. It's not a mark of respectability.
DeleteI see this as a product of lack of persecution. God has always used the fires of persecution to purge and purify His church. Persecution always strengthens the church rather than destroying it. Now, I'm not saying I would enjoy persecution, but when an animal's natural predator disappears, it gets lazy. American Christianity is getting kind of fat and lazy (And not just from all that McDonalds! lol) This is of course, an overgeneralization and exceptions can be found everywhere. However, this seems to be a prevalent characteristic. However, God is at work in all situations.
very true.. we are your newest followers, come follow along at chaseandem.blogspot.com XO
ReplyDeleteHi emi! I checked out your blog and I see that you are Mormons! I am really curious to know what you think about my blog and I would love to hear more about what you believe. I have a sneaking suspicion that there are a lot of rumors about Mormons out there that need disproving.
ReplyDelete