Chapter Six

GOOD WORKS AND OBEDIENCE

It is commonly believed that our salvation depends on how we live. If we live a good life we will go to heaven, if we live a bad, wicked life we will go to hell. Many people think that when they die they will appear at the judgement bar of Almighty God and their works will be weighted on a balance. If their good works outweigh their bad works they will go to Heaven; but if their bad works outweigh their good works they will go to hell. The Bible does not teach this. The Bible teaches salvation by grace and justification by faith, but since grace is a principle that is contrary to the thinking of the natural man, he always thinks he must do something to be saved. He thinks that in some way he must gain favor in the sight of God.

In other lands people turn prayer wheels, make pilgrimages, bathe in holy rivers, and sometimes sacrifice their own children to gain favor with God. In America we are a bit more sophisticated. So we go to church, get baptized, pay tithes, help the poor, say masses and seek to avoid "worldly" things.

It is strange that there is so much confusion about salvation when the Bible makes it all so plain.

One problem is, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14).

We can praise the Lord that many progressive Church of Christ people no longer believe in salvation by works, but in years gone by this was one of their cardinal doctrines. They always said, "You 'gotta' work." In those days the Churches of Christ had five requirements for salvation:

  1. Faith
  2. Baptism
  3. Repentance
  4. Confession
  5. Good Works


Many Churches of Christ, especially in overseas countries, still teach good works are necessary for salvation. It is strange that they continue to practice salvation by works when the Bible is so clear on this subject. "Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Tim. 1:9). "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Gal. 2:16). Good works and human merit of any kind have absolutely nothing to do with our salvation.

We are not saved "by good works" we are saved "unto good works" (Eph. 2:10). Good works always follow saving faith. They are the evidence of saving faith, but not the means of it. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (I John 5:12). If you have Christ, you are a Christian. If you do not have Christ, even though you may do 101 good things, you are not a child of God.



The Importance of Good Works

The Bible puts a great emphasis on the importance of good works. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say" (Luke 6:46)? Read Matthew 7:24-29.

The Apostle Paul exhorts Titus, "in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:7,8,11,- 13). Christians are to "be ready for every good work" (Titus 3:1). "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful" (Titus 3:14). Faith is the root; works the fruit. People who believe in salvation by works often quote "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12), but they do not bother to quote the next verse. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). You cannot work out a garden, if you do not have a garden to work out. You cannot work out your salvation if you do not have salvation to work out.

Those who teach good works are necessary for salvation always turn to the second chapter of James. I believe and preach every word of it. I stress the importance of good works, not as a condition of salvation but as the result of salvation. If a person has to work before he can be saved, then he is not saved until, he produces a certain amount of works. If he is not saved, he is still dead in trespasses and sins, and the only kind of works that a dead person can produce are dead works!

But you say, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). What in the world will I ever do with that verse! My dear friend, that is exactly what I believe, and what I have preached for sixty years. "Faith without works is dead." A dead faith cannot produce works that are acceptable to God. The only faith that saves is a living faith which changes and transforms the believer and makes him to be a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

But wait a minute, you say. How about James 2:24? "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." Now you think you have me between a rock and a hard place. Not so! The Good Book means exactly what it says. The key to this verse is, "You see then." In the sight of men we are justified by our works. None of us can see faith, but we can see works, which are the evidence of our faith. In the sight of one another we are justified by our works, But in God's sight (Rom. 3:20) we are justified by faith and by faith alone (Rom. 3:28; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10; etc.).

I have joyfully served God for sixty years, but I have not worked one moment in order to be saved; I have gladly served Him because I am saved. I serve Him as an expression of my love and devotion for Christ. What a difference there is between working in order to be saved and working because you are saved. May I humbly suggest you make the experiment and see the difference for yourself.



Obedience

A well known Church of Christ writer has written to me, "I never thought I would hear a professed Christian declare that 'obedience is not essential to salvation!' Do you really mean that, or have you dodged the truth so far as to deaden your conscience?"

There are two sides to every coin. On the one hand, who would dare to teach that it is not important to obey God; but on the other hand what folly to teach that we are saved by obedience. If we must obey in order to be saved, none of us will be saved, for none of us is obedient in every point. What folly to pick out five or six doctrines (among them baptism for the remission of sins) and think we are saved because we keep these five or six commands.

For example, we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). "Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin" (Rom. 6:11). We are commanded to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (I Thess. 5:16-22). God commanded us to be perfect even as He is perfect (Matt. 5:48). God commands us to be holy as He is holy (I Peter 1:15). If we have to obey that command in order to be saved, we are all doomed for Hell.

After I replied to this brother, the following incident came to my mind.

A friend of mine was studying with Mormons. They convinced him that they believed in, and taught salvation by grace. I told him they did not believe in salvation by grace, but he insisted they did. So I agreed to meet with him and the two young "elders. " They started in their usual way of attempting to "lead me on" by asking questions. I told them to go ahead and present their doctrine. In the course of their presentation the subject of the law came up. I questioned them about this, and one of them said, "if we are not saved by keeping the law, how are we saved?" I turned to my friend and said, "The cat is out of the bag." He understood what I meant. Both of the "elders" became quite angry.

In the same way when my Church of Christ friend says that we are saved by obedience, the cat is out of the bag. You cannot be saved by grace and by obedience (Rom. 11:5,6). You cannot be saved by grace plus anything.

Please do not misunderstand me. The Bible teaches and I preach that faith and obedience go hand in hand:

"Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." Please notice the song does not say, and the Bible does not say, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be saved," but it says, "There is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

We do not obey in order to be saved, but because we are saved. What a difference!