BY Argie Simonis
The spirit of religion has done great damage to the body of Christ. It brings burdens and guilt and:
- either it makes you constantly feel the need to satisfy an angry God who is waiting to blast you for the sin you have committed,
- or it justifies you so much, that you are satisfied by seeing how much better you are with the good works you do comparing to your neighbor who lives in sin.
That's exactly why Jesus spoke the parable of the publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.
See what Paul also writes:
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." Rom. 5:7
"But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Rom. 5:9
This is exactly the definition of an unconditional and without limits love. The lack of this revelation causes many people to accept salvation by grace, but then fall back into the deceit that they must live good enough for God to use them as Christians.
According to this mindeset, if today you fell into sin, does it mean that God will not use you tomorrow to evangelize a person who does not know the Lord or to pray for someone and receive healing?
While many start their journey correctly with an understanding of the greatness of Divine grace, along the way religion comes and makes them completely miss the meaning of what Paul was saying.
See what Paul says:
"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him:" Col. 2:6
What Paul means here is that in the same way we receive Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins (by grace through faith), in the exact same way we receive healing, deliverance and everything else we need.
Our salvation did NOT come because of our holiness or goodness:
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Τitus 3:5
Many times, however, Christians are saved by putting faith in God's grace and then try to earn all the benefits of salvation by their works. This is something that will NEVER work and those who teach this are teaching a false gospel.
See how strict the apostle Paul is on this matter:
"I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel:" Gal. 1:6
"Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Gal. 1:7
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8
"As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:9
Paul goes on and says:
"But I certify you, brothers, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man." Gal. 1:11
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Gal. 1:12
What we need to do is to return to the simplicity of believing in what God has already offered us through His Grace.
Look at the harsh language Paul uses in Galatians:
"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" Gal. 3:1
"This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Gal. 3:2
"Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?" Gal. 3:3
"Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain." Gal. 3:4
"He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Gal. 3:5
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Do you know that Christians who have grown up in a religious environment, when the true gospel is preached to them, the Pharisee in them awakens?
And the first question they will ask you is the same question Paul asks and answers 5 times in his letters. Three in his letter to Romans and two in his letter to the Galatians:
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Rom. 6:15
"Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?" Rom. 6:16
What then? Should we not do good works because we are under grace? God forbid! We must realize that we do not do good works to be accepted by God or to be used by God, as I have already explained. Our good works are the fruit of our faith, because a sincere faith in the Lord will always bear fruit. James explains it very well in his letter:
"What does it profit, my brothers, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" James 2:14
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food," James 2:15
"And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?" James 2:16
"Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17
"Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18
James continues in his letter:
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?" James 2:21
"See you how faith worked with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" James 2:22
"And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." James 2:23
"You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24
"Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?" James 2:25
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26
Look now at what Paul says about Abraham:
"For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but not before God." Rom. 4:2
"For what said the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." Rom. 4:3
"Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." Rom. 4:4
"But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:5
So, which one is true? Is man justified by works or by faith?
The key to understanding this is knowing that there are two kinds of works:
- The works of the Law mentioned by Paul in Rom. 3:28 that we read,
- and the works of faith:
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;" 1Thes. 1:2
"Remembering without ceasing your WORK of FAITH, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;" 1Thes. 1:3
"Why also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the WORK of FAITH with power:" 2Thes. 1:11
If you are wondering what the works of faith are, they are the fruit of the Spirit living in us, and Paul describes them:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," Gal. 5:22
"Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Gal. 5:23
The works of the Law are the actions done in trying to gain something from God.
~~ No one can earn anything from God. We must HUMBLE ourselves and believe in what Jesus has already done for us. ~~
So when we do this with true faith in God's word and His promises it changes our heart, we become the new creation that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:17, and we now have works of faith and NOT of the Law.
~~ Works of faith do not cause any change in our hearts, but are our actions that come from an already transformed heart! ~~
Therefore, the works of faith do NOT ensure our relationship with God, but are the result of the relationship with God, the fruit of our relationship with the Lord. That is why James does not contradict Paul at all when he writes:
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26
~~ James and Paul describe the two sides of the same coin.
Paul tells us that salvation comes only by faith in what Jesus did for us, and James explains how we can discern whether our faith in God is real. If our actions do not agree with our faith, then this faith is dead. ~~
This is exactly how Abraham's faith saved him and made him righteous in the eyes of God:
"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Gen. 15:6
but Abraham's faith was NOT complete until he acted in obedience to God:
"And he said, Lay not your hand on the lad, neither do you any thing to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." Gen. 22:12
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----- SUMMARY ----
I want to underline that everything that I have mentioned so far is useful to discern the true from the fake faith, but be careful, because only God knows our heart. And I say this because we ALL make mistakes and fall into sin. This does not necessarily mean that our faith is dead.
Don't forget the words of John:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1John 1:8
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:9
The Lord always honors a humble heart, which when it falls and sins does not look to hide itself from the presence of God as Adam did in the garden of Eden, but quickly repents and runs to the throne of Grace to receive mercy and forgiveness from the Lord.
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16
Amen!
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