James tells us about how faith without works is dead. However, did you know that works without faith is just as dead? The works salvation crowd had tried to use James 2 to say, “See, it’s salvation by faith and works.” without knowing the whole point. If it were so, James 2:10-11 wouldn’t be written as it says it only takes one sin for us to fall short of God’s glory. Romans 3:10-19 shows us how our best isn’t enough. Hebrews 11 is the hall of faith and we read how by faith this and that was done.
The post-modern mind says stuff like:
- It doesn’t matter what religion you practice as young as you’re a good person.
- All religions are the same–it’s just the interpretation that’s different!
On a surface, it seems good but it isn’t. It’s really hard to believe, now, isn’t it that salvation isn’t by works? After all, people have a pagan worldview that views God like as if he’s like the gods of mythology. Works salvation will only work if we’re living in the world of cartoons and mythology. Works salvation will only work if Hades the god of the underworld were real, evaluating all the dead based on their performance, and him sentencing the wicked to Tartarus (Hell) and the righteous to the Elysian Fields (Paradise).
Do I deny that world religion teaches good works? I don’t deny that. For example, I could agree with a lot of the ethical aspects of world religions. I don’t have a problem being told to live the virtues of the Buddhist eightfold path, Taoism’s desire to value the emptiness of the container, Confucian ethics, or that I don’t deny some Catholics and Muslims I meet are humanly speaking, good people. My problem isn’t the teaching of good works but the motive behind the good works and the theology behind the good works. Good works are good but even the best of the good works isn’t enough.
An illustration of how our good works are cut short can be found in the first example of Hebrews 11. Cain tried to offer the best of his crops. I doubt it that they were rotten. Abel offered the first of his flock as a blood offering. Cain had an attitude of pride. Abel gave the offering by faith. It’s believed that Abel offered the sin sacrifice in recognition of his own sin. I guess that’s why God didn’t accept Cain’s offering probably because what was needed was a blood sacrifice. Cain’s disregard of his own sinfulness led to his curse and the curse that came down to his descendants many generations later. Cain killed Abel because of his pride. Cain just can’t accept that the best of his harvest was rejected while Abel’s was. This also becomes an attitude that anybody who tries to work for their salvation has–they tend to be hostile towards the truth that salvation is found in the Lord Jesus alone!
The issue of the good works is with the motive behind doing them. The Pharisees were very zealous unto good works, no questions asked. However, their motive was self-preservation instead of giving glory to God. I’m not saying it was wrong for the Pharisees to desire to keep the law. The problem was that the Pharisees were filled with so much pride. Works salvation is a license to boast hence Ephesians 2:8-9 says that there’s no boasting in good works. Matthew 7:21-23 also warns that such people will try to justify their way into Heaven but only fail too.
For any good works to be pleasing–it requires the saving grace of God. Hebrews 9:11-14 says our best good works are dead. They need to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Isaiah 64:6 says that our good works are but filthy rags. They need to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The best of the unbeliever is nothing more than paying for less punishment in the Lake of Fire. However, it doesn’t change the fact that less punishment is still punishment. Only the good works done out of a genuine spirit of righteousness is truly pleasing to God. It’s because of man’s radical corruption and total depravity–even the best is not enough!
What’s with the Christian doing good works if they don’t believe good works will save them or keep them saved? The answer is with the root and the fruit. For the Christian, good works are but an attitude of gratitude. Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:11-14 says God’s graces teaches good works. Christians are called to a life of good works. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is all about the marks of true conversion or the fruit of salvation. There’s no reason to accept anybody who says “I’m a Christian!” but is living such a lawless life like a serial murderer, a rapist, a swindler, a habitual adulterer, adn the like. A Christian struggles with sin but he or she doesn’t live a life of sin–there’s a difference. Lot was stupid enough to enter Sodom yet he was vexed daily yet 2 peter 2:7 says that he was vexed by such wickedness daily. It’s all about the attitude of gratitude as only fake converts will believe they have a license to sin. True converts just don’t want to sin anymore.
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