Friday, November 16, 2007

Faith, Works and Salvation

I know that I'm way overdo to finish my thoughts on the Headships post. This should be relatively brief.
I've only ever met one man that verbally told me that you could only find salvation through works. Most people will dance around the issue and dip their toe in the water, but will stop short of jumping in with both feet and actually saying that salvation comes through works. This man could not imagine that God would only require your faith. His example; "If I stood here and told you I had a fifty dollar bill and you could have it, believance alone will not get you this fifty dollars. You have to step up here and grab it."
Ephesians 2:8 starts:
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

This is pretty clear as to what saves us. It is by the grace of God, through our faith (once again, made available by God) that we are saved. Not by works. If it were by our good works, what is the point of the coming and suffering of Christ? So many before Christ lived lives of good works. Alright, so what about verse 10 of the Ephesians passage? Ephesians 2:10: 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Yes, it says that we were created to do good works. No, it does not say that we are saved through good works. I already pointed out to you what salvation comes by. God loves for us to do good works. It pleases Him. A couple more references. Jesus himself said that a persons faith has saved them. See Luke 7:50 (read the preceding verses also). The woman who anointed his head with oil and kissed his feet. He forgave her of her sins and made the proclamation "Thy faith hath saved thee". Also in Luke 18:42 he also made the same statement to the blind man. Also in 2 Timothy 3:15, 1 Peter 1:9 and more. In fact, in Galatians 5:4, it says that if you are justified by the law (works), you have fallen from grace. Meaning if you put your faith in the law, you have turned away from God's grace. Your faith is in works, not in God. Also see Romans 4:4.
What about James 2:17 which says:
17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. This passage does not say that faith coupled by works saves. It says that faith without works is dead. It's eluding to your faith producing works. Read verse 18 (James 2:18). It says that his faith will produce works. He also says that you can't have one without the other. He is not condoning the thinking of faith and works separated. He said that his faith is proven through his works. Good works is a by-product of true faith. A faith without works is not faith, or is dead faith.
How do you keep your salvation? Through faith! Read: 1 Peter 1:5 ("kept through faith unto salvation"). Jude 1:3 says to "earnestly contend for the faith" unto salvation. Many places he tells them to hold onto the things that first saved them (faith). To go back to that which first saved them (faith). In Hebrews 3, more than once the writer tells them to hold fast the confidence unto the end.
Alright, now that I made my case for salvation, back to the headship. If the un-spiritual husband tells you to cut your hair, put on pants, put on make-up, wear jewelery and stay home from church...does this mean the end of your salvation? Of course not. I just showed that your salvation comes through faith. I also showed that your salvation is kept through faith. Your mean heathen husband can make you do a lot of things, but he can't take away your salvation. Just like the martyrs of history. The biggest push of their persecutors was for them to recant and or deny their faith. Turn their backs on their salvation by grace through faith. They screwed their tongues to wood. They disemboweled them. They burned them and threw them into the wild animals. They took their scriptures and destroyed them. Locked them up and prevented them from going to church. But they went to the death and grave with their faith in salvation. Just as a woman can live amongst a cruel husband and be obedient to him, and still keep her faith; which in turn is confirming her salvation.
I know this is elementary stuff for some. Anyone who chooses to pick up the scripture, read it and actually believe what it says knows this. But the contrary is being preached from pulpits and believed among the congregation. Make sure that your confirming the preaching in your church with the authority of the scriptures. And as a final note, I certainly did not exhaust the scriptures with the passages I used. I know there are more to support this. I just ran out of time to run them all down. Besides, it will give you something to do.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Troy,
I would like to make a comment concerning the gentleman's point on "If I stood here and told you I had a fifty dollar bill and you could have it, believance alone will not get you this fifty dollars. You have to step up here and grab it." Is it possible that his comment was, in a sense, stating the same thing that you are saying? I understand, and agree strongly, with your points but sometimes we may feel so strongly on a point that we overlook anything else that may, in other words, offend our belief.

For instance, if I was not of the chosen and I read your blog then I would be able to rejoice because I'm saved. Not having to do anything means that I could remain in my worldly ways because your verses have confirmed in my thinking that I don't have to do anything.

Now you may have said that our faith has made us free. Is faith works? Well, I believe that faith without works is dead. Now you must ask yourself, does works make you free? Absolutely not, but the results of faith (works) does, right? Soooo... Just looking at a fifty dollar bill (faith without works) will not make richer, but grabbing the dollar (faith with works) will, right?

Just something to think about.

Thank you.