Works.

I pray for this simply to be an exposition of the emptiness of a works based system in which we attempt to EARN salvation through the things we accomplish. Some of this may sound a bit familiar if you have read my posts in the past, but I pray we arrive upon an enlightened conclusion which impulses us to truth by the grace of his Word.

Should there be an eternity, the perceptions of how to attain it are as numerous as the stars. However, one prevailing thought seems to rise to the top within the modernized worldview of our culture, being this: Be good. Do good things, and hopefully the righteous will outweigh the depravity enabling one's soul to be justified eternally.

"None is righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10 ESV)

We will return here later, but to avoid being misheard I must quickly state that there lies a stark juxtaposition between BEING righteous, and living within righteousness.

Recently I had two Mormon missionaries knock on my door. Since I had a pocket of time, I invited them into my apartment to spend some time in discussion. After spending sometime talking through the divinity of Christ, we arrived at the topic of salvation, to which I inquired of how it could be attained. "Salvation is from grace, through faith, by good works." This sounded close to my own theology, but with enough contrast to stand completely separate from it, so I asked them to clarify.

"So there are things that I must do, actions I must live within, and deeds that I must perform in order to obtain salvation?"

There response was a quick yes, confirming my question, and claiming that works are indeed necessary to gain eternal life. Therein, biblically, lies the problem.

"For by GRACE that you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no man can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

See: Titus 3:5

See: 1 Peter 1:8-9

See Galatians 2:21

Sitting in my dining room, the two missionaries and I walked through this:

I broke every single on of the ten commandments by the time I was nine years old. Kindergarten ethics failed. At the time of my speaking this, they both looked at me as if I was insane, to which we jumped to Matthew 5, where Jesus states that to hate is to have killed in your heart, and to lust is to commit adultery. With that understanding, they seemed to reach a point where they understood that they were in the same boat. As are you. We. All. Have. Failed. We fall much short of the cross, much short of glory, and grace, which is why all three of them had to be given through the man of Christ.

It must be further expounded upon that if we all have failed miserably, how then can any works save us? Works are immensely important, and are truly a mark of a true believer, but can they SAVE?

See: Ephesians 2:10

See: Titus 3:9

See: James 2:17

See: 1 John 5:3

See: 2nd Corinthians 5:15

If they can, and we fail so often, how can one be legitimately secure in their salvation? They can't. Grace MUST fill the void as the scriptures point to. This grace is not to be taken advantage of, or abused. See: Romans 6:1-4 But because of his great love, we are to love him in return through righteous action. See: 1 John 3:18. Though none of us are born righteous, once sanctified we are entitled to live in righteousness having become a new creation. See: 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Should you be a skeptic, perhaps you have viewed the church as a legalistic set of responsibilities of which you wanted nothing to do with. I pray you would understand that this truly is not the heart of faith, and that the failures of man have set it askew. You do not have to be good enough to be loved and accepted by the God of the universe. In fact, the cross came to abolish that very thing.

Should you be a believer. May you never forget that it is the immeasurable grace of the Savior that saved you. Not your church attendance, and not your good deeds. Please. Continue in action, but may it be impulsed by love and not legalism.

Today we end, standing upon the cornerstone of which Paul ended almost everyone of his letters:

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you." (1 Corinthians 16:23 ESV)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen." (Galatians 6:18)

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible." (Ephesians 6:24)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philippians 4:23)

"Grace be with you." (Colossians 4:18)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." (1st Thessalonians 5:28)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." (2nd Thessalonians 3:18)

"Grace be with you." (1st Timothy 6:21)

"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." (2nd Timothy 4:22)

"Grace be with you all." (Titus 3:15)

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philemon 1:25)

Grace. It is all that saves. May we all accept it.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen