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WORKS

    Works are toward the top of the list for controversy within the Christian faith. Opinions range from their
being necessary for one's very salvation to they are of no consequence except to gain rewards for one's
eternity.  In my understanding of what God is saying, neither of these is correct.  Salvation is based
on what Jesus did for us and NOTHING more.  On the other hand, works are the evidence that one is
truly saved.  In other words, works are a result of salvation, not the cause of it.  Even the thief on the
cross, which some use as an example that no works are necessary, couldn't help but do works for God
once he was saved.  Didn't he confess Christ to the other thief?  Did he not confess with his mouth and
become a witness to all within hearing distance of his voice?  We are to come as children, and the older we get through seeking, the more we are expected to do.  One can not be an adult Christian and not do works, that is being a sluggard.
    It is my intent, not only to answer questions and give understanding, but to provoke you to search
on your own for the answers.  God is ultimately the one who reveals the answers, and I am only here
as His tool.  In reality, I can only give my opinion on a subject.  If my opinion is truth, then god will establish
that fact.  If it isn't, He will also establish that fact.  The truth lies in His word.

   

FAITH WITHOUT ACTION, IS IT ENOUGH?

NOAH

            It didn’t matter how much faith one had in the boat unless they were in it.  Faith had to be put to their feet to get them in it before the door was shut and God shut the door.

ABRAHAM

            It didn’t matter how much faith Abraham had in God if he hadn’t left his land and put faith to his feet to follow where God said to go.

            It didn’t matter how much faith Abraham had in what God said unless he planted seed in a dead womb to have the son.

            God said “now I know you love me” after Abraham put his faith to work by willingly sacrificing his only son.  The sacrifice was made in the heart even though the act never took place.

EXODUS JEWS

            Would having faith in the blood on the door of the house help those who would not enter?  Would being in the house in faith, get them to the Promised Land if they did not leave Egypt and follow the Lord? 

THE CHRISTIAN

            It doesn’t matter how much faith one has in the cross if he doesn’t have enough faith to go where God says to go and do the things He says to do.  The action isn’t what counts, as testified by Abraham, but the faith revealed by the willingness to act.  The word says to trust and put faith in Christ, it doesn’t say put trust in the sacrifice only.  The sacrifice is just one of the things Jesus does, and did, for us.  Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  If we do not let him in, does he still know us because we want his salvation?  Do we truly believe if we trust him as the lamb, but not as the lord? 

THE NON-CHRISTIAN

            If salvation can’t be lost, then are all saved?  The lamb took away the sin of the world.  God reconciled the world to himself.  If one can come to the cross and believe, but then walk away and stop believing, without losing salvation; how are they different than those who never believed in the first place since the lamb was for all and they both stand in the same place?  All were saved and reconciled while enemies and sinners. 

THE LOST    

            God didn’t save a man so he could escape everlasting punishment, though that is his desire.  That place was prepared for the devil and his angels.  He saved a man to have a relationship with him.  If that man is not willing to have a relationship, then he is lost; for a relationship is the only way to receive the things necessary to obtain eternal salvation.  It is also the only way for the Lord to know us.  If one is saved at the cross and then walks away from God, God does not take back the gift of being saved.  He is saved forever, but that salvation is from past sins and the damnation brought upon us through Adam.  The problem is that everlasting life and eternal salvation is another point of salvation, another gift that he fails to receive.  Comparing scripture to scripture in light of the law of sacrifices reveals that there are two separate sacrifices and scripturally, two separate gifts of salvation.  This is the only way to see truth without altering the true meaning of any scripture. 

NON DOERS

            Ja 1:22-24 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was

NO WORKS WHEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY

            Ja 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

            The word profit here has nothing to do with rewards for works.  It has more to do with receiving eternal life and the things of the Father, the inheritance.  This word is only used in one other place in the word and it is where Paul is saying, what good is what he’s doing, if the dead do not rise.               What will Jesus say to them? 

                        Mt 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye                    did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ⁴⁶ And these shall go away                         into everlasting punishment

            Ja 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead

            This faith is a corpse, it has no life in it; and neither does its benefactor.

            Ja 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works

            Ja 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only

            I must say here that works cannot save.  It is the condition of the heart, which causes one to do the works, which matters.  If one is saved and dies before works can be performed, the salvation stands.  If there is opportunity, then God be the judge, but it is hardly possible to have the condition of the heart necessary without doing works.

NO FRUIT

            Jn 15:1-2 Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh                                   away
            Jn 15:5  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit
            Jn 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men                                     gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned
            Jn 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall                     be done unto you.  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall                                     ye be my disciples

 

3. ARE WORKS ONLY FOR REWARDS?

JUSTIFIED BY WORKS

            Mt 12:37 One is justified or condemned by their words

            Rom 3:20 One is not justified by the deeds of the law

            Rom 3:28 One is justified by faith without the deeds of the law

            Deeds of the law are religion.  If one does deeds because they are supposed to, then it doesn’t count because it isn’t done with a cheerful heart. 

            Rom 4:2 Abraham was not justified by works or he could claim glory

            He was justified by the faith that caused the works.

            Rom 5:1 being justified by faith we have peace with God

            Ja 2:21 Abraham was justified by works when he offered Isaac

            because he believed God

            Ja 2:24 Man is justified by works and not by faith only

            Ja 2:25 Rahab was justified by works when she helped the messengers

            Coming as a child, which is a requirement to see the kingdom, results in obedience and wanting to please the parent.

5. IF ONE BELIEVES THAT WORKS ARE MANDATORY YOU SAY HE IS           CONDEMNED

          Ja 2:5 heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him

            Jn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments

            Jn 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love

            Jn 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you

            Jn 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

            1Jn 2:3 hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

          1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

            Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him

          Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

WORKS PRODUCE FRUIT WHICH ARE MANDATRORY

            Mt 3:10 every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

            Mt 25:30 cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:

                        Ja 2:14-17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and                                   have not works?

WORKS AND REWARD

            Mt 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Rom 2:6-7 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:   To them who by                               patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,                          eternal life:  

            1 Cor 3:11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.   If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

            This scripture doesn’t say that there is a loss of reward, but rather that there is none earned.  If the works are burned up, then there are no works to receive a reward for, and rewards are wages earned for works.  It does say that the man remains saved but even his salvation is tried by fire        

GIVING WATER

            Mt 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

             Mt 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled

            Mt 25:34-40  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand:          Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink             Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me

            Jn 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

            Jn 6:35 I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst

            Jn 7:37-38 If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

            Rev 21:6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

            Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb

            Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

            First one is offered a drink of the spiritual water.  When one tastes of this water they want more.  As one drinks more and more, they become filled and start to have that river of water coming out of their own belly.  This happens because at this point we are seated in heavenly places where the river originates.

            Rom 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

            This scripture, I believe, is speaking of a twofold event.  We are to feed and give drink to them in the physical realm, but this is to gain the opportunity to feed and give drink of the spiritual realm.  The coals seem to have a twofold purpose.  They can either burn away the enmity between enemies, or they can add to the burning that will be present for eternity.  If they come, then the waters of life will extinguish the coals and they will become little ones desiring drink.  As they

receive of the waters of life, there forms the river within them to go and give drink to others as it did in the enemy that said come to them and gave them to drink.  This is fulfilling Mt 5:44 above, love your enemies.  This can only be done through our Lord and the strength he gives us. 

            1Cor 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

WORKS THAT ARE BURNED

            Mt 6:1-2 do not your alms  before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.   Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward