Works vs. Faith?
A short post (that is late and should have been posted last week: sorry) on an important topic
I recently preached 1 Peter 1:3-11. Afterward, someone said it seemed like I was close to preaching "works-righteousness," and they were glad I had clarified that "salvation is by grace."
I thanked them and went on my way.
But that conversation has stuck with me. As I've been mulling it over, I wonder if what I clarified was essential. I concluded that if my amendment blunted the impact of Peter's point, it wasn't helpful.
We may need more works and less clarification.
Now, before you write me off as a heretic, consider the following quotes:
"So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
"So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God."
"I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right."
Now, even though I didn't attribute them, the astute among you will have already recognized that I am simply quoting from the New Testament. Above, from the New Living Translation of the Bible, are quotes from (in order) Jesus, John, and Peter.
Are those guys heretics for talking so?
And before you say anything, Paul agrees with them:
"Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."
And before you say anything again, you should know I am not cherry-picking the juiciest verses. The New Testament condemns fruitless fake faith more than cautions against misunderstood motives for works. Over and over again, we are urged to "make every effort," to "obey," to "do."
So why the nail-biting and over-frequent clarifications between works and grace? Why are we afraid to issue a clear call demanding works from professing Christians?
We must understand the difference between the rightness of works and earning rightness by works.
The New Testament's call to works is not a call to earn our salvation but a call to demonstrate it. For that matter, the Old Testament call to works was the same. It's not like works saved Israel and grace through faith saves the church: salvation has always been by grace through faith! The demand for God's people to work has never been an attempt to make them earn God's favor; it's always sprung from the fact that they have received God's favor.
My goal from now on? Make no apologies for what the Word makes clear.
I encourage you to "make every effort" as well.
True. 🍑 (Matthew 7:16) "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"