Not only do good works get Christ glorified; but good works also get sinners justified. Before beginning this discussion, please take note of two attributes of those who are working for their salvation. First, notice their selfishness. Those who believe in a works-based salvation are working overtime, fighting the flesh, fighting the world, fighting the devil, trying to go to church enough, trying to hear enough preaching, trying to pray enough, trying to fast enough...all so THEY can be saved. Everything they do is done because they are "striving to make heaven their home." Consequenly, the second attribute of those who work for their salvation is their lack of soul-winning. Think about it. If you do everything you do just so you can "barely make it in," you have very little to give anyone else. It is no wonder to me that Holiness churches are among the smallest churches. We spend so much money on youth camps, campmeetings, conferences, and so forth...all to keep our people saved. When you are working for your salvation, you have little or no assurance of your own salvation. This smothers you until you literally have nothing to offer the lost generation of our day.
Those who believe in the doctrine I refer to as once saved, always saved also tend to run into some trouble. Often, they present salvation as "fire insurance." They often ask someone, "Do you know for sure you are going to heaven when you die?" When the person says, "No," the one asking the question then offers salvation as a means of "knowing for sure they are going to heaven." The problem with this is simple. Once a person gets saved, only so they can go to heaven, they often kick back and relax until they die. They have everything taken care of, so there's no need to do anything. Consequently, many of them do not make good soul-winners either.
Friend, we are not saved just so we can go to heaven. Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 20 that illustrates the point beautifully. He tells about man who has a vineyard, and he needs workers. He goes to the marketplace looking for workers. Several times throughout the day he hires workers to work in the vineyard. At the end of the day, it is time for each labourer to receive his reward. Friend, when you are saved, it is not just so YOU can go to heaven. God forbid that we be that selfish. I am saved so I can work in the field and win others to Jesus Christ. I am not working for God because "I'm striving to make heaven my home;" I work for God that, according to Matthew 5:16, others will see my good works, and glorify my Father which is in heaven. This silly business of "working so we can go to heaven" needs to be thrown into the creek. We need to work while it is day, to reach the lost for Jesus Christ.
The Lord has a way using our good works to convict sinners, and bring them to salvation. In Matthew 5-7, Jesus Christ sowed good seed. He gave the multitudes His word, preached with authority. We call that message from our Lord "the Sermon on the Mount." He spoke this message to the multitudes. Vast numbers of people were ready to hear Him. Why were so many people ready to hear what Jesus had to say to them? The answer, I believe, lies in the 4th chapter of the book of Matthew. At the end of the 4th chapter, Jesus goes through the coasts. He heals their sick. He cures their lunatick. He takes care of their physical needs. He shows them "good works." After He had been good to them, when we come to Matthew chapter 5, they are ready to listen when He speaks to them. Yes, we often give people the Word. We tell them how it is. We cut no corners. But often, they are not ready to hear us. The Holy Ghost has a way of using our good works to break up the fallow ground of one's hard heart, and bring them to salvation. It is hard for a lost man to speak harshly to one who is showing him kindness. I think if those of us who are trying to win souls would show kindness to people before witnessing to them, we would have greater results. It always makes sense to plow the ground before planting. Yes, let's have good works. Not so we can be saved, but that others can come to Jesus Christ.
Those who believe in the doctrine I refer to as once saved, always saved also tend to run into some trouble. Often, they present salvation as "fire insurance." They often ask someone, "Do you know for sure you are going to heaven when you die?" When the person says, "No," the one asking the question then offers salvation as a means of "knowing for sure they are going to heaven." The problem with this is simple. Once a person gets saved, only so they can go to heaven, they often kick back and relax until they die. They have everything taken care of, so there's no need to do anything. Consequently, many of them do not make good soul-winners either.
Friend, we are not saved just so we can go to heaven. Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 20 that illustrates the point beautifully. He tells about man who has a vineyard, and he needs workers. He goes to the marketplace looking for workers. Several times throughout the day he hires workers to work in the vineyard. At the end of the day, it is time for each labourer to receive his reward. Friend, when you are saved, it is not just so YOU can go to heaven. God forbid that we be that selfish. I am saved so I can work in the field and win others to Jesus Christ. I am not working for God because "I'm striving to make heaven my home;" I work for God that, according to Matthew 5:16, others will see my good works, and glorify my Father which is in heaven. This silly business of "working so we can go to heaven" needs to be thrown into the creek. We need to work while it is day, to reach the lost for Jesus Christ.
The Lord has a way using our good works to convict sinners, and bring them to salvation. In Matthew 5-7, Jesus Christ sowed good seed. He gave the multitudes His word, preached with authority. We call that message from our Lord "the Sermon on the Mount." He spoke this message to the multitudes. Vast numbers of people were ready to hear Him. Why were so many people ready to hear what Jesus had to say to them? The answer, I believe, lies in the 4th chapter of the book of Matthew. At the end of the 4th chapter, Jesus goes through the coasts. He heals their sick. He cures their lunatick. He takes care of their physical needs. He shows them "good works." After He had been good to them, when we come to Matthew chapter 5, they are ready to listen when He speaks to them. Yes, we often give people the Word. We tell them how it is. We cut no corners. But often, they are not ready to hear us. The Holy Ghost has a way of using our good works to break up the fallow ground of one's hard heart, and bring them to salvation. It is hard for a lost man to speak harshly to one who is showing him kindness. I think if those of us who are trying to win souls would show kindness to people before witnessing to them, we would have greater results. It always makes sense to plow the ground before planting. Yes, let's have good works. Not so we can be saved, but that others can come to Jesus Christ.
