After reading my last several blog posts, one may conclude that I believe in a salvation where one just professes to believe and lives like the devil. That is most certainly not what I believe, and no statement could be further from the truth. I believe that good works play a major role in the life of the Christian - just not in the plan of salvation. Good works, as best as I can see them, serve three purposes in the life of a Christian. We do not possess good works to be saved or stay saved. Rather, we work as Christians to get Christ glorified, to get sinners justified, and to get the church edified.
Christ Glorified
Good works in the life of a Christian glorify Christ. To illustrate, allow me to show what happens when a person is saved. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of Christ moves into the heart, or inner man, of that individual. Note the following scriptures:
Romans 8:9 - "...Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Galatians 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Ephesians 3:16, 17 - "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith..."
Colossians 1:27 - "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
So, as you can see, when a person is born again by the Spirit of God; saved by the grace of God, the spirit of Jesus moves into the heart of that individual. You will notice Galatians 2:20 quoted above - "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." I believe in salvation by grace THROUGH FAITH. Those who believe in unconditional eternal security also believe in salvation by grace THROUGH FAITH. The fork in the road lies in the word, "faith." To the man who believes in once saved, always saved, faith is a one-time expression. You just express faith one time when you ask the Lord to save you, and that's it. As far as they are concerned, you can discard your faith. However, Paul says here, that the same faith that saved him is the same faith that he LIVES BY. "The life which I now live... I LIVE BY THE FAITH of the Son of God..." Three times the scriptures declare, "The just shall LIVE BY faith." I believe that the same faith that gets you saved will keep you saved. It is possible, according to I Timothy 4, to depart from the faith. However, as long as you are in the faith, the faith will keep you. Please understand, I am not talking about "living by works;" I am talking about "living by faith." I am talking about continuing to trust the Lord for your salvation. If you start trusting in anything else for your salvation (even good works, as the Galatians did), you are fallen from grace.
So, when you place your faith in Christ, the spirit of Christ moves into your heart. Going back to Galatians 2:20, as you live by the faith of the Son of God, you can with Paul - "Christ liveth in me." NOTE THIS - As long as my faith is in Christ, CHRIST WILL DO THE LIVING IN MY HEART. Here's the question: If Christ is doing the living in my heart, what kind of works will be present in my life? When I was a student at Free Gospel Bible Institute, students argued and debated over whether or not Jesus could've sinned while He was in the flesh. It is not really important as to whether He could have sinned or not; the two important things are these: 1) He didn't; and 2) He still doesn't! Friend, Christ never has sinned, and Christ never will sin. When you get saved, you let Jesus in your heart. As Jesus lives in your heart, He WILL NOT SIN. This is why I preach that there is power in the gospel - power to overcome sin. You do not have to be bound by it; it does not have to enslave you. Just let Jesus do the living, and every work that He will do will be good works.
If you let Jesus do the living, good works will only be the natural result of salvation. You won't have to force good works to come out of you; they just will! When you plant an apple tree, you don't have to force it to bring forth apples. Just get it rooted good and deep, water it, and apples will grow. The Bible says we are rooted in Christ. Brother and sister, if we are in Christ, good fruit will just grow as we water it with the Word!
If we will just let Christ do the living in our hearts, He will live a holy life. If we have Christ in the root, we'll have Christ in the fruit. It will be automatic. And, since Christ will be the One doing the living in us, it will be Him and only Him, who will receive the GLORY. I want Jesus to bring forth good works in my life, so that He alone will be glorified.
Christ Glorified
Good works in the life of a Christian glorify Christ. To illustrate, allow me to show what happens when a person is saved. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of Christ moves into the heart, or inner man, of that individual. Note the following scriptures:
Romans 8:9 - "...Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Galatians 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Ephesians 3:16, 17 - "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith..."
Colossians 1:27 - "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
So, as you can see, when a person is born again by the Spirit of God; saved by the grace of God, the spirit of Jesus moves into the heart of that individual. You will notice Galatians 2:20 quoted above - "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." I believe in salvation by grace THROUGH FAITH. Those who believe in unconditional eternal security also believe in salvation by grace THROUGH FAITH. The fork in the road lies in the word, "faith." To the man who believes in once saved, always saved, faith is a one-time expression. You just express faith one time when you ask the Lord to save you, and that's it. As far as they are concerned, you can discard your faith. However, Paul says here, that the same faith that saved him is the same faith that he LIVES BY. "The life which I now live... I LIVE BY THE FAITH of the Son of God..." Three times the scriptures declare, "The just shall LIVE BY faith." I believe that the same faith that gets you saved will keep you saved. It is possible, according to I Timothy 4, to depart from the faith. However, as long as you are in the faith, the faith will keep you. Please understand, I am not talking about "living by works;" I am talking about "living by faith." I am talking about continuing to trust the Lord for your salvation. If you start trusting in anything else for your salvation (even good works, as the Galatians did), you are fallen from grace.
So, when you place your faith in Christ, the spirit of Christ moves into your heart. Going back to Galatians 2:20, as you live by the faith of the Son of God, you can with Paul - "Christ liveth in me." NOTE THIS - As long as my faith is in Christ, CHRIST WILL DO THE LIVING IN MY HEART. Here's the question: If Christ is doing the living in my heart, what kind of works will be present in my life? When I was a student at Free Gospel Bible Institute, students argued and debated over whether or not Jesus could've sinned while He was in the flesh. It is not really important as to whether He could have sinned or not; the two important things are these: 1) He didn't; and 2) He still doesn't! Friend, Christ never has sinned, and Christ never will sin. When you get saved, you let Jesus in your heart. As Jesus lives in your heart, He WILL NOT SIN. This is why I preach that there is power in the gospel - power to overcome sin. You do not have to be bound by it; it does not have to enslave you. Just let Jesus do the living, and every work that He will do will be good works.
If you let Jesus do the living, good works will only be the natural result of salvation. You won't have to force good works to come out of you; they just will! When you plant an apple tree, you don't have to force it to bring forth apples. Just get it rooted good and deep, water it, and apples will grow. The Bible says we are rooted in Christ. Brother and sister, if we are in Christ, good fruit will just grow as we water it with the Word!
If we will just let Christ do the living in our hearts, He will live a holy life. If we have Christ in the root, we'll have Christ in the fruit. It will be automatic. And, since Christ will be the One doing the living in us, it will be Him and only Him, who will receive the GLORY. I want Jesus to bring forth good works in my life, so that He alone will be glorified.
