Faith and Works: Friends That Are Treated Like Enemies.

Faith or Works?

Many people believe that faith saves us. Many people believe that works save us. Both are Biblically founded. Which is right? The Bible clearly says that faith in Jesus is all that saves us, but it also clearly says that if we have faith we will have works.

Consider Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” It’s pretty clear that faith alone saves us. By grace, that means that God offered us something that we DID NOT EARN. There are many, many passages throughout the Bible that declare this truth.

So what about those who think it’s all about the works? Here is where they are coming from: James 2:14-26.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works is dead, being by itself.”

“But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (To clarify, Abraham grievously obeyed God and took him to the altar, but God, seeing Abraham’s faith in God and obedience, stopped Abraham. It was a test to prove that Abraham was fully devoted to God, not a human sacrifice). You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called a friend of God.”

“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone…for just as the body with the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

This is James’ point: faith alone saves us. If we do not believe God, then we do not obey Him. Faith is proven by our works. We are justified by works and saved by faith. James is a harsh but solid author; his words make the truth clear. All of the Bible is to be believed in full. This means that we are saved by both works and faith in that we are saved by faith and our faith WILL result in works.

Don’t believe it? Go back through and read James 2:14-26, if not the whole thing. Search through the Bible and look for places where people (like Abraham) are saved by their faith which is proven through action. Faith leads to action–it cannot be avoided. If we believe God, and love Him, then we will obey Him. Faith, then actions (or works).

Strength and Courage in Christ

Fear. It is a driving force in all of our lives. We are often controlled by our fear, whether that be fear of the law, or of our parents, or of poverty, or of injury, we are driven by fear. But I say to you, we must find strength and courage in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is an almighty God–capable of anything.

Revelations 12:11 says that “they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faces with death.”

Hebrews 10:35-39 tells us “therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ‘For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back My soul has no pleasure in Him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

In Philippians 1:21-26, Paul starts by saying that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Ahhh! To have that kind of love for Jesus! That to die is gain because we get to go into heaven and be with Him. What do we have to fear, Christians? Not only is the living God on our side, but if they come at us with guns and blades, what can they do but send us to our Father in heaven?

Paul goes on to say that since Christ is doing a great work through him, he will remain among the people. God has us here for a purpose, do not doubt that. But have no fear, for if we do end up dying, we will only go to heaven.

This issue is not as pressing here in America as it is abroad. We are not persecuted to the point of death here. But a day will come when that may be true. And on that day: Have no fear! What do we have to lose? To live is Christ and to die is gain!

The Lord speaks to Joshua in Joshua 1:1-9. In that short passage, Joshua is commanded to be strong and courageous three times. That’s quite a bit of repetition for nine verses. For example, verse 9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I know this may seem difficult to put into practice. But honestly? What do we have to fear? God Himself commanded us to be strong and courageous and not to tremble or be dismayed. He’s with us! Why in the world would we fear man? What can he do but destroy the flesh?

Matthew 10:28-32 reads as follows: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”

Do not fear. Be strong and courageous for the Lord is with you wherever you go.

Does God Care?

Does God Care?
Usually that is a question people ask when they are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and calamities.

Why does this happen? In Ecclesiastes 9:11 it says, “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance will happen to them all.”

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)