FAITH WORKS
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” —Titus 3:8
Someone has said the devil is an extremist; if he cannot push us to one extreme, he will attempt to push us to the other. This suggestion is illustrated in our reaction to the issue of faith vs. works. Where scripture promotes a synthesis, many seem to encourage divorce.
Early in my experience as a believer we were encouraged to choose a “life verse.” Mine became Titus 3:5-6—”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (To which might be added verse 7, “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”) This is one among many passages in the new testament which happily emphasizes the glorious truth that our salvation does not rest upon anything that we must “do,” but solely upon the mercy of God. Typically, however, we are reminded that though we are not dependent upon “good works” in order to be saved, we are saved “unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (See Eph. 2:10)
God’s grace is designed for our assurance of salvation, but it is not issued as a license to sin, though many seem to interpret it that way. Before conversion we were powerless to do “good works,” suited to salvation from sin. Through the prophet Isaiah the Holy Spirit declared, “…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away [Isa. 64:6].” The best efforts of the natural man are no match for the problem sin represents to a holy God. However after salvation we are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit and both equipped for and called to a life characterized by “good works.”
Good works include personal, social, moral and spiritual actions as defined and directed by the scriptures. God has something to say about all these areas and it becomes our responsibility to search the scriptures to see what His will is in every area and to pray and work toward their development in our lives until they become our habit of behavior. Our text asserts that they are to be affirmed “constantly,” and practiced diligently.
The Savior Himself said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven [Mt. 5:16].” While some may argue for a dispensational perspective that puts this exhortation under law and not under grace, the epistles verify its application to New Testament believers. We have already noted Ephesians 2:10, which is crystal clear, and our nugget for today is another.
The Spirit instructs us in another familiar passage, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works [II Tim. 3:16-17].” In other words, the whole purpose of scripture, divinely inspired, is to equip and motivate us to good works. Titus 2:14 incorporates good works in the very fabric of God’s redemptive plan, declaring that our Savior Jesus Christ “…gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” To aim for less is to ignore the word of God, and to teach otherwise is heresy.
Sadly, the attitude of some professing Christians seems to be, “I am saved by faith alone, so it doesn’t matter how I live.” The truth is, the faith that justifies becomes the dynamic of a life lived to the glory of God. Anything less than that aspiration in the life of a professing Christian brings his salvation into question. In short, the faith that saves works!
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
Oh, thou Spirit divine,
All my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
For living a ‘good’ life,
"Pastor" Frasier
Someone has said the devil is an extremist; if he cannot push us to one extreme, he will attempt to push us to the other. This suggestion is illustrated in our reaction to the issue of faith vs. works. Where scripture promotes a synthesis, many seem to encourage divorce.
Early in my experience as a believer we were encouraged to choose a “life verse.” Mine became Titus 3:5-6—”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (To which might be added verse 7, “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”) This is one among many passages in the new testament which happily emphasizes the glorious truth that our salvation does not rest upon anything that we must “do,” but solely upon the mercy of God. Typically, however, we are reminded that though we are not dependent upon “good works” in order to be saved, we are saved “unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (See Eph. 2:10)
God’s grace is designed for our assurance of salvation, but it is not issued as a license to sin, though many seem to interpret it that way. Before conversion we were powerless to do “good works,” suited to salvation from sin. Through the prophet Isaiah the Holy Spirit declared, “…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away [Isa. 64:6].” The best efforts of the natural man are no match for the problem sin represents to a holy God. However after salvation we are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit and both equipped for and called to a life characterized by “good works.”
Good works include personal, social, moral and spiritual actions as defined and directed by the scriptures. God has something to say about all these areas and it becomes our responsibility to search the scriptures to see what His will is in every area and to pray and work toward their development in our lives until they become our habit of behavior. Our text asserts that they are to be affirmed “constantly,” and practiced diligently.
The Savior Himself said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven [Mt. 5:16].” While some may argue for a dispensational perspective that puts this exhortation under law and not under grace, the epistles verify its application to New Testament believers. We have already noted Ephesians 2:10, which is crystal clear, and our nugget for today is another.
The Spirit instructs us in another familiar passage, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works [II Tim. 3:16-17].” In other words, the whole purpose of scripture, divinely inspired, is to equip and motivate us to good works. Titus 2:14 incorporates good works in the very fabric of God’s redemptive plan, declaring that our Savior Jesus Christ “…gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” To aim for less is to ignore the word of God, and to teach otherwise is heresy.
Sadly, the attitude of some professing Christians seems to be, “I am saved by faith alone, so it doesn’t matter how I live.” The truth is, the faith that justifies becomes the dynamic of a life lived to the glory of God. Anything less than that aspiration in the life of a professing Christian brings his salvation into question. In short, the faith that saves works!
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity;
Oh, thou Spirit divine,
All my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
For living a ‘good’ life,
"Pastor" Frasier
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