Works

Is our salvation dependent upon our works?  This was a topic of conversation between Russ and Ryan as Ryan described a recent question and answer series in his Comparative Religion class.  Be sure that the Klug family need no additions to their already Scripturally based solid answers.  But the question for me is, how would I answer someone who questioned me with regards to salvation and works?  So, I thought I’d put a few quick thoughts down.

I have lived long enough to know that everything I do is corrupted by my sin nature, it is more evident to me every day that I can have absolutely nothing to do with the works of the Spirit, otherwise they are stained.  In other words, if my salvation depends upon me in any way, to do anything, it is an imperfect salvation and unacceptable to a perfect God.  One country preacher described it as trying to get out of a muddy pig pen.  You can’t clean yourself and get out.  You can’t clean anyone else and they can’t clean you either because you’re all covered with mud.  Someone outside the pen who is not muddy has to clean you.  All you can do is recognize that you are muddy and believe that the guy on the outside of the pen will clean you when you decide you want to get out.

Further, if my salvation depends upon me in any way it makes me God.  We sing In Christ Alone, but if my salvation depends upon me it’s In Christ and Me.  This is not possible because it gives me authority that I do not have.  It gives me ability that I do not have.  It makes me something that I am not.  Jesus, the Son of the one true living God did all the work.  He paid the price for our sin.  Him and Him alone.  There is no other help needed or necessary or that can even be applied.  We either have a complete faith that completely depends upon Him and removes us or we have an incomplete faith.

So, what are works?  Works are the result of the Spirit of God coming into our heart.  Now, I believe we can do what seems like good things out of a want-to-help heart, but the only true righteous works come from the Spirit within us.  They aren’t even our works.  We are just blessed enough that the Spirit uses us as willing vessels.  The second we think we are the ones doing good things we have a problem.  Our sin nature is trying to corrupt God’s work. 

What do these works look like?  They can be building large organizations to feed and clothe people to preaching to the lost wherever you can draw up a crowd to giving a hitchhiker a ride.  The Spirit will press upon your heart that which you should follow and the work will become accomplished because He goes before it and is in it.  The power of God is the gospel and it is for those who believe it.  We should let that sink in slowly, t h e  p o w e r  o f  G o d is for those who believe in the gospel.  This is where works come from.