FAITH ONLY? WHAT ABOUT WORKS?

 

     So-called main stream evangelical Christianity has and continues to preach that we are “saved by grace not by works.” The Scripture passage often cited is Ephesians 2:9 which reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Using this verse alone we can see that there is a natural and logical conclusion for the underlying supposition that we are saved by “faith only.” However, taking a single verse out of context is not how to properly interpret the original intent and meaning of the Scriptures. Let’s read on in Ephesians and look at verse 10:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.“

         Let’s reconcile these two verses as they were originally intended to be understood. It is true that without God’s grace we would still be in our sins. Accepting God’s grace is the first step that must take place. We cannot earn our righteousness, however, through this grace should come a natural outpouring of “good works” which we were created to do in Christ. Otherwise, we can run the risk of losing the grace we were offered.  Jesus himself on multiple occasions alluded to the fact that we will be judged by our works. For example, in Matthew 25 the parable of the Talents shows the importance of using our gifts for the Lord and the dangers of doing nothing. Jesus immediately follows this parable with an explanation of the final judgment in verses 31-46 where he clearly indicates that we will be judged by our service to him and sharing his love with others in a tangible way. Those who have not demonstrated “good works” of gratitude for the grace they have been offered will not receive an eternal reward.  “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:46)

           The grace God has offered us is not by our works but by the works of Jesus going to the cross in our place. We do not deserve it. We could never earn the grace offered. However, the fruit of our lives or “good works” are in gratitude for that grace and will determine if we keep what God has offered.

          In James 2:14-26 we see some additional insight regarding the relationship between our faith and our works of service.  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? The implied answer to this questions is, “no” faith alone cannot save.  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good^[a] is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

          What good is a dead faith?  Can it save?  Again the answer, “No.”  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. The matter of our righteousness and salvation is not a matter of one or the other but of both faith and works.  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!  Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

          Perhaps the most misunderstood and misused verse in the New Testament is John 3:16 where so many preach that we only need to believe and nothing else. The verse in James 2:19 printed above shatters the popular idea that John 3:16 is the whole of the salvation process. Even demons believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God but it does them no good. Belief alone is not sufficient to become righteous and saved. Belief is a critical first step but it is not the only step needed to become righteous. There is more!  A couple of verses later we see that works are mentioned as part of the process. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:20-21)

          Let’s return to James 2:21-26 as we consider further the relationship of faith and works in the salvation process. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James uses the Old Testament example of Abraham to show the relationship of works to our faith. Abraham believed God and was righteous in his eyes because his works demonstrated the reality of his faith.

 

                                             

             Regarding the popular “faith only” doctrine that permeates much of so-called Christianity there is only one verse in the entire New Testament that has the phrase “faith only” or “faith alone” and it is this verse in James 2:24 yet it says “…that a person is justified by works and not faith alone.”  Did you catch that, “not faith alone”?

           We are saved by the wonderful grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot earn it or deserve it. Without His mercy and grace we are still in our sins and without hope. God offers each of us a wonderful gift but as with any gift we receive, it is only ours as long as we take care of it and keep it. It can be lost!  Producing fruit worthy of our repentance and doing good works of gratitude for what Jesus has graciously done for us is what keeps us in good standing and righteous in God’s eyes.  Fan into flame the tremendous grace God has given you with works of gratitude so that when you face God you may hear those wonderful words, “Well done good and faithful servant”. 

 

All scripture verses are from the ESV Bible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 7:7-8 Is Not A Blanket Promise

                                                                          
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."  
                                                                                   -Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

"Ask and you shall receive" is a phrase of Jesus' that occurs several times in the Gospels in various forms. Too often it has been taken out of context and misinterpreted to mean "ask for anything you want and I'll give it to you". 

Jesus goes on to say in verse 11 "...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" This same discourse is repeated in Luke 11:9-13 but the words "good things" are replaced with "the Holy Spirit".  The good gift God wants to give His children is the Holy Spirit as we can also see in Acts 2:38 which reads, "And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one  of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."     John 14:13-14 (ESV)

To ask anything of God as our Father and to do so in His name we must first be as His child. When one follows the instructions of Acts 2:38, they becomes a child of God. If as His child we ask for something and the answer is "no" we may be inclined to be frustrated but don't loose heart. "No" can also mean "Not now" as our desires and requests must be in harmony with His will.
When we finish our prayers "in Jesus Name" we are saying that above all may His will be done, not ours. 
 
Are you asking God according to His will? This can be a tough one to know. Of course, the Scriptures do reveal much of God's will for our lives but in specific areas or circumstances is what we want actually His will?  If what we want is not God's will, we should not really want to receive it should we? 

The real challenge then is aligning our wants to God's will. Like in any relationship the stronger and closer the relationship the better one understands the other. The closer we strive to get in fellowship to God the clearer His will becomes and the easier it will be to know what to ask for in His name.  This is where faith comes in because without faith it is impossible to please God. 

Another important point to make that is often lost in many English translations is the fact that this text in Matthew 7:7-8 it is not referring to a one time request. In the Greek it is not simply "ask", "seek" or "knock" but "ask and keep on asking", "seek and keep on seeking" and "knock and keep on knocking".  Though I'm usually not a fan of the New Living Translation in this instance it gets it right.

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."

                                                                                         -Matthew 7:7 (NLT)

We are to keep on praying or as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "pray without ceasing". 

We are not only to "ask" but to actively "seek" that which we ask for and to persistently "knock" or pursue God's good and perfect will for our lives.  This is not a passive activity. To truly ask, seek and knock takes time, energy and work.

So don't give up! Keep on seeking and asking and watch your faith grow!

Genesis 24:1  -  "Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years.  And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things." (ESV)

Living a long life with a spouse you love and children and grandchildren that are dear to you is a wonderful blessing.   Losing your spouse (as Abraham did) in your golden years does not mean that God is finished with you yet.   Abraham married again, had even more children and was used by God even more.  He was described as a Godly man “full of years” (Genesis 25:8).  To live to an old age can be a blessing but to look back and see that your years were “full” makes the blessing multiplied.  God may have more in store for you in your later years than you may now realize.   Keep yourself available to the Lord so that your last years are as full as your previous ones. 

My Prayer...

Father, help me to continue to direct my heart in service so that I not only have many years of life but that they are full of joy and peace as I strive to honor you.  May your Spirit make me “full” to the end of my days so that you may be honored and others see my life as one dedicated to serving according to Your will.

MARY & THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS

                                             

The virgin birth is the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus was a virgin during conception and during the birth of Jesus.  The source of this teaching is three-fold:

1   1)  Matthew 1:18-35.  Here we see that before Mary and Joseph came together in marriage “she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”   An angel told Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” 

     2)  Luke 1:36-38.  An angel told Mary that she was favored by God and that she would “be with child and give birth to a son.”  She asked the angel how this could be since she had never been with a man and was a virgin?  She was informed that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her and that the child to be born would be called the Son of God.

     3)  Isaiah 7:14 (Repeated in Matthew 1:23 as a fulfillment).  “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

From these passages, it is certainly clear that Jesus’ birth was the result of the Holy Spirit working within Mary’s body. The immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb) were both involved. Mary, of course, could not impregnate herself, and in that sense she was simply a “vessel.” Only God could perform the miracle of the Incarnation.

However, denying a physical connection between Mary and Jesus would imply that Jesus was not truly human. Scripture teaches that Jesus was fully human, with a physical body like ours. This He received from Mary. At the same time, Jesus was fully God, with an eternal, sinless nature (John 1:14;1 Timothy 3:16;Hebrews 2:14-17.)

CHRIST BEFORE BETHLEHEM

                                 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  he was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

                                                                            -John 1:1-5 (ESV)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

                                                                            -John 1:14 (ESV)

This prologue of John’s summarizes the gospel.  Whereas Mark begins his account with John the Baptist, Matthew with Abraham, and Luke with Adam; John takes us to the beginning.   John deliberately quotes Genesis 1:1 and begins her narrative where the Scriptures begin.  John affirms that the Word existed before any act of creation occurred thus conveying the eternality of Christ.  Not only did the Word existence before creation began, but John emphatically declares that the Word is the Creator of all.  He emphasizes the preexistence of Jesus, referring to Him as the Word, an appropriate name to designate Him through whom God revealed Himself to man.

The mystery of God is in the eternal Word being incarnated in the Christ.  The roots of the life of Jesus reach all the way back into eternity.  This title of “Word” declares the unity of the Father and Son. 

John affirms not only the deity of Jesus Christ in the flesh and His preexistence before the incarnation but also the relationship of the preexistent Christ with God, the material world and mankind.  John further asserts his own belief in the preexistence of the Christ (1:30).

This title of the “Word” (Logos) clearly identifies Christ with God and the purpose and function of Christ to reveal God.  Jesus existed, “in the beginning” (1:1) a long time before He assumed human form.  Genesis 1 records how God spoke all things into existence, and now we learn that His creative word is an eternal, Divine Person.  Every single thing and the whole material universe came into being through the creative activity of the Word, Jesus Christ (1:3). The apostle Paul (Col 1:16) and writer of Hebrews (1:2) support this doctrine also. We can now understand better the “Let us make man in our image” from Genesis 1:26.  John fills the “Logos” with personality.  In using the Greek term “Logos” as a title for the Son of God, John did not coin a new word, but gave a new meaning to a word already in use.  John in seeking to reach a Greek audience uses a play on words with a term they are very familiar with.

The Greek word translated “dwelt” is literally “tabernacled among us”.  Christ abandoned the eternal dwelling place before the very presence of God the Father to pitch a tent in the midst of sinners.  When the Word became flesh (1:14) and tabernacle among men, the eternal God came to dwell among men not in a temple or tent, but in the person and humanity of His only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  We would never know what God is really like if the Word had not become flesh.  One could never know the love, grace and tenderness of God apart from the incarnation of God becoming flesh.  The Word becoming flesh also refers to the virgin birth.

It was man who sinned in the Garden of Eden, and transferring his allegiance from God to Satan, he forfeited his dominion that God intended he should have (Gen 1:26).  Only by man could the lost inheritance be regained (Rom 5:12-21), but since the whole race had been contaminated by the deadly virus of sin and had been rendered powerless to defeat the deceiver, the Word became flesh in order to do for man what sinful man could not do for himself.

Jesus himself said: “Before Abraham was, I am,” (John 8:58) signifying that He existed before Abraham was born.

A consideration of Christ’s preexistence and His power and wisdom in creation should impress any thinking person with His majesty and glory, and should spur one on to greater discipleship.  All the attributes of God are summed up in the incarnate Logos.  

"GOD WITH US", yes even today!

The Origin & Development of Our Modern Christmas

                         
In the early part of the 4^th Century A.D. the Emperor Constantine established Christianity as the state religion or the Roman Empire and the persecution of Christians came to an end.  From that point forward Christianity increasingly gained political influence and its hierarchy was formed in a pattern much like that of the political system of the Roman Empire.  Regarding the celebration of Christmas as a holiday it was not observed by followers of Christ for the better part of two hundred years after the time Jesus lived on earth.  In the writings of some of the early church fathers in the first three centuries of the existence of the church they did not want this sacred occasion put on a par with pagan carnivals.  One church official, Origen, especially declared against such a practice, asserting that it was sinful to keep Christ’s birthday “as though He were a King Pharaoh.”  Many church leaders denounced the intermingling of pagan with Christian elements in the celebration of Christmas.  Church leaders warned against excessive indulgence of feasting, dancing, and dressing in grotesque costumes.

Although in the early centuries of the Christian era the exact date of the nativity was not known, by the third century some had been observing the event on these varying dates:  January 6, February 2, March 25, April 19, May 20 and November 17.  (During this period of time there were five different calendar systems of reckoning time.)  At the request of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Julius I (Bishop of Rome from 337 – 352 A.D.) made an investigation into the matter of the date.  In 350 A.D., December 25 was set as the most probable time.  The Feast of the Nativity was first observed on this day at Rome, perhaps in 353 A.D.; and from then on the custom spread throughout the empire. About a century later near 440 A.D. the Bishop at Jerusalem also accepted this ruling, as did most of the other Christians, except the Armenians, who still observe Christmas on January 6.  Although many authorities did not agree then and many still do not agree today that December 25 was the correct date—the world will no doubt continue to celebrate on this date.

It is interesting to note that different sources have suggested reasons why the early Church officials selected this date.  Many of the Roman soldiers were adherents to Mithraism, a religion that for a time was a strong rival to Christianity in the empire.  Its most important feast day, (Birth of the Unconquered Sun), occurred on December 25.  The Church authorities may have set the date of Christ’s birth to correspond to celebrations already in practice through earlier pagan beliefs.  Perhaps they thought it wise to give a sacred meaning to pagan observances, rather than antagonize new converts by doing away completely with old customs.

But attempts to combine pagan and Christian events led to difficulties and the pollution of the church by pagan practices.  When the Church found it impossible through repeated bans to abolish all the pagan customs, it “Christianized” them and incorporated them into the Christian observance of Christmas.  This explains the use of greenery (like trees), candles and other lights for decorating the home.  In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merry-makinig and the exchange of gifts.  December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Persian mystery god Mithras also known as the “Sun of Righteousness”.  On the Roman New Year (January 1) houses were decorated with greenery and lights.   Gifts were also given to children and the poor.  Although at first Christians were expected to observe Christmas as a religious holiday exclusively, gradually secular, even pagan elements, such as those listed above and practiced today, were added.

So, the question for us today is:  Will we celebrate Christmas as Christians or as Pagans?  If Christ is left out of Christmas then it is simply a pagan festival.  Nowhere in the New Testament does it instruct us to celebrate the birth of Jesus as some special holiday observance.  The same could be said of Easter too (another term from pagan history).  The only observances we are instructed to do are worship on the Lord’s Day, baptism and communion. 

So was the observance of the birth of Christ as some special holiday to be remembered each year spawned from the nativity in Bethlehem or from the politicized Church of the 4^th Century A.D. combating Pagan religious celebrations and striving to “Christianize” them?   Something to think about for this Christmas season.  In a real sense every day for the Christian is a celebration of the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.   Don’t limit your praise and celebration to just one day a year.

DON'T TEMPT ME!

Matthew 4:1-11

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He ^[a]then became hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴ But He answered and said,“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’;and‘On their hands they will bear You up,So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “^[b]On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸ Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;⁹ and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and ^[c]worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and^[d]serve Him only.’” ¹¹ Then the devil *left Him; and behold,angels came and began to minister to Him. (NASB)

When was the last time you were tempted?  

Did you yield to it or resist it?

What is temptation?

Theologians and Bible scholars have examined and written much about the doctrine of sin but in comparison very little has been considered about the doctrine of temptation.    It seems reasonable to consider what the Scriptures say about temptation in order to prevent the possibility of sinning. 

Is temptation a positive or negative thing?

I.             Word Study:

a.   Old Testament:  In the Old Testament the Hebrew term which is translated as “tempt” or “temptation” is nasah.  It occurs about 40 times in the Old Testament but is also translated as “test” or “prove”.

b.   New Testament:  The verb form “peirazo”  occurs about 40 times in the New Testament as well.  It is translated as “tempt” or “test”.  The noun form “peirasmos” is found about 20 times and is translated as “temptation” or “trial”.

II.           UNDERSTANDING: 

In the Scriptures the term often translated as “test” or “temptation” is actually a neutral term.  Whether it becomes positive or negative depends on the source and intent behind it. When the source has a negative intent to tear someone down or entice to do evil then it is “temptation” or “tempt” that we see.  This is what most people think of with regards to temptation. If the source has a good intent to build someone up and see them improve then it is seen as “test”, “trials”, or “prove”.  Yes a test is a good thing.  Just like in school a teacher gives a test to gauge that you understand the material.  The intent of the test is not to see you fail but to see what your knowledge is so as to proceed in striving to pass the course.  It is the same Greek term as that used above.

The good news for us is that what the world or Satan intends to tear us down with God can actually use it to build us up.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”   -Romans 8:28 (ESV)

So whether we pass the “test” or yield to “temptation” is really up to us!

III.          POINTS TO PONDER:

What are some ways you can resist temptation? 

What have you found useful to build up your arsenal to resist temptation?

Some ideas to consider are:

1.    Read Scripture regularly.

2.   Have at least a 5 minute devotional time with the Lord each day.

3.   Prayer

4.   Listen to Christian music regularly.

5.   Strive to keep positive sources feeding your mind and spirit.

6.   Start each day asking yourself, “What is one task to focus on that will honor God today?”

7.   Attend the assembly of the saints regularly.

8.   Ask yourself before doing or viewing anything, “Can I see Jesus doing this?”

Ever since the Garden of Eden temptation has been with us.  But by the power of the Holy Spirit we can resist the evil intent of temptation and pass God’s test to be a better servant in which to honor Him.   I won’t say “good luck” because its not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of the will.  So when tempted will it be God’s will or a worldly will you follow?  Something to consider isn’t it?  Your response will determine whether you honor or dishonor the Lord.