Alive in
Christ
Salvation Unto Good Works
We are
saved by faith, not works. But that
doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do anything. We show our faith to others by our works. By works is your faith made manifest: shew [show] me thy faith without thy works
and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18).
We are saved by grace, but Titus 2:11,12 says that the grace of God teaches “us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Romans Chapter 6 tells us “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
Christians love to quote Ephesians 2:8,9 to show that we are saved by grace. But many seem to miss verse 10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. When we are saved, we are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” and it was foreordained that we should do them.
We
are not saved by doing good works, we are saved TO DO them!
Paul’s epistle to Titus says a lot more about good works:
7 In all things
shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that
is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Titus 2:7,8
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
And let our's also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Titus 3:14
Think about
it: If you do not do good, if you don’t help those in need, if you continue in
sin, what will the unbelievers think?
Will they not think that you are a hypocrite, a fake, a phony? What does that do to your witness,
Christian? They will not listen to
you, and when they die in their sins, AND THEIR BLOOD WILL BE ON THEIR HANDS
because of your hypocrisy. Is that
what you really want?
If you do
live out your faith, do good works, grow in righteousness, and sin less and
less, they will know that you are the real thing. And when you witness, they will listen. They will have no evil thing to say of
you. So live it out, don’t fake it.
Remember, faith without works is dead.
Alive in Christ
