To the Jews which believed on him, yet trusted in their physical heritage, Jesus said, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the WORKS of Abraham...
What "WORKS" of Abraham were meant?
The Bible answers this for us in James 2:14-24 [note especially verse 21]
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 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?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18 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.”
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21 WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS WHEN HE OFFERED UP ISAAC HIS SON ON THE ALTAR?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
In Gen. 22:18 God said to Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE." [see also Gen. 18:19; 22:3, 10; 26:5 on Abraham's obedience]
Faith that is only a "verbal" profession; apart from obedience will not save.
From James 2, we learn:
Faith, if it has no WORKS, is dead, being by itself. v. 17
Faith without WORKS is useless v. 20
Faith was working with his WORKS, and as a result of the WORKS, faith was perfected v. 22
A man is justified by WORKS and not by faith alone v. 24
In all these verses, where the word "WORKS" is found, it means OBEDIENCE.
Each of these verses can be read and the word OBEDIENCE can be put in place of WORKS, because obedience was what the "works" of Abraham were.
Obedience cannot exist without something to obey, and that "something" is a command from God. In the offering of Isaac, it was not Abraham's idea to do so, but a command from God to do it. That is why obedience is not a work "of merit".
We cannot be saved by "EARNING" our salvation through any works of our own doing.
What classifies as a work of merit?
IT IS ANYTHING THAT WE DO THAT IS NOT FOUND TO BE A COMMAND OF GOD IN THE BIBLE.
IT IS ANYTHING THAT IS "PRESUMED" TO BE A GOOD WORK (PRESUMPTION IS ALWAYS SINFUL - Psalm 19:13; 2 Peter 2:10).
When there is a command from God to act, any "work" will NEVER be justified on the basis of silence (i.e., "the bible doesn't say we can't")
A command from God in the bible provides us with the authority to act (walk) "by faith" in any/every area of our life.
Eph. 2:8-10 contrasts works of merit with God's works per His grace. [Grace teaches - Titus 2:11-12]. God purposed for man to be obedient to HIM, not Satan. Thus the giving of commands.
Commands prove, by means of simple obedience, who fears God.
Commands prove, by means of simple obedience, who loves God.
The Lord taught, "If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Abraham was saved by faith, which worked through love. God commanded him, and he obeyed.
So likewise, will you and I be saved. We are all under the same commands today ~ the gospel.
The gospel contains a uniform "form of doctrine" to be preached; for it has commands from Christ that are to be obeyed [Rom. 6:17-18].
These commands are:
Faith, repentance, confession of faith, and baptism in water. All of these were preached to sinners in the book of Acts.
AFTER their obedience, sinners were saved from their past sins.
Maintaining good works is being obedient to commands. (Titus 3:8, 14)
Obedience is adding to one's faith as directed in 2 Peter 1:5-11.
Don't be mis-led by anyone who suggests in any way that the Bible teaches that you are saved by faith ALONE! As with Abraham, faith without obedience is DEAD.
copyright 2018
rdb
No comments:
Post a Comment