Sunday, September 1, 2019
BY WHAT ARE WE SAVED?
(Do Grace, Faith and Works Conflict with Each Other?)
This morning I would like to address a subject is so important when it
comes to our salvation, but it is misunderstood by so many.
We want to talk about what saves us and notice how grace, faith
and works complement each other as it relates to our salvation.
Why
is this study important?
Because many believe that grace and works are incompatible.
We are often misrepresented as teaching a salvation based upon
our works, which is not true.
However, the scriptures teach we have something to do to be
saved. The question is, if
we are required by God to do something to receive salvation, does that
nullify the grace of God? I
affirm strongly that the answer to that is NO!
In fact, I intend to show in this lesson that God’s grace and our
working faith are not only compatible, but complimentary.
That is the premise of this lesson.
a.
Grace
(and mercy) – a simple definition is “unmerited favor”.
Unmerited means it is something we don’t deserve. Favor indicates
showing kindness, goodwill and preference toward someone.
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.
Ephesians 1:7, Titus 2:11-12, For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the
present age…
The grace of God is
available to all men – Titus 2:11.
Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NOTE: The word “gift” in
Greek is a word associated with the word for grace.
Sometimes His grace is universal – e.g. Matthew 5:45, Acts 14:17,
etc. By this, we mean at times His grace has made provisions through
which mankind will be sustained on this earth.
But in relation to our salvation, while it is AVAILABLE to all, not
all will receive it. We
find clearly borne out in scripture, that not all will be saved.
We read about the wrath of God – Romans 1:18, 2:5, cf. 2 Thessalonians
1:6-8, Matthew 25:41, 46, etc.
Furthermore, we find that salvation is conditional upon our faithful
willingness to surrender and to obey Him.
His Mercy is related to grace, especially the grace of
God. Mercy is the idea
of showing compassion in spite of actions that deserve consequences.
Ephesians 2:4.
b.
Faith
– is a word that means to be firmly persuaded.
in the Greek language, the word faith is from a word that can
mean to believe in something or to trust.
In defining this word, we often note the distinction between
believing IN God and believing God.
It is possible to believe (even in God and Jesus) and not have faith –
James 2:19, Acts 19:15, John 12:42-43, etc.
But the faith associated with our salvation is more than mere believing.
It is a responsive belief – Acts
2:37, 8:36-37.
Hebrews 11:1 – it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
Romans 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 3:16 – whoever believes in Him…
c.
Works –
one’s actions. What one normally,
actively does.
There are two different types of works - meritorious and obeying because
of one’s faith.
Meritorious works means that we have earned something.
In Romans 4:1-4, Paul emphasizes the faith of Abraham justified
him, and it was not his works.
In vs 4 we read, Now to him who works, the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt. Paul’s
point, Abraham did not EARN (meritorious works) his favor with God.
(But let me ask, did Abraham obey God?
Did Abraham act?)
Works of faith or
obedience means conditions that are followed to receive what is
promised.
Luke 6:46 – Jesus spoke of obeying Him.
John 3:36 again, Jesus speaks of obeying Him.
We will see this more as our lesson progresses.
a.
We need all 3
- where we see problems is when we try to exclude ANY of these elements.
Where our salvation is concerned, we need all 3.
i.
Grace –
Grace is God’s part in our salvation.
It involves God doing everything that we are unable to do for
ourselves where salvation is concerned.
Ephesians 2:4-9. It
is the PRIMARY factor in our salvation.
Thus, if it were not for the grace of God – our faith and
obedience, our hope of salvation would be moot.
ii.
Faith – it
is at the very foundation of Christian lives. Hebrews 11:6 – without
faith we cannot please Him.
2 Peter 1:5 – it is that upon which we build everything else.
It is our faith that overcomes the world – 1 John 5:4.
As we have noted faith can refer to personal belief.
But at other times, it can be an inclusive term for our part in
salvation. Ephesians 2:8 –
we are told that we are saved by (God’s) grace through (our) faith.
The term here does NOT have to mean simply believing but can be
inclusive.
John 5:24, Jesus taught, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears
My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall
not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”
iii.
Works –
James 2:14-24. A word that
simply means to do something, regardless of motivation.
When addressing our salvation, motivation is important. Note
especially James 2:24 – by works is a man justified, and NOT by faith
only.
We have already addressed how this is NOT meritorious works.
Luke 17:10, we do not EARN our salvation, EVER!
That is the point of Ephesians 2:9
But that doesn’t mean we do nothing.
There are numerous verses that emphasize our need to OBEY –
2 Thessalonians 1:8 & 1 Peter 4:17 both speak of the consequences of one
who does not “obey the gospel”.
Hebrews 5:9 – Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to all who
obey Him.
1 Peter 1:22 – we purify our souls in obeying the truth.
John 3:36 – an interesting verse that is confusing in the NKJV, KJV –
different Greek words
for believe (the typical word) and “not believe” which actually means,
“not obey”. This shows
that belief INCLUDES obeying.
Furthermore, there are things we are told to do that lead to our
salvation:
1.
Believing itself is an
action - John 6:29, Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you
believe in Him whom He sent.”
NOTE how even believe in this verse is an action, a WORK
of God. 1 Thessalonians 1:3,
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – “work of faith” – their faith was acting.
2.
Romans 10:9-10 – we must
confess with our mouths. Is
that confession an action?
3.
We must repent – Luke
13:3, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 17:30-31, 2:38.
Note that John spoke of bearing fruit worthy of repentance – Matthew 3:8
4.
Baptism – immersion in
water – Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, 22:16, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:20-21,
etc.
b.
These do not contradict
each other but work together.
God through His grace makes our salvation possible (He does His
part – EVERYTHING we cannot do), but receiving that salvation is based
upon our obedient faith (NOT simply believing – but a belief that
responds). That is Peter’s
point in 1 Peter 3:21, There is also an antitype which now saves
us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of
a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
NOTE that it is a belief in God that prompts us to be baptized.
That is why it is so important to understand WHY we have been
baptized. It MUST be for the
right reason. In Acts 19:3-5 we
find twelve men who had been baptized for the wrong reason, and when
they learned the truth they were baptized again “in the name of the
Lord.”
c.
Illustrations of how they work together
– 1 practical and 2
biblical.
i.
A man drowning and one on the shore throws him a life vest.
A man swims out too far in the ocean and begins to drown.
He cries out for someone to help him.
On the shore, a man hears his cries and goes and finds a life
vest that he throws out to the drowning man.
The drowning man grabs the life vest and is pulled to shore by
his rescuer? Question: How
was he saved? Was it by the
man on the shore, the life vest or his believing in the man who threw
out the life preserver? OR
is it all 3? They work
together. That is how grace,
faith and works – work together.
ii.
How was Noah saved? - Genesis 6 records
that God determined to destroy the world and all flesh (6:1-3, 7).
BUT Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8).
This was followed by instructions to build an ark.
We find in Genesis 6:22, Thus Noah did; according to all that
God commanded him, so he did. NOTICE
how Noah acted. Consider
also Hebrews 11:7 – By FATIH Noah, being divinely warned by God…MOVED
with Godly fear, PREPARED an ark …by which he saved his household.
What saved Noah? Was it the
Grace of God, His FAITH, or His OBEDIENCE?
Or was it all of them combined?
iii.
Taking the city of Jericho – Joshua 6 records the capture of Jericho, the first city
taken by Israel when they crossed the Jordan to inherit the land of
Canaan. How did it happen?
Joshua 6:2, The LORD said to Joshua, “See I have given Jericho into
your hand…” It was a
GIFT from God (His grace – which is demonstrated by HOW they received
it). However, vs. 3-5
instructions are given about what the men of Israel were instructed to
do – march around the city for 7 days (makes ZERO sense from a human
standpoint, but it is what God said to do!)
The rest of the chapter records their complying with God’s
instructions (except for Achan).
Notice also Hebrews 11:30, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell
after they were encircled for seven days.”
Again: How did Israel receive Jericho?
Was it by the grace of God? Or by their faith or by their
actions? OR was it all of
them combined?
Thus we can see that grace, faith and works do not conflict with each
other. In fact, they
complement each other and work together.
We are totally dependent on God to save us, and He desires to do
so. BUT He has set forth
conditions – we must believe and obey Him if we want to be saved.
What about you, have you submitted to God’s will for your salvation?
If not, why not? How
can we help you? Think about
it.