FAITH, OBEDIENCE, AND SALVATION

There is a lot of confusion about what causes salvation. Some feel that it requires works (obedience). However, there are many verses that emphatically claim that works cannot be a cause of salvation:

·       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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Salvation is by grace through faith. It is given as a free gift so that no one can take credit for it and boast. The works are the inevitable result of salvation, not its cause. “Works of the law” are explicitly ruled out as a cause of salvation:

·       Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:27-28; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; John 6:28-29)

Despite the many verses that claim salvation is granted by faith without works, we remain confused by the many verses that seem to claim that salvation is also a matter of works. Here are several:

·          “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

·          "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)

·          “You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:14)

·          The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4)

How are we to reconcile this paradox? For one thing, faith and works (obedience) are inseparable. If I trust in my doctor, I will do what he tells me to do. If I trust in Christ, I will even more so do what He tells me to do. In view of this, a faith without obedience is not a true faith but an imitation. This is why John wrote:

·       If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7)

John has described a person lacking in a real faith. Only those who have a real faith will walk in the light and receive Jesus’ cleansing and salvation.

Because faith and works are so intimately connected, James wrote about those who speak superficially about faith:

·       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. (James 2:18)

It is easy to say, “I have faith.” However, since we cannot directly see faith, it is our works that more clearly demonstrate our faith and trust in the Lord. If we refuse to do what He tells us to do, it proves that we don’t trust in Him. Jesus explained this same principle:

·       “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

The false prophet is not known by his profession of faith. Instead, we can tell the real thing by his fruits. In the same way, a real apple tree will bear apples. The apples are not the cause of the apple tree but their effect. Likewise, obedience is not the cause of faith or salvation but its effect. It is not the root but the fruit. Instead, the apples serve as evidence that they come from an apple tree, as good deeds serve as the evidence of faith and a saved life.

Likewise, an apple tree will not bear strawberries. If it does, then it wasn’t an apple tree. A faith, which fails to bear the fruit of obedience, in some form, is not a true faith. For example, if someone claims to have faith but refuses to confess their faith or to be water baptized, it is likely that they lack faith. Also, if they claim to have faith and refuse to repent of their adultery and thievery, it is also unlikely that they have faith. Therefore, to judge them by their faith is ultimately to judge them by their faith, because of their very close association.

As a college student, I joined a sensitivity group run by a campus pastor. However, it soon became plain that he was stalking the female participants for sex. When confronted, he admitted it and added that he and his wife had an open marriage. His works made it clear that he lacked a saving faith.

Scripture says that this pastor will be judged by his works (Matthew 25:46; John 15:14; 1 John 2:4), because they reflect his faith and the state of his heart. This doesn’t mean that his works will damn him. Instead, it is his lack of faith/repentance that will damn him, and his works simply testify to this lack.

In conclusion, I have to add that our obedience is far from perfect. In fact, our failures continue to humble and cause us to confess our sins. However, our Savior is always faithful to both forgive and to cleanse us.

Abraham had been a spiritual failure. He consistently passed off his wife Sarah as his sister so that it would go well for him (Genesis 20), when other men would take her. Nevertheless, the Savior would never let go of him, and transformed him into a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8-10).