Daily Devotional

There has been a debate in Christianity for centuries over works role in salvation. One camp points to Paul who says to the Christians in Ephesus, “For it is by grace you have been save through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Then we have the works camp citing James, “As you can see, a man is justified by is deeds and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24).

Since I accept the Bible as true, then I have to reconcile those two facially inconsistent averments. This can be done if you realize that there is no disagreement between the two, only an issue of the point in time to which each is referring. Paul is talking about our salvation. There is no work that man can perform to earn or merit salvation. It is solely and wholly the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. After salvation, comes sanctification. It is here that James chimes in with the idea that real salvation will result in works which will result in fruit.

God did not save us and simply release us to go about whatever life we decide to pursue. Rather He is a God of purpose and as Paul also tells the Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). Works are simply evidence that the salvation already obtained is real. Jesus made the point that faith will prove itself when tested in Matthew 13:3-9:

“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘a farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had not root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.’”

            So how do these verses support what James has been saying here?  Real faith produces something.  Real faith is faith in the good soil which produces a crop.  As Jesus explains a little later (Matthew 18-23) to the disciples the other seed was not real saving faith but the illusion of faith which when tested fell away.  It works as follows:

            Hard Soil - The hard soil are folks that either have no reaction to the Word or have a negative reaction. They do not embrace Christianity at any level.

            Rocky Soil - The rocky soil is producing folks who are having an emotional reaction to the Word. It meets some needs within them and fills some void. It feels good to have community and purpose. Every church has these folks in it. They are self-satisfied but not saved. They may sing in your choirs, teach your Sunday schools, serve on boards and maybe even fill your pulpits. However, it is a charade. It may be a well-intentioned charade, but a charade, nonetheless. If things come into their lives that are completely unsettling, they have no real faith to hold on to and they may very well abandon the Church as the means of meeting their needs.

            The Weedy Soil - The weedy soil is similar to but different than the rocky soil. These are people who find some personal benefit from aligning themselves with Christianity. They have goals that are met by becoming part of the community. I know guys in high school who joined youth groups because of some girl they fancied. I know financial advisors and real estate agents who join large churches because it is good for business. The examples are endless. As long as involvement is serving their purposes, they are all in at the church. However, let something else become a better means to their personal goals then they are off.

            Within any congregation, it is your rocky and weedy “Pseudo-Christians” that need to be our concern. Our pastors are not simply filling sermon space when they make invitations to the people sitting out in the audience who are there most Sundays. The question is can they be awakened from their slumber and caused to face the reality of their situation? They are the comfortable lost in your midst. Many who identify as Christians will eventually forsake Christianity. However, those who are truly saved by faith in Christ will not.

            The Good Soil - The final soil is the good soil where we find the true Christian producing fruit of various amounts but all producing fruit. It is that persevering fruit that is the evidence and assurance of salvation.

            I know I am repeating myself, but it is important that we keep the fact that works are not necessary for salvation.  You are saved at the point of faith and faith alone.  No act on your part is necessary, only acceptance of the truth.  Your subsequent conduct tells us about and affirms the faith but does not have anything to do with your obtaining salvation it is already 100% in the book.
           
            One example of this would be a math proof.  You have a theorem in math.  It proposed that some formula with Xs and Ys is true.  The mathematician then provides a written-out proof of the formula to establish its veracity and make the theory axiomatic.  Was the formula true before the proof?  Yes.  It was already true, the mathematician’s work simply provided proof establishing the formula.  The same with salvation – it was already true before the works.  They just establish its veracity.

            You were saved with a Godly determined purpose. How are you doing identify and living out that purpose? If you have enlisted in God’s army do not be a goldbrick or worse yet be AWOL from service. The works are simply waiting for you to undertake them.      

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