What Part Good Works Play In A Christians Life
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April 16, 2004
Questions
I have a question. If one believes in their heart and says with their mouth that they believe in Jesus Christ, that he died on the cross for our sins, that he rose from the dead and will come another day - are all of the good works that you spoke of deemed unnecessary? In other words....we can do all the good works possible, but if we don't believe, the good works mean nothing. So, can one reach heaven with just the belief in Jesus Christ/Resurrection alone? Or will we be judged by both our belief and our good works?Christine
Answer
Christine:
I want you
to read these verses:
For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
This tells
me that it is by faith that we are saved and no amount of good works will make
us more or less saved. It is by faith in Christ and repentance of sin
alone. One without the other is void.
But look
at 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
become a Christian this verse says we will do good works, not because that will
get us to heaven, but because when we are in Christ and have become a new
creation good works will flow out of us through a spontaneous heart.
Will there
be so-called weak and backslidden Christians in heaven? I don't know and certainly I
don't want to be in that position when I face God. I certainly would
be afraid He might say depart from me you working of iniquity for I never knew
you. That means that person never was saved in the first place. They
were only fooling themselves. I can't think of one Biblical example of the
judgment where God faces a person and says you started out saved, but lost
your salvation because you turned away from me. You either are or you're not
saved.
I hope
this has answered your question.
Pastor Malone