Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Ram
I can see the importance of works salvation now pastor.I mean if it was purely faith alone what basis would us christians have for are self righteous attitude also how would the church get people to tithe.My concern is for Brother Jeb he gave me a link to a website that teaches this heresy of free salvation without works.I will pray for him.
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Hold on a minute, friend. I think you misunderstood Pastor Isaac's chart. Brother Jeb and Pastor Isaac are both right.
On one hand, salvation is not something we earn (
Eph 2:8-10). It is something given to some of us who are chosen by God, not because we deserve it, but to suit His divine sovereignty (
Rom 9). No amount of good works will make a sinner clean. God is not at all impressed by "good works" performed by unsaved sinners (
Isaiah 64:6).
Imagine a cheating husband, coming home drunk at 2 in the morning, reeking of another woman's perfume. Now imagine that he attempts to make up for it by hamfistedly pulling up some flowers out of her flower garden to give to her. Think about how the wife would view this gesture. That's about how God views a sinner's "good works".
But on the other hand, once we are saved, we are no longer capable of sin and we are so full of joy that we can't help do good works and obey God as a natural consequence. If someone commits a sin, it is proof that they aren't saved yet. (
1 John 3:1-12)
Failure to do good works is also a sin (
James 4:17), so if saved Christians are incapable of sin, then that means saved Christians are incapable of failing to do good works.
So, your Pappy was dead wrong that mere belief is enough. Even the Devil believes (
James 2:19). Salvation IS a free gift, but if someone is still sinning and not doing good works, then it's proof they haven't received that gift. So Jeb is right that works are not the path to salvation, and Pastor Isaac is right than a lack of works are proof that one is Hellbound. Works are not the means to salvation, but they are the evidence of it.
Pastor Billy-Reuben