Heaven’s Cost: Works vs. Faith
What must I do to be saved?
Most of us who grew up in Christian churches probably know Ephesians 2:8; that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” You’ve probably also heard, however, that “faith also, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). We know faith is what saves, but we also know faith without works is dead, so how do we reconcile both statements?
In my own life, rather than giving these questions to God and praying for clarification, I relied on my own willpower to do good things, and, just like everyone else since the beginning of time, continually failed. If we were able to achieve anything by our own power, Jesus would not have needed to sacrifice Himself for us on the cross.
On the other hand, accepting the fact that salvation is a free gift seems very counterintuitive. In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who hires workers in the morning for a fair wage. Throughout the day, he brings on more workers for the same wage. The laborers who had worked the full day felt cheated that they did not receive a higher payment than those brought in at midday. We tend to think the same way; if salvation is a free gift, that means someone who accepts salvation as a young person and lives their entire life sacrificing for God’s kingdom is the same as someone who finally realizes the truth of the gospel and accepts salvation at the end of their life. While this does not seem fair at first, once we experience the peace of abiding in Him, how could we be upset knowing we have more time to be in God’s presence and to know the joy of doing His work?
The best sermon I’ve ever heard was a very simple explanation of this question of faith vs. works. The pastor’s conclusion was that there was indeed work we need to do, but not the kind we usually think of. John 15:4 says “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” Abide in Him. This is the work we must do. Yes, faith without works is dead, but those works are just an overflow of the love we have for our Father. Abiding in Him — spending consistent and sufficient time in prayer and His Word — is what grows our love in Him and the people He created, and our trust that God’s plan is for our good.
If you’re striving unsuccessfully to overcome any attitudes or actions that are not of God, focus on cultivating your relationship with Him. Be honest and specific in your prayers, accept God’s gift of forgiveness, and take the time to hide His Word in your heart. Jon McCray, host of the Whaddo You Meme YouTube channel, noticed that “once the shame and guilt went away, that’s when I had the willpower, the ability, to be able to stop doing these things that were controlling me for so long.”
Being human means we’ll still make mistakes, but the more we walk with the Spirit, the easier and more desirable it will be to live a holy, sanctified life.
“Thanks be to God, for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
