Does Our Salvation Require Works &/or Obedience?
This topic is a delicate balance that often is wanting to swing from one side to the other.
How are we saved by God? Is it through our works (being a good person, or DOING for God)? Or is it through faith (in Jesus’ death for our sins & resurrection, conquering our sins & death)? Or is it both?
Do we have to prove our sincerity *enough* to deserve & receive Jesus’ gift before we get to go to Heaven?
What Salvation Is
All of us have sinned… every single one of us… & we all DESERVE Hell.
We also cannot earn Heaven. No matter how much good we do, we can never be near good enough to earn Heaven.
But… Jesus.
Our salvation (being made right with God from our sins against Him, through the payment by Jesus for those sins) is most definitely something that can only be accredited to Jesus alone.
Faith or Our Good Works?
So, understanding our complete lack of ability to atone for ourselves, knowing Jesus paid that for us, this question of faith vs. works seems a simple answer—by faith!!—but this quick answer is often misunderstood, so let’s talk about it.
There is absolutely no amount of good works that we can do to merit salvation from Hell. Nothing. If left to us, we would all go to Hell (& deserve to be there), but by God’s love & grace, HE MADE a Way possible for us anyway, through Jesus… & ONLY through FAITH in JESUS’ work on that cross can we achieve salvation.
But…
BUT, the Bible also tells us that faith without works is dead (in other words, if you *really* BELIEVED it, wouldn’t you try to live it?) (James 2:14-26) & it reminds us that true love for God is shown through obedience to God (John 14:15) (again, if we really have our faith in Him, wouldn’t we trust what He says & try to do it?) which sound an awful lot *like* works are involved in there as well.
And that is where a hang-up occurs for many Christians. It is a crack of misunderstanding that Satan likes to wedge himself right into & exploit to have us question our salvation altogether.
But let me be clear, while true faith is demonstrated by our works, it is not the amount of works that earns you salvation–only Jesus.
You Can’t Ignore Obedience
And still others, ignoring the whole “faith without works is dead” truth altogether, think that as long as they *say* they believe in Jesus & *say* the “magic” prayer: “Lord, please come into my heart & save me, blah blah blah,” that they’re all set & ready to prance right along into Heaven, living a life of unremorseful sin in the wait.
You see, it’s not the not-so-magic *words* that get you into heaven… it is BELIEVING ON Jesus’ work on your behalf! And if you BELIEVE on Him… don’t you think you will want to trust as He says we ought to live & try to live that way instead?
Salvation is ALL faith & ONLY faith can save you from your sins—faith in Jesus paying your price for you & rising again, conquering your sin—but that faith, that utter trust in HIM, if sincere, leads us in a DESIRE FOR HIS WILL & WAY.
Sanctification Is a Lifelong Process, Worked out by the Holy Spirit
We don’t become perfect when we accept His payment on our behalf, but the desire in us shifts from a desire for MY way, to a desire for HIS way.
We will get it wrong. We will fail. But we will desire His way to win, not our own.
When we accept Jesus’ work, through our faith in Him (aka salvation), through TRUE repentance (a desire to turn from our ways to His), GOD works in us, called sanctification (a lifelong process of God helping to weed out the sinful habits/patterns, & trading up for habits & patterns that give Him honor & glory, that please Him–holiness).
The level of sanctification we achieve does not determine salvation, but it is sure evidence of that salvation.
And the even better news? He doesn’t leave us to figure out how to do it or HOW to do it (sometimes change feels IMPOSSIBLE, doesn’t it??) But rather, HE works it out in us.
HE prunes us. HE leads us. HE instructs us (through the Bible). He enables us (through prayer). HE points the way.
Not a Better DOER, But a Better ABIDER
So many of us, including myself, can get lost in the DOING. “Do more,” “be a better Christian,” etc.
But God desires something different from us after we put our faith in HIM.
He desires our ABIDING more in Him–to act according to the reality that He is the Vine & we are the branches… apart from Him, we can do nothing. We NEED to rest in His presence, to be still & know that HE is God (Psalm 46:10), to acknowledge HIS role as GOD ALMIGHTY Who loves us beyond measure. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 3:14-19)
“Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
God Wants Us Near Him Because He Loves Us
He wants us to talk to Him, to pour our heart out to Him, to come running to Him first for comfort or peace, to lean into His strength & power to enable us when it’s hard, to rely on His knowledge & wisdom.
Basically, He wants us to go back to living like we are in the Garden of Eden, taking His hand & letting HIM be GOD, doing as He leads & enables.
This doesn’t mean NO doing. It just means abiding so you can recognize which works specifically He is calling you to do.
Not doing everything “Christian-y” in hopes you’ll get it right some percentage along the way, but instead, reading His Word & being in His presence & talking with Him more so you can hear your Shepherd lead YOU.
Salvation + Works + Obedience?
True repentant faith will produce works & obedience as you seek to live His way over your own, but you can’t do it on your own & you will fail completely at times.
You are human. You WILL fail. (I know I do—I do not deserve to be here!) And Satan will be quick to whisper, “stop going back to Him when you fail… you’re mocking Him with every failure… stay away from Him this time….”
But God will whisper, “Come home, My child. Yes, Jesus paid for that, too.”
From my social media yesterday: “Obedience (or a desire for & striving in obedience) to God’s commands does reveal whether we are truly repentant—as in, saying “the magic words” doesn’t get you a ticket to heaven, but believing on Him & seeking to live His way through His enabling (by abiding in Him). But we will still fall short, so salvation is not something hinged on whether we get it right every time or enough times, but whether our heart truly believes on Christ as our Redeemer & as ultimate Almighty God, & if that’s truly the case, God will work in us sanctification (weeding out the bad habits/thoughts & training us up in righteousness to better live for & glorify Him). It’s a working He does in us as we surrender our hearts more & more as we abide in Him. The level of sanctification achieved does not determine salvation, but sanctification is evidence of salvation as He works in us as one who believes on Him.”
Shine hope by having faith in His work & His way, surrendering more of your heart for His sanctification, & abiding in Him more so that He may work through your life to reach a hurting world that so desperately needs to know of the HOPE we have available to us in JESUS.
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Grove Bracelet (Thailand)
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