WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY ABOUT BEING
REWARDED
ACCORDING TO OUR
WORKS?
Jesus said to the rich young man who asked Him what he had to do to inherit eternal life: "If you will enter into life keep the commandments." The apostle Paul was inspired to say: "For it is by grace you are saved through faith… not of works, lest any man should boast." Then near the end of the Bible Jesus is recorded to have said: "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." How are we saved without works yet rewarded by our works? The answer can be found in the word of God. This article will make the truth plain.
by
Keith Hunt
If you work for someone in a secular job, you are paid for the work you do. It could be you are paid a certain sum of money for the entire job you undertake to perform, or you may be paid a number of dollars per hour. Whichever it may be, you are paid for the literal work you perform with your mind, hands, eyes, ears, and abilities. You would say you have EARNED those wages by the things you have done. If the job is going to take a long time to do and if the skill to do it demands very high abilities, much mental and physical effort, you may negotiate for high wages as your reward earned for completing the work.
An employer may advertise for persons to perform certain tasks, it could be cutting out a pattern from cloth, over and over again. The way he will pay his employees is what has become known as "piece work" - for every piece cut out you get such and such money. If one person decides to take his time and only do so many cut-outs in an hour, then they are rewarded for their work accordingly under that system of pay. If the next person works a little harder and does a few more cut-outs in an hour over the first person, they will receive more reward - more money. And if the third employee really rolls up their sleeves, puts more effort, more speed, more concentration, into producing the greater number of cut-outs, they will receive the most amount of money at the end of the day.
I think most of us can understand the above, getting rewarded for the things we do according to how we do them. We are earning our pay. It is not a gift to us, we are not receiving something that was not rightfully ours to receive, we have received rightful wages for something we earned by what we literally did.
Now let's look at the meaning of the word GIFT. We are looking at this word not as an ability or talent that someone may have, such as the gift of singing, or painting, or running the mile in under 4 minutes. We are looking at this word gift as that which is a tangible something that one person gives to another person. When you give something such as a wallet or purse to a friend on their birthday, you have given them a gift. They had not worked for you to earn that purse or wallet, they had not come to you claiming you had to give them that wallet for it was their right to have, as they had painted your fence last week and so had earned the reward of receiving that wallet. Their birthday had arrived and it was within your POWER to give them a tangible gift or not to give them anything. You had and held the authority to GIVE or NOT give.
Perhaps you had in your possession some valuable hand-me-down. It was 150 years old and very rare in its class, it was worth more to you than money could buy. There was nothing, no literal work, your friend could do to earn from you the right to have that treasure. No amount of friendly phone calls to you, no amount of picking you up and taking you to the mall, or cutting your grass, weeding your flower bed, washing your dishes, waxing your car, or anything else, could demand that you had to give over that priceless treasure you had to them. It was yours to give them or not give them, it was nothing they could earn from you but it was yours to give them if you so chose.
One day you do choose to give this priceless article to your friend on their birthday. But you are going to tell them in advance of their birthday you are giving it them, because you are giving it UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, the conditions being 1) They will respect this gift, remembering it is priceless. They will not treat it casually or with distain as if walking all over it with dirty shoes. 2) They will promise to keep it in their family and not give or sell it to strangers for 50 years.
Now, you laying down those conditions to receiving that gift from you, DOES NOT MEAN THEY HAVE EARNED THAT GIFT! It is still yours to give or not give. They promising to abide by those conditions you gave,in no way takes the authority to give, away from you. They can not demand you give them that gift by way of EARNING it, just because they are willing to comply with the conditions you have stipulated for receiving that gift.
I think most are quite familiar with what I have stated above. Mother and Father may say to their son or daughter: "We are giving to you this bicycle on condition that you never ride it out on the busy highway." Who, as parents, have not said something like that at some time to their child? With what I have said I believe the reader can easily understand the difference between EARNING A WAGE OR REWARD based upon their performance or works, and RECEIVING A GIFT under certain conditions.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE FROM SOCIETY
You are basically a good law abiding citizen. You have never been in trouble with the police for anything. Your record is clean as far as the authorities of this world are concerned.
The time comes when you reach the legal age to drive a car on the public highways. You take driving instruction and you pass the test. You receive your license to drive. Many years go by and again as far as the authorities are concerned your driving record is clean, you were never even caught for speeding(you may never have broken the speed limit or just never caught when you did break it). You have we shall say for our example, been a model driver for many years.
Then one day for whatever reason you are going well over the speed limit. Soon you see the flashing lights behind you, yes it is for YOU they are flashing, telling you to pull over. Your heart sinks, you quickly look down at the speed dial, yes you are speeding.
The kind policeman asks to see your divers license and informs you of the speed you were clocked at. He goes back to his car and does whatever he does to find out your driving record.
You have a clean record as far as their files show, BUT HE DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION! You may have driven within the speed limit thousands of times before this day, the officer DOES NOT HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THAT! The law of the land regarding driving on the roads and highways within the posted speed DOES NOT HAVE TO CONCERN ITSELF WITH ALL YOUR PAST GOOD DEEDS AND WORKS OF OBEDIENCE! It does not have to concern itself with WHO you are, how FAMOUS you are, what great SKILLS you have for the benefit of mankind, how much MONEY you have, or what a wonderful LAW ABIDING citizen you have generally been all your life.
You have broken the speeding law THIS DAY, you have this ONCE done wrong and that is ALL THIS POLICE OFFICER NEEDS TO KNOW!
He does not have to add up all your past good obediences to see if they out number this ONE infraction of the law, so you can somehow earn your way out of the penalty. No, according to the law, you have been disobedient this once and caught on radar to prove it. The officer of the law CAN FINE YOU "X" NUMBER OF DOLLARS for this one infraction AND YOU MUST PAY THE PENALTY IMPOSED - YOU WERE GUILTY AND YOU KNOW IT!
That is all there is to it - cut and dry as they say. The one disobedience to the law brings a punishment you must pay. No past amount of "keeping the law" will cancel this penalty imposed on you for this one error.
The above example does serve to teach us something, but it is relatively a minor infraction of the laws of man when compared say to WILLFUL MURDER!
You may have been a law abiding citizen all your life, never even getting a parking ticket. You may have been a model employee, someone all others could respect and "look up to." You may have been a leading member of your Church, and an outstanding community worker. The record of "good deeds" in all areas of your life (husband, father, mother, brother, sister.etc.) may cover pages and pages BUT ONE DAY you have a run in with your boss, and you think it was completely unwarranted - his fault entirely - and you may be correct in your thinking. The next day he does the same, then a few days later he does it again, and once more a week later.
At this point you have deliberately, with planned cold calculation decided that if he does it one more time, you will go to your locker, take out your loaded 45 pistol and shoot him till he is dead!
He does do it again, and YOU DO SHOOT HIM TILL HE IS DEAD!
The example is a little exaggerated you say. Not at all! If you live in the "good ol' USA" you will know this very thing does take place from time to time.
When the authorities charge this person with first degree murder they charge according to this ONE TIME infraction of the law. The persons past wonderful law keeping is not taken into consideration. WHO he is does not enter the picture, how much money he has is not considered, what great things they may have invented or done for the betterment of society, is not taken into account when the charge of MURDER is pronounced on them.
The person guilty of the act of shooting and killing their boss HAS BROKEN THE LAW - THEY ARE GUILTY OF MURDER - THEY COME UNDER A PENALTY, THE CHARGE AGAINST THEM IS MURDER, either first or second degree murder.
They have never broken this law before, they may never break it again, they have been a model law-abiding citizen, but this one infraction of the law puts them under the laws penalty. A penalty will have to be paid. No amount of past or future obediences to the law will erase the penalty for this one time error and violation of the "you shall not murder" law.
We shall suppose for the purpose of our example, that the penalty for murder in the country or state where our example took place, is DEATH. The model citizen is charged with first degree murder. They planned it and coldly carried it out in front of many witnesses. They admit to it. The case is open and shut.
But in-between the time when the crime was committed and the time the judge was to hand down the sentence of death, our guilty party genuinely came to deep remorse and repentance, they were truly broken up over the whole sin they had done.
Unfortunately our guilty person is living in a land that such crimes can not just be winked at even if repentance is genuine. Unfortunately for them (because the laws of the land were so set and established) all the breaking of laws that were a capital offence carried the death sentence that could not be changed, someone had to die for this murder.
An unheard of event is about to take place in this land. Our guilty party is standing before the judge, the sentence of death is about to be imposed upon them. The judge and all around can see the law-breaker is truly sorry and repentant, crying out for mercy and grace. But the law of the land claims the death penalty must be enforced, such is the law, such can not be changed.
When all seems to be lost for our repentant murderer, a person in the court room stands and says they will die in the place of the guilty.
The judge presiding agrees to the request, someone must die for this crime - the guilty should die, but the judge will grant an innocent person to die in the place of the guilty so the guilty can have this error erased from his record, and walk away as if he never committed the crime.
But the judge makes it very clear to the guilty party the CONDITIONS that all this is done under.
He says something like this: "You have come to see that what you did was wrong, that it was in violation of the law. You knew that such acts would pronounce death upon you. You knew that the law of our land is such that the death sentence must be paid. You have come to genuine repentance over the act you did. You say you never want to do such things again. You desire mercy and grace to be shown to you. Someone has come forward that loves you more than their own life, they will die for you in your place. This court will grant this motion upon certain conditions, namely, that you will stay in a humble, thankful, repentant attitude, loving the laws of this land and wanting to obey them and not break them again. Under those conditions this court will show grace and mercy. You must also remember that haying this error forgiven and removed from your record in this way, does not mean you are free to murder someone, for you are being shown mercy on condition that you will not, nor do you want to ever commit murder again."
Do you see from the above invented story of mine, that "good works" or "righteous deeds" do not have a part in the guilty being saved by grace or mercy through faith in the stranger's sacrifice of himself in place of the offender.
No amount of past or future "obedient works" can earn us automatic forgiveness for any error or law-breaking, be it many infractions or just ONE infraction.
Yet as our example showed, MERCY AND GRACE can be demonstrated towards the guilty person UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, if the guilty party will be willing to meet those conditions of a "mind set" - a "heart attitude" and a basic life-style of repentant obedience to the law.
Such is all of this and MUCH MORE love and mercy shown by the heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ to those who will repent of their sins and humbly serve the will and commandments the Father and Son proclaim.
SAVED NOT BY WORKS!
"For by grace are you 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" (Eph.2:8-10).
With the examples I have previously given we should be able to clearly understand what Paul was saying here to the church at Ephesus.
Yet I will spend some more time to elucidate on this from the word of the Lord, so the reader will fully see the plain truth.
The true God is God alone, there is none else (Isa.45:5-6). He it is who is the one and only lawgiver, able to save or destroy (James 4:12). It was He who gave the law of liberty (James 2:11,12; Ex.20; Deut.5). That law defines what sin is (James 2:10; 1 John 3:4; Rom.7:7). The law of God is holy, just, good, spiritual,and stands fast forever (Ps.111:7,8; Rom.7:12, 14).
How many have broken that law at some point in their lives? God answers that ALL have - Romans 3:9-19,23. All but Jesus have been guilty of sin (1 Peter 2:21,22).
Do we EARN anything by sinning? Yes indeed - DEATH! (Rom.6:23).
We have come to see that God's law defines what is sin, we then realize we have sinned and have come under the death penalty. Now if we start to obey the law will that erase our death sentence? Let Paul answer: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom.3:20).
The word justified means to be declared righteous, to be forgiven, to have the record of sin erased and be as if you had never sinned. Take a few minutes and look up the word "justify" in a dictionary.
One sin brings the death sentence upon us. We could have obeyed many times in the past, but one error earns for us a penalty, in this case, any sin earns us death. Going out and keeping the law perfectly from this point on will not cancel the debt we owe for sinning - not even for just one sin, let alone for many sins.
Just as the one speeding offence and penalty imposed in our first example can not be erased by pointing out to the police officer all our law abiding works, of the past, or future we shall do, so it is with our spiritual standing in God's court.
Only one sin will bring death upon us, and all the good works in the world both past and present and future can not justify or erase that penalty. So is all lost? Have we no hope at all? No! God has in His great love made a way for us to be justified - forgiven - be declared sinless.
God so loved us that He sent His Son into the world, the Son was willing to come, and to die for us in our stead. To take our place on the gallows or in the electric chair. To fulfill the penalty of death that must be enacted and could not be put to one side. Jesus came to die for sinners and carry the death sentence for them, so that through Him they could have life (John 3:16; Phil.2:5-11; Rom.3:23-28).
Doing the deeds of the law could not possibly justify you, just as our murderer in the example previously given, could not erase their death penalty by now obeying the law and not murdering again. It was only someone dying for that sin that could erase it. Jesus was our someone who died for us.
We could not boast! It was not our doing that justified us, our doing had led us to the death sentence. It was no work on our part - no deed we did to justify us from guilt. But it did take something, not a law of works, it was the law of FAITH!
We were cleansed from sin, saved from death, by the supreme judge of heaven having MERCY or GRACE upon us, through the death of His Son, and our FAITH in that sacrifice.
The murderer in our example before given, must have faith that the person willing to die for his error and sin, does erase his law-breaking and penalty so that the court of the land can not come along say 10 years later and enforce the sentence upon him. He must have faith he is justified and set free to live.
Does this faith we show towards God and Christ mean we can go out and willfully sin as we please? Does this faith ABOLISH the law that condemned us? Paul answers that question: "Do we then make VOID the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we ESTABLISH THE LAW" (Rom.3:31).
As the murderer in our example, we can not go out after we have been saved from death by grace through faith, and murder again at our leisure, sin as, and when we please, with willful arrogance.
The judge in our previous example was willing to show GRACE and mercy to the guilty upon certain CONDITIONS being met by the offender. Does God have the authority to impose conditions on us to receive His grace?
As He is God and not us, yes, He does have the right and authority to lay down conditions. Has He done so?
Concerning His mercy(grace) He has written: "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting UPON THEM that fear Him , to such as KEEP HIS COVENANT, and to those that REMEMBER HIS COMMANDMENTS TO DO THEM" (Ps.103:17,18).
Then notice what is written within the very Ten Commandments of God, it is found in the second commandment: "And showing MERCY(grace) unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS" (Ex.20:6).
John was inspired to write that those who loved God would keep His commandments (1 John 2:3-6; 3:22,24; 4:7,8,16; 5:2,3; 2 John 6).
Jesus said to the young rich man who asked Him what he had to do, what conditions did he have to meet, in order to inherit eternal life: "If you will enter into life, keep the commandments." Jesus went on to quote some of the commandments, the ten commandments (Mat.19).
Paul was inspired to say: "Not the hearers of the law are just(justified) before God, but THE DOERS OF THE LAW shall be justified" (Rom.2:13).
These verse do not contradict any other verses in the word of God. They merely teach us that like the judge of our earthly example, God the judge of the whole universe, the one who has power to save or destroy, does have the right and authority to lay down CONDITIONS to receive His GRACE and forgiveness of sins.
He expects people will be deeply broken up and sorry for their errors and sins they have committed. He expects people to love Him with all their heart and mind and soul for His great love and mercy He has shown them through the sacrifice of His Son Christ Jesus. He expects them to love His character that is manifested to us through His laws, commandments, statutes, and precepts. He wants to see His forgiven children having a new mind set, a mind that is willing and desiring to OBEY Him, to delight in His law as Paul did and David did (Ps.l; 119; Rom.7:22; 1 Cor.7:19).
When Peter preached his first sermon on the day of Pentecost, after he had brought them to see their sins and the utter helplessness they were in as far as being saved was concerned, the people cried out....WHAT SHALL WE DO! His reply was: "....REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:28). Later Peter was to say: "REPENT ye therefore and be CONVERTED that your sins may be blotted out " (Acts 3:19).
Here we again see CONDITIONS laid down. You do not EARN the right to have your sins blotted out and receive the Holy Spirit by repenting, being converted, and being baptized. They are CONDITIONS you must meet in order to be given the GIFT of salvation - the forgiveness of sins and receiving the Holy Spirit. Paul made it very plain that without the Spirit of Christ you were "none of His" (Rom.8:9). To receive the Spirit you have to meet certain conditions, the conditions of repenting and being converted, also the condition of being baptized.
You must CHANGE YOUR MIND, CONVERT to a new way of living, stop going the way of sin and what seems right to you, and be willing to let God teach you His way, His commandments, His laws, let Him and Christ dwell in you, let their mind be united with your mind. You must be willing to be baptized in water, to symbolically die with Christ in the watery grave of death, where the old man with the old way of living and thinking is killed, and where you come up out of that grave to a new life to serve the risen Christ in willing obedience to the will and commandments of God the Father - (Rom.6).
What God the judge is wanting, to see you meet, is the condition of a humble and mould-able, submissive, teach-able "mind-set" that says "not my will but thy will be done." An attitude that will be willing to be corrected and guided into serving Him in "spirit and in truth." An attitude that will be willing to admit and confess sins and faults and errors when seen or shown to you. An attitude that will ask God to forgive sins that you are not even aware of doing, as David did.
As long as this is your mind, your attitude, your desire as a way of life in loving, and serving the true God, you are within and UNDER the grace of God. As long as this humble repentant, teachable, obedient mind is in you, you will have the love and mercy and forgiveness of both the Father and His Son Christ Jesus. You will have met the condition for being saved by grace through faith.
No amount of "works" or "deeds" of various kinds can save you from death, only GRACE through FAITH can save you, but remember grace is given to you as a GIFT with conditions.
A CONDITION MANY FAIL TO SEE
Christ once gave a teaching to His disciples that when put together with another parable and teaching of His, should make any Christian stand up and take note, at least it should make them do some serious meditation on the word of the Lord.
Our first passage is found in Luke 17 beginning in verse 6. Jesus talks about servants hired by a master. They may have put in some hours out in the sun plowing the field, yet when they come in they are still expected to make the evening meal for the master. And the master does not have to thank him for any of that work, as he was hired to perform those tasks, as Christ said: "Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not" (verse 9).
I want you to especially notice verse 10. "So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, WE ARE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS: we have done that which was our duty to do."
Turn back to Ephesians 2:8-10. Read those verses again. Notice one reason Paul says you can not be saved by your works of good deeds - you were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, it was ordained beforehand that you were to obey the law and commandments, that was expected from you anyway. God did not have to thank you for something you were expected and created to do.
Going back to our example of the police officer giving you a penalty for breaking the speeding law. He did not have to praise you for obeying it 1,000 times before he caught you breaking it, nor does he have to praise you for or thank you for all the times you will obey the law in the future.
It is the same with God and His commandments and us. We are expected as a condition laid down by God to receive His grace, that we will as a basic way of life, obey His commandments. He does not have to thank us for so doing. Not only does God not have to thank us, but Jesus went one step further. He told us that when we have done the basics of what was commanded us and have done no more, we are to say to ourselves that we are UNPROFITABLE servants, that we only did what was our duty to do.
Now if that does not get us to start to think a little, well putting this teaching of Jesus with another of His, surely will get our attention.
I am referring to Christ's parable in Matthew 25. The parable of the TALENTS!
I want us to look at the man who got one talent, verse 24. He knew his master would want some return on his gift, a little more than the bare amount given. Yet he just kept the minimum, keeping it safe and secure alright, he gave back no less than what he had been given, but he gave no more either. He just did what was commanded of him, what his duty was. Jesus pulled no punches in telling us what the master would say to such a servant, see verses 26-28.
Then notice verse 30 and these chilling words: "And cast you the UNPROFITABLE SERVANT into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Not only does God lay down the condition of having a willing heart to obey His commandments and laws, in order to receive His GRACE and forgiveness through Christ Jesus, BUT ALSO the condition that we will go above and beyond the call of duty.
What does all that mean? Some will say we are back to "works" for salvation. We shall see that is not so!
Now I agree it could be very difficult at this point not to lean towards wanting to set up our list of "good deeds" above the basic heart attitude, so we start to think well if I do just this or that "work" I'll be "in there." I do not say I have all the answers for this, but I believe what I am about to say will be close to the bottom line of the truth of the matter.
There seems that at times within the New Testament Church there were some who only wanted to do "what was their duty to do" and NOT ONE WHIT MORE! It was an attitude of "I'm doing what God has basically commanded me, I'm doing what is my duty to do, but don't you ever ask me to go beyond the call of duty, for I just will not do so."
When James wrote his letter there were individuals within the Church of God that were going through the motions of Christianity, they seemed "to be religious" - outwardly looked like they were keeping the commandments of God as a basic life style. It would have seemed to many looking on that they were following the conditions laid down to receiving grace - a willingness to obey the will and law of God. They did not have other idols they were bowing before, they were not using God's name in profanity, they were keeping the Sabbath day, they were not murdering people, not committing adultery, and obeying the other commandments. They were probably tithing, only eating clean foods, observing the annual festivals of God, and doing many other of the laws of the Lord.
James saw that something was lacking though in their lives. He wrote: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but DECEIVETH his own heart, this man's religion is VAIN" (James 1:26).
The New Covenant Jesus came to establish goes BEYOND the Old Covenant of "letter of the law" obedience. It was prophesied by Isaiah(42:21) that the Messiah would come and not only make the law honorable, but that He would MAGNIFY it!
The longest section of Jesus magnifying the law is recorded in Matthew 5,6,7. The law was no longer just to be obeyed in the letter, but now under the New Covenant the "spirit" and "intent" of the law was to be observed. Using the tongue was not limited now to "no lying," "no bearing false witness." But the use of the tongue went far beyond mere letter commandment keeping - far beyond mere "duty."
Some people that James was instructing just "hadn't got it" as they say, and were only doing what was their mere duty by the commandments and no more. Oh, they were BLESSING God with the tongue, they were probably not bearing out and out false witness against each other, but they were CURSING men, maybe each other. James had to rebuke them for not realizing they had to go BEYOND the letter of the law with their mouth to really be the true children of God and part of those who worship God in "spirit and in truth." They had other problems also because many could not see the demands of the conditions of being saved by grace under the New Covenant. They could see what the last 6 of the Ten commandments said and they could obey them as written, as was their duty, but they had difficulty in going beyond their duty.
There was nothing in those 6 commandments specifically relating to "the fatherless" and the "widows." Nor was there any specific individual instructions in the books of Moses as to how persons on a one to one basis were to treat the widow and fatherless. Sure the nation under Moses was to have a "poor fund" for the widows and fatherless, but that was administered by the leaders and priests of Israel. Yes, the farmer was to leave the corners of the field unharvested for the widows, fatherless, and poor, but all that was still somewhat impersonal, after all nothing was said that you as an individual had to go out and literally help the widow put the gatherings of the field into her basket and carry it home for her.
So many could not see beyond mere duty of the literal commandments of God. They were a servant of the Lord and were doing the basics that a servant was expected to do without the master giving any thanks, but they had forgotten that Jesus taught under the New Covenant, the master would claim that such servants were UNPROFITABLE and would be cast out into outer darkness.
James had to tell them about God's complete purity of religion - the servant of God is expected to meet the condition of going beyond the letter, beyond just duty.
Notice verse 27 and James instructions for them: "PURE RELIGION and un-defiled before God and the Father is this, TO VISIT THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOWS in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
It was no longer just a case of doing our duty by "praying for" or "giving some money to the poor fund" or "leaving the corners of the field unharvested for the widow" BUT GOING FURTHER than duty by sometimes taking the time to walk over, get on your horse, climb in your buggy, drive in your car, get on the bus, and literally go and visit and spend some time with that widow or that fatherless child. The New Covenant was a mind set that was much more personal in living actions of the mind, the mouth, and deeds, than was the Old Covenant. One of the conditions of the New Covenant was that you would be willing to go passed just your duty that was expected of you anyway.
John ran into this same problem of people only wanting to do nothing but what was their duty to do. Oh, many knew that they could have no "hate" in their hearts towards their brother and sisters in the Church and claim to be a true child of God. They knew that hating one another in the mind was like being a murderer and that the love of God could not possibly dwell in such a person with that attitude (1 John 3:14,15). Many were somewhat smug in their Christianity - they had passed from death to life because they "love the brethren" (verse 14). They did not have one bit of hatred or anger or animosity or bitterness in their heart towards any person, especially anyone in the Church. They just had "love, sweet love" for all people. Now, John was not saying that was wrong, not at all! A Christian's heart and mind should be so, but what he saw going on was that many did not see BEYOND that, they only saw their basic duty, not to hate anyone in their mind and heart, and could not see where or how they should set their minds to go passed being what Jesus would say was an unprofitable servant. So John got down to the specifics, to the nitty-gritty of it all.
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and SHUTTETH UP his bowels of compassion from him, HOW DWELLETH THE LOVE OF GOD IN HIM? My little children, let us not love in word(only), neither in tongue (only); but(also) in deed and in TRUTH. And hereby we KNOW that we are of THE TRUTH, and shall assure our hearts before Him" (1 John 3:17-19).
They were loving in the heart, not hating, they were loving in words, talking nice, polite, sweet to each other, but THAT WAS ALL! They were keeping the last 6 of the Ten commandments per se, in the letter, as was their duty to do, but were not seeing that this left them as "unprofitable servants" under the conditions of the New Covenant.
There is a very interesting verse as written in the Greek, in verse 16. The words "laid down" in reference to Jesus is in the AORIST tense, past single action usually. Jesus literally died for us, so we could be saved by grace through faith in His sacrifice. Because of that fact John goes on to say: "and we ought to lay our lives for the brethren." He is not primarily meaning here that each of us are to literally physically die for each other, but as a way of life we ought to be helping and serving each other in whatever ways we can, even giving of physical things to those in need. This is what John is meaning, is brought out in the Greek tense used for the words "to lay" - it is the PRESENT tense - a progressive present action.
The verses following verse 16 also unquestionably prove this is what John had in mind when he said "and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. "
There is contained in all this a teaching from John that upon accepting the DEATH of Jesus for us in our stead, so we could be forgiven - justified - have grace extended towards us, come under the umbrella of God's mercy, and find life, we are to "set our minds" (be converted to a life style), our attitude of thinking, to be ready at all times to not only love our brother and sister in our heart, our words and tongue, but also in tangible literal actions when called upon and when the opportunities arise. This would be going beyond mere duty.
Notice the nature of the last 6 of the Ten commandments as found in Exodus chapter 20.
It is a basic "thou shalt not" do this or that to your neighbor. Do not steal from him, do not murder him, do not bear false witness against him, do not commit adultery with his wife, or covet his material possessions. Nothing here about "thou shalt do this good thing to thy neighbor." Even the fifth command "Honor thy father and thy mother" though more of a "thou shall do" than a "thou shalt not do" command, left much to be meditated on as to how to apply it. You could honor your parents by not cursing at them, or disobeying them, or hitting them, or killing them, but what about actions of positive love towards them? What about helping them harvest the crop without being told to do so, or cleaning the house, washing the dishes, feeding the live-stock, baking the bread, bathing little brother or sister, and many more such things?
To worship God in "spirit and in truth" under the New Covenant was to go passed the mere letter of the law. Oh, the letter was still there, you were still not to literally have sex with your neighbor's wife, but going beyond that duty, you were now not even to lust after her in your heart and mind.
James and John were showing that the Christian - the PROFITABLE Christian could not just stay with the letter of the law, or even just a "none hating" heart, or "pleasant words" towards his brother or sister or neighbor. All of that was good and proper, but it still kept one behind the line that led one over into the field of positive tangible everyday actions towards people in need.
Being a profitable servant, doing more than just what is commanded of you, going beyond mere duty is GOING THE EXTRA MILE, and doing it in the right attitude, not for selfish gain, but out of genuine love, because Jesus loved us fist and gave His life for us while we were yet sinners.
The "good Samaritan" he could have done merely his duty within God's law. He could have stopped as he did, when he saw the man beaten and bleeding on the road, poured wine on his wounds as he did, bandaged him up, said a prayer over him, put him to rest on a soft grassy spot, and walked off to the next town that would come and give the authorities the details of where to find the injured man, and let them look after him.
If he had done that, would anyone say he had not shown some love to his fellow man, why others had gone by without offering any help at all. By just stopping and binding up his wounds he had done his duty as far as the basic law of God was concerned. Yet it was within this man's power to do MORE! He had the means with him of transportation and money. He put the injured on his donkey, or horse or whatever, and brought him to an inn and there paid for him to be taken care of. He went the EXTRA mile so to speak, he did more than just his duty, and he did it all for not one whit of personal fame, or gain. He did it out of shear plain love, the love of God within him.
This was the love of God James and John wanted their readers to manifest in their lives as they reacted to each other on a daily practical living experience.
Jesus expounded this "more than duty" condition a number of times through His ministry. It was something quite radical and new to many of His listeners. Most of them for centuries had heard from the religious leaders of Judah, a teaching that was "only do your duty" and you'll be in the good graces of the Lord. Then add to that a misunderstanding and a perverted interpretation of the word of God(the Old Testament) on loving your brother and how to deal, with the gentiles, and you really had a false religious system deceiving the masses.
When Jesus came along saying things like: "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you....lend, hoping for nothing again...." it turned the head of just about everyone. They had never heard such teaching before, not from the popular religious leaders anyway.
Jesus was teaching a New Covenant, based upon the "spirit and the truth" of the law of God. This was a greater Covenantthan the old, based upon a magnification of the law, better promises, spiritual promises, eternal blessings, and so much more was expected from those who would be called to enter that new covenant. More than mere duty was now a condition, more than just being a servant doing what was expected and commanded of you was a required condition. Now the condition of being a PROFITABLE servant was a pillar and a foundation stone of this NEW Covenant.
It was not that that foundation stone had never been there before for the true people of God to agree to and be willing to set their mind to follow, for it really had always been a part of what made a person "a man after God's own heart" as David was said to be. It was just that it had become buried under centuries of false teaching through false ministers and religious leaders.
Jesus had to sweep aside numerous false doctrines of His day as espoused by the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, such as the wrong burden placed on the people concerning how to observe the Sabbath command. Reading the law of God correctly as given through Moses, WOULD HAVE resulted in people realizing they were to do more than the letter of the law, more than just duty, more than just sacrifice, they were also to be circumcised in the heart as well as the flesh, to have one law for the home born Israelite as well as the stranger among them, to have love, mercy, and judgment in all their dealings as well as the letter of the law (Mat.23:23; Ex.12:49; Num.15:13-16; Deut.30:6; Mic.6:8; Hos.l2:6; 6:6; Ps.51; - Ps.1).
Jesus had to RESORE the basic truths of God as it really was and had been intended, before it was covered over with the dung of men's false ideas and doctrines of demons.
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TO BE CONTINUED
REWARDED BY WORKS #2
THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS
The final parable I want to point the reader to under this section is the parable found in Matthew 25 - the one some call the parable of the last judgment, others the parable of the sheep and the goats. It is contained in verses 31 through to verse 46.
It is very interesting to note what Jesus says to those that are to inherit the Kingdom beginning in verse 34.
I guess He could have just said something very simple, putting it in a "nut shell" sentence for us, if He had wanted. He could have said to those now inheriting the Kingdom something like: "Come you that have a heart after my Father's own heart," or "Come you that have repented, been converted and been baptized," or "Come you that repented, accepted Me as your savior and set your minds to live and do the will of the Father." Jesus could have used such language for those entering eternal life AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL TRUE, SHOWING THEY HAD THE RIGHT ATTITUDE OF MIND FOR BEING SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. But Christ did not choose to use any of those short but true sentences.
Now look at what Jesus says to those who will be on His left hand - those who will be told to DEPART FROM HIM! He says they are cursed, they are to depart into EVERLASTING(the results will be everlasting) FIRE!
Notice the kind of conversation He has with those He tells to depart from Him. He could have put it in nut shell form, He could have said to them something like: "Depart from Me, you who would not repent," or "Depart from Me, you who used My name but would not do the things I said."
Jesus used no "short form" language in this parable for He wanted to get a certain very important point and lesson over to us.
Read the whole parable again. At first it may sound like Jesus is teaching a salvation by "works." I mean it is pretty plain as to what it is saying, those that have repented, accepted Him as savior, and are converted to living a life style within the law of God, will go on to exhibiting that life in Christ by practical love towards people. Those that are cast out are to depart from Him because they did not go on in their life to practical Christianity. None of them could possibly obtain salvation and the Kingdom by EARNING IT THROUGH THEIR WORKS!
We have seen that the word of the Lord makes plain that way to salvation is impossible - no amount of good works can erase the death penalty for even ONE sin, just as the murderer can not erase his death sentence by all the past, present, and future "law keeping" combined. But the judge of the murderer does have the right to lay down conditions to being forgiven and coming under grace from the court. He can say to the guilty: "I see you have truly repented, I see you have truly set your mind to live as a way of life within the law. Good for that is a required condition for you receiving pardon and grace from your sin. But there is anther condition you must be willing to live by, from now on out, the condition of community service. You are not only to love your neighbor, everyone, with no hatred in your heart, and tongue, but you are to set your mind as a way of life, to serve your neighbor in any practical way you can, whenever the situation arises and whenever it is within your ability and power to so help, even going the extra mile at times."
The judge does not necessarily need to ask for individual specific deeds to be recorded, he just wants to see a person with a humble attitude of mind that agrees to those conditions. He wants to see an attitude that will as much as possible comply to those conditions. He realizes he is dealing with a human that is not perfect, and will through the weakness of the flesh fall at times and miss the ideal mark, yet will ask the court for continued mercy as he gets up and carries on to live by the courts conditions.
The judge is not interested in seeing if the actual "good deeds" out number the "bad deeds" in relation to the DEATH SENTENCE or GRACE bestowed. He is interested in the persons "frame of mind" - his overall attitude of mind towards a willingness to abide by the conditions. As long as he can see the person has a heart that is "after his own" then he stands in a saved from death, life. And so it is with the heavenly Father and the true Christian.
AN ATTITUDE NOT SPECIFIC DEEDS
That is the key to all of this being saved by grace and not by works. An attitude will of course manifest itself in certain actions, words, and thoughts. The right correct attitude towards God and His word and law will produce some good fruit - it will be automatic. The Spirit of the Lord within a person will manifest the fruits of the Spirit, no ifs about it. But it is possible to outwardly produce what seems to the human mind "good works" yet have a stinking filthy rebellious attitude towards God while doing it.
Ah, but God knows the heart. He knows our thoughts. He can tell if we are complying with His conditions for being saved by grace. There is a saying that goes: "We can fool some of the people, some of the time, but we can not fool all the people all of the time." Well with God we can not fool Him ANY time!
Let me again repeat - being saved, salvation is not by WORKS! If there was some work or works we could do whereby God was obligated and duty bound to give to us eternal life, then salvation would not be a GIFT, it would be attained by WORKS, not by grace and grace would no longer be grace but works. If we are saved by grace, which indeed we are, then it can not be by works. If we are saved by works, which we are not, then it can not be grace. For works is not grace, and grace is not works (Rom.11:6).
Paul used the example of the father of the faithful - Abraham (Rom.4:1-5). If Abraham had done some deed, some work, that obligated God to forgive him, then obtaining justification and mercy, would have come about by works and not by the gift of grace - undeserved, unearned pardon from sin.
Putting it another way: Abraham did not go to God and say,"Oh, look Lord, did you see that great good work I just did. Ah, now it is mandatory, unavoidable, binding on you to forgive me my sins." If that had ever been the way to secure the grace of God then being saved would have been by works or deeds. But that was never the way God was going to give His grace to anyone. Abraham did not have to "work for it" just as the murderer in our example did not have to perform some "good work" to be cleansed from his sin. He just had to BELIEVE the stranger would die for him, so the penalty paid, and repent of his sin, and set his mind to follow the conditions laid down by the court for receiving grace.
It is an ATTITUDE OF MIND - a BELIEF - a FAITH - that God is looking for on the part of the sinner. It is a belief and faith coupled with repentance that the Lord is looking for in the heart of the guilty, not some specific "work" or "deed." Then with God it goes one step further.
Once this attitude of mind is ascertained by the Lord, He says: "Well I will help you abide by the conditions of this court, namely to live a life-style in conformity to my will and commandments, I and My Son who died for you, both of us will come and live within you to help you live as you should. We shall live within you by the means of the Holy Spirit" (John 14:15-24; Acts 5:32; 2:28; Rom.8:6-17).
Now this FAITH that has produced all of this is apart from any works. But can this faith that results not only in forgiveness of sins, and the very nature and power and presence of God within the person (2 Pet.1:2-4), lead to the willful, open, rebelling attitude of breaking the law and commandments of God that define the love of God(l John 5:3)?
As we have seen already Paul answers: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! No, we establish the law" (Rom.3:31). As soon as we receive the SPIRIT of God, we also automatically receive the LOVE of God - they are INSEPARABLE (Rom.5:5) and the love of God is the keeping of His commandments which are not grievous as some claim (1 Jn.5:3).
This attitude of mind, this new mind in us, which is really the mind of Christ in us (Phil.2:5) will also give us the FAITH OF Christ, not just faith in Christ, but His very own faith in us, going indeed from faith to faith (Rom.1:17; Gal.2:20). Jesus' faith in us will automatically, involuntary, spontaneously, inherently and habitually PRODUCE GOOD FRUITS AND WORKS! It can not be any other way. God is holy, and from Him, from His person comes holy and good character. So looking at this side of the picture, this side of FAITH, the apostle James was inspired to tell us about the perfect faith that Abraham had. Read it for yourself in James chapter 2 and verses 14 through to 26.
The BELIEF and FAITH that Abraham had was the attitude God was looking for in him. A humble repentant submissive attitude of mind that would be willing to OBEY the will and commandments of God. The Lord could see that attitude of heart in Abraham that is why God could say: "FOR I KNOW HIM, that he WILL command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord"(Gen. 18:19). God said this of Abraham BEFORE the promised son was born unto him, BEFORE he-had a large family (he lived to be 175 years old and had many children, see Gen.25:1-8). This right type of heart attitude, this perfect faith will produce good fruit, no way around it. The Spirit of God in a person will produce the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22). Jesus also made this abundantly clear when He said: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT: for without Me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned; Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear MUCH FRUIT "(John 15:1-8).
These works or fruits are not to acquire grace and salvation; being saved has come through FAITH by GRACE, these fruits are the result of salvation by grace, the result of a contrite mind that is willing to live by the law of God and allows the Lord to come into the very mind of the converted person via the Holy Spirit, to help them produce the works and character of the Eternal God. So when all is said and done, the fruits produced by the true Christian are not really their fruits or works, but are the fruits of THE LORD! That is why Paul said: "Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, WORKING IN YOU that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ." and also,"It is GOD THAT WORKETH IN YOU, both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Heb.l3:21; Phil.2:13).
Are you seeing now why Paul said there was NO BOASTING on our part for any of this?
It is really all God's doing from start to finish, from the time He calls us and removes the blindness from our eyes(John 6:44) to the very day of our glorification in the resurrection, it is all through grace and faith and He working in us. Oh yes, we do have a part to play in all this. For at no time do we ever become a robot in the hands of the Lord. We never have our free moral agency taken away from us. When God calls us to repentance, we must choose to heed the call or reject it. When God offers us forgiveness through grace and faith we can accept the conditions or reject them. When God comes to live His life in us via the Holy Spirit, we again can yield to Him in a correct attitude of mind, or rebel and fight against the leading of the Spirit. God's Spirit does not force us to do anything, it does not take over our mind and just start to "think" for us, move our hands or legs for us, and use our physical bodies as some sort of robotic apparatus to do its biding. The Spirit of God will not force us to do anything that we in our minds refuse to do. The Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13), it will gently prod and lead and it will teach us the way of the Lord, but we in our minds must be willing to yield to the Spirit.
We must be willing to say: "Yes Lord I want to do your will not my own, I want you to teach and show me the way to go, the way to live, I want you to help me become more like you and Christ Jesus in all that I do." That is the heart attitude we must have, just as Abraham, David, Paul, John, James, and all the true saints of the Lord have had since sin and the calling to repent came into the world.
WORKS AND REWARDS
I have spent a lot of time and space in proving and showing to you the simple truth of God's word on the subject of being saved, that it is by GRACE through FAITH and not by earning it through WORKS. But, you say, God has much to say about OUR WORKS and being REWARDED FOR OUR WORKS! Yes that is true! God does record and keep tab of all our "good works" and promises to give each of His children a "reward" - a "payment" - a "pay check" at the end of the day, something VERY TANGIBLE, other than eternal life (which is a gift and can not be earned by works), some reward based upon the work we do with what God has given us, while living this physical life.
Notice what Nehemiah once said: "Remember me, 0 my God, concerning this, AND WIPE NOT OUT MY GOOD DEEDS THAT I HAVE DONE....." (Neh.l3:14). From this we can gather that God does record our good deeds. Then Solomon wrote: "For God shall bring every WORK into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecc.l2:14). This can not be for the purpose of deciding who will be saved, for being saved is by grace through faith and not of works. It can only be for one other reason - deciding each individuals reward based upon their works, deciding what they have rightly earned as payment for the works they did.
Jesus said: "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his REWARD" (Matt.10:42).
Paul said this: "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive HIS OWN REWARD according to his own labor" (1 Cor. 3:8). Then another time Paul said: "For God is not unrighteous to FORGET your WORK AND LABOR of love" (Heb.6:10). Then notice this from Paul, talking about being saved and receiving rewards all in the same breath:
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus (being saved by grace through faith). Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's WORK shall be made manifest: for THE DAY shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he SHALL RECEIVE A REWARD. If any man's work shall be burned, he SHALL SUFFER LOSS, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor.3:11-15).
We are saved by grace through faith, not of works. That foundation is sure through the redemption in Christ Jesus, BUT what we build upon that foundation and what our REWARD shall be will be determined by our WORKS!
Then some of the very last words Jesus ever said to mankind and had recorded for us are found in Revelation 22:12. "And, behold, I come quickly; and my REWARD is with me TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE." Is God taking note of our works? Does He write them down and record them? Indeed it would seem He does! For what purpose? To decide if we should be saved or not? Hardly,for salvation is not given to us for all of our works. The only answer left is what is taught in many scriptures, namely that God has determined that He will reward us for the WORKS we do as over time we build upon the foundation we already have in being saved by grace through Christ Jesus.
SOME REWARDS ALREADY DETERMINED
The truth of people being given rewards from God according to their WORKS is brought out in the life of Jesus' disciples. One day James and John, the sons of Zebadee, came to Jesus with a request. The request was not that they should be saved, or inherit eternal life, or come under His grace, or have their sins forgiven. I guess they knew they would have all that. But this request was for something beyond entering into the Kingdom and eternal life. They asked Jesus for a specific tangible reward for the works they would do in their Christian life. "They said unto Him, Grant unto us that we may SIT, ONE ON THY RIGHT HAND, and the other ON THY LEFT HAND, IN THY GLORY" (Mark 10:37).
Jesus went on to tell them they would in their WORKS partake of many of His works, and a reward would not be denied them, but to sit on His right and left hand in His kingdom, was for the Father to decide who would be rewarded with those positions (verses 38-40).
More than merely being "saved" was here requested. They wanted certain positions to be assigned them in the Kingdom. These positions or rewards can not be granted on the foundation of being saved by grace, for that foundation is the same for every person as no works can save us. So everyone is standing on the same level platform for entering into eternal life. Remember David said he would rather be a door keeper in the house of God than have the highest earthly position going for mortal man. So rewards and positions of authority in the Kingdom can be determined by only two things: 1) the decision and will of God, and 2) rewards given to each person based on their works. It would seem that during Christ's ministry, God the Father had decided in advance, what would be the position and reward for James and John and the others of the twelve disciples. They indeed would do many great and noble WORKS for the Lord during their Christian ministry and life - the Father knew that. Jesus said they would indeed drink the cup that He drank, be baptized with the baptism He was baptized with, and He also told them on one occasion that they would do greater WORKS than what He even did. They would sacrifice a lot in doing their works. Peter seemed to know this, at least he knew what they had already done in WORKS to follow Jesus, so he wanted to know what the paycheck was going to be at the end of the day. What was "in it for them" as far as a literal reward was concerned. What could they expect over and beyond eternal life, over and beyond being saved by grace, this was his question to Jesus. Christ answered by saying: "Verily I say unto you, That you which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall SIT UPON TWELVE THRONES, JUDGING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, SHALL RECEIVE AN HUNDREDFOLD, and shall inherit everlasting life" (Matt.19:28,29).
A lot of mighty WORKS here talked about, a lot of huge sacrificial WORKS here mentioned. The twelve disciples were told what their specific reward would be - each ruling a tribe of Israel during the Kingdom age. Others told that their sacrificial works would earn them an HUNDREDFOLD!
Notice eternal life is kept SEPARATE. Of course they will have eternal life because they will have been true Christians. But as we have before proved, eternal life, being saved, is not because of any specific sacrificial good "works" we will have done. The works we do as we build upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, will determine our REWARD we get after we enter the Kingdom by grace through faith.
From what Ezekiel was inspired to write, it would seem that the reward for David, the man after God's own heart, has been determined. He will rule over the whole 13 tribes of Israel - see Ezekiel 34, note verse 23,24; and also chapter 37, verses 15-28.
REWARDS OF RULERSHIP OVER CITIES
As we have seen, Jesus knew and taught that His disciples would be given rewards according as their work would be, after they had been saved by grace. There is a parable in the book of Luke that was given mainly because many thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear in Jesus' day. But there are also some other important teachings in this parable, one regarding this truth of being rewarded in the Kingdom according to the WORKS you have done,(Luke 19:11-27). Luke records that ten servants were given a pound each, say today, a hundred dollars for those living under dollar currency. They were to work with what they had been given, to use it, to increase, to be profitable servants. All but one it would seem did WORK with what they had.
Luke was inspired to bring out not that they would all (except the one unprofitable servant) enter into eternal life, for that would be taken for granted, hidden within the story, but he was inspired to relate REWARDS given to them ACCORDING TO HOW THEY WORKED! Some were rewarded with rulership over 10 cities, some over 5 cities, and I suspect some over 3 or 2 cities. Some built upon the foundation gold, some silver, some precious stones, and were rewarded accordingly. One did nothing more than his duty, thinking that would be pleasing to his master, but he found out to late, it was not, and what he thought he had, even that was taken away from him. This parable shows that God is very just and very fare. These ten servants started out on equal footing, on the same strata in life, all given the same to work with, none above or ahead or behind the other, all from the same pea pod as we might say.
As they worked, as they built gold, or silver, or stone, or wood, they were rewarded justly - they earned the wage they rightly deserved, they were rewarded according as to what every man's work shall be.
MORE TO THIS PARABLE
Matthew records a parable of Jesus' that is somewhat similar to the one in Luke 19, but with a few very significant difference. Turn to Matthew 25, the parable we need to look at is found in verses 14 through 30. We talked about this parable earlier from a certain view point, with another lesson in mine, but now I want you to note very carefully verses 14 and 15. "For the Kingdom of heaven(or Kingdom of God) is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods. And unto one he gave FIVE TALENTS, to another TWO, and to another ONE. To every man ACCORDING TO HIS SEVERAL ABILITY " They all but one man INCREASED in their WORKS with the individual ability they had PLUS what the master had given them to start with! The parable in Luke showed the servants all STARTING OFF on the same level or same STEP on the ladder, but the servants in the parable in Matthew were on DIFFERENT STEPS on the ladder and were given different amounts of talents or goods, according to their natural abilities, which are also understood from the context to be different.
From the two parables it should now become clear that what we are beginning to learn is that there is MUCH MORE INVOLVED in being rewarded according to your "WORKS" than what we may have at first thought.
MANY VARIABLES
Paul, when talking about some false accusers, said this about them:
"…they measuring themselves BY themselves, and comparing themselves AMONG themselves, ARE NOT WISE" (2 Cor.10:12).
Paul knew it was an unwise mental exercise for people to compare themselves with other human beings - there were just too many variables involved in such comparing. Some may start out what we would consider as "on equal footing" in life. They may have the same basic parental upbringing, may go to the same school and achieve the same type of educational diploma, may be of the same mental ability, be pretty equal in the number of natural talents, and start out in the working world with the same amount of literal money. BUT owing to other factors in life - good or bad influences, good or bad "luck" as we call it, being in the right place at the right time, or wrong place at the wrong time, possible accidents or sicknesses, inheriting certain physical things left by relatives, being wise or unwise in various decisions, and a host of other variables, we do NOT all INCREASE at the SAME rate. Where we stood level with some at the start, we finish increasing, some one fold, some five fold, and some ten fold.
Think about your High School class. Maybe you are still in touch with many from your graduation class. There will be some who were pretty equal and started out about the same. How have they increased today, HOW and WHY did the increase come about? I know of some I graduated with who were about equal with me in most things. Some really went on to make it big in business, making way more money than I have ever made. Then there was my close buddy who had all that I had in education, home life, and talents. He was doing about as well as I was in the working world UNTIL his wife gave birth to a very crippled baby. He had to leave his trade he loved and had been in for many years, to take a mundane job he did not like because it paid way better than his trade, and they needed the extra money to pay the doctor bills.
He and his wife's life were turned upside down, difficulties, sorrow, pain, hardship, and problem after problem. Looking at it from just a purely carnal human point, you may say he did not increase like some of the other guys from our graduation class. But by WHAT STANDARD are you comparing I will ask? Overcoming and battling through such trials and troubles as having a crippled child, could be a far GREATER INCREASE to God than making it big in the business world.
Are you beginning to see why Paul said it was NOT WISE to measure ourselves by ourselves or to compare ourselves among ourselves?
ONLY GOD HAS PERFECT KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM TO DECIDE WHO HAS INCREASED BY WHAT AMOUNT AS HE WAS GIVEN!
Think back again to your school days(if you are out of school), and you will recall the kids who had, it seemed to you, ALL the talents, they were good at just about everything they ever did. Not many were like that, but a school usually has a few. Then there were you will remember, many with differing abilities. Some were extremely good at this or that, while others were very talented in something else. But alas, there were some who were "not very well blessed" we said. They didn't seem to have hardly any talents. They were not very good at anything, including academic work. God gives natural talents to each person as He wills. And He gives as many talents as He sees fit to any one individual. Some have MANY abilities, others less, and some have few. But all is from THE Master of His servants. The bottom line is though: It does not make any difference as to your color, sex, age, education, social background, you have SOMETHING that God has given you that you can use to produce an INCREASE!
I think of the lady JONI. She was a young pretty girl in her late teens I believe, when she broke her neck diving into the waters of a lake. She was left as a quadriplegic, it would seem her world of increasing had come to an end. But through finding God and Christ in her life she has gone on to produce wonderful WORKS in paintings with her mouth, singing and making records, writing books of inspiration, and wonderful uplifting talks in personal appearances.
You should not look upon what others have or do not have and compare yourself with them, for that is folly and unwise. You are you - they are they. You are unique, no other person who has ever lived or will live, will ever be like you. No other person will ever face or go through the same exact set of life's situations and circumstances that you will encounter while on this earth.
ONLY GOD HAS ALL KNOWLEDGE AND ALL WISDOM TO DECIDE WHO HAS INCREASED BY WHAT AMOUNT AS HE HAS GIVEN, IN ORDER TO REWARD EVERYONE ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS!
In the context of the Church, we do not all come to the truths of God at the same time, or at the same age. It is God that calls when He sees fit in His own time. You enter the Church with MANY variables, everything you are, except your sins to the point of baptism. You may enter the Church as a single person, a married person, widow, or widower. You enter with your past education, many talents or few, parental upbringing, social influences, bad or good life experiences, and just everything that has made you - YOU! Yes, we all enter the Church at different levels of the mental, emotional, education, social, talent, rung of the ladder. We may be called into the Church when we are on the 5th rung of the natural ladder, or the 3rd rung, or the 7th, or 11th rung. What step of the ladder we are on when called into the Church depends on MANY factors.
Some of us may have had the best of education given us because we just found ourselves born into the right environment of family life and wealth, while others because of their "born into" circumstances, only received a grade four education, as many did in grandfather's day.
I could go on given other variables for a number of pages, you will no doubt immediately think of others as you mediate upon this truth.
None of us should compare ourselves among ourselves or measure ourselves by ourselves, for we can all find ourselves at different stages of our lives on different rungs of the ladder of life. We were not all called to be doctors or lawyers or dentists. We are not all called to be firemen or plane pilots. We are not all called to be secretaries, bankers, bakers, or candlestick-makers. If you are a skilled plumber you would not usually compare yourself against an accountant. A seamstress will not usually compare herself against a real-estate lady. But often within the Church of God we do compare ourselves among ourselves. This is total folly, and as Paul said - UNWISE!
We indeed shall be rewarded ACCORDING AS OUR WORK SHALL BE, but for us to try and figure out all the variables in "what is our work" is not only unwise but is also a complete futile waste of time and energy, for we are NOT God!
ONLY GOD KNOWS ALL THE VARIABLES, ONLY HE HAS ALL KNOWLEDGE AND ALL WISDOM TO DECIDE WHO HAS INCREASED BY WHAT AMOUNT IN RELATION TO WHAT HE WAS GIVEN, TO THEN DETERMINE WHAT HIS REWARD WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS!
WHERE IS THE LINE?
I see it coming! It is bound to be said! After all I have written on this subject someone somewhere is going to raise the thought and the question. The thought is: A person being called must repent, John the baptist was inspired to say "bring forth fruits fitting for repentance" - the Christian is to be converted, to turn around and go the way of the Lord, yes his attitude of mind is to change to the way God looks at things, but his life actions are to change also. The Christian is to do things differently, his works are to be different under grace through faith in Christ Jesus. He is to be willing to meet the conditions laid down by the court of heaven in order to be saved by grace. He will when in this attitude of mind have the heart that is pleasing to God, and the Lord will come and live in him. Which in turn will automatically produce good "fruits" or "works." These works then must be there for they are a result of a repentant mind, and automatic by virtue of being a branch of the vine, without which a branch is cast forth, collected and burned in the fire.
That is the thought, now from that thought arises the question: Where is the line that divides the automatic works that come from repentance and meeting the conditions to being saved by grace, and WORKS that everyone will receive a reward for doing, beyond that of eternal life in the Kingdom Of God?
It is a good question and does need to be answered to clear up any fog in any persons mind, because for some this doctrine of "Christian works" does seem confusing.
Again, get clear in your mind, there is not one literal work you can do to obligate God showing you forgiveness of your sins. There are not any number of works you can perform that forces God to have to justify you, and wash away your errors, and declare you holy and righteous. You have sinned, come under the death sentence, you must die, that is what the law says. But the judge's son says he will die for you, in your stead. The law will then be satisfied and you can live. All you must do is show repentance for your sin, be converted in your mind's attitude to want to do the will of the judge, and believe, have faith in the sacrifice of the son that you are set free from death into life.
With that in mind, we are ready to proceed to our answer to the above thought and question. Jesus gave us the answer in another of His parables. I want you to read it, you will find it in Matthew chapter 20, verses 1 through 16.
There may be other teachings some can find in this parable, but the main teaching is undoubtedly this: The householder represents God the Father. The laborers are persons God calls to be His children and inherit His Kingdom. The penny for the day represents ETERNAL LIFE not rewards for works. Get that clear - penny for the day = eternal life. They all agree to the terms, at the end of the day, all will receive the SAME. The laborers are called to the work by the master, the householder, WHEN he decides, which means some will have to stick with it, being his servant, living under his grace for the agreed amount, which is the same for all.
Is the curtain beginning to lift, for those still finding it somewhat low down?
God has promised the exact SAME THING to all that He calls to be saved by grace through faith, without doing any "works" - that same thing being ETERNAL LIFE!
Without God calling a person to repentance and to Jesus Christ as savior they can not even start out to go into the vineyard (John 6:44). WHEN God decides to call them IS ENTIRELY UP TO HIM, that is left in His hands alone.
Some may be called to be a true Christian at a certain age and may only live a few years before they die this physical death to await the resurrection. Some may be called at some other age in their life and live on in the flesh much longer than the person above. Some may be called at whatever age in their life and only live a few weeks as a Christian before they die. BUT THEY WILL ALL RECEIVE A PENNY - ETERNAL LIFE!
Now to get to the specifics of our "works" question.
This may never have happened, then again something like this example may have taken place, certainly it could happen, and stranger things have taken place: A man was raised we will say in a religious atmosphere, the Bible was read to him by his mother as a child growing up, and he read it for himself at times as a young man, but he never took it very seriously. He went his own way doing his own thing. One day a true minister of the Lord was in town. He was holding a tent preaching service in the local park where our man lived. Something (the Spirit of God really) spoke to this man and told him it was time to get his life in order and go listen to this preacher. So off he went to the tent in the park, sat down with his Bible and was guided through the chapters and verses of real repentance, Jesus as Savior, and serving the Lord in spirit and in truth, by this minister. Many parts of the word of the Lord came flooding back into his mind from the time he was a child. He was deeply broken up, he could see clearly that he was a sinner and needed to repent and turn his life over to God. After the service, he went to ask the minister if he would spend some time with him on the subject of sin and repentance and being saved. The minister was pleased to do so, and for about 5 hours he was guided, into all the truth on that subject. At the end of the hours, this true minister of God is fully convinced that the man KNOWS what sin is, understands all about counting the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus, has been called by God to walk in the light, he has come to genuine repentance. He is willing to be baptize, for the remissionof sins.
Our man is also fully persuaded God has called him to repentance. He asks the minister, what prevents him from being baptized. The minister responds "If you believe with all your heart you may." Our man responds "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He has called me to repent of my sins and to serve Him."
Our man has NOT YET DONE ANY WORKS! He has sat on the park bench with the minister for 5 hours being taught the word of the Lord and coming to deep repentance. He has talked to no one else, been around no other person, except this minister of God.
Now we are talking about this as a true example. God has indeed called this man to repent and serve Him. This is genuinely his day of salvation, to go out into the vineyard. As pleased as punch, both the man and minister go off to the stream running by the park, so our man can be baptized. Down into the water he goes, under the water he goes for the remission of sin. Up out of the water he comes to new life in Christ. The minister of God lays hands on him for the receiving of the Holy Spirit. OUR MAN HAS DONE NO WORKS YET IN THE WAY WE NORMALLY THINK OF "WORKS."
All he has done is meet the conditions laid down by the heavenlt judge to be saved by grace through faith.
It is in the late afternoon when all this is taking place, and for those who have lived or are living in the state of Florida(the afternoon rain and thunder and lightning state) the next part of our scenario will not seem too exaggerated. Both men are coming up out of the water on to the banks of the park, when out of the sky ROLLS THUNDER AND LIGHTNING! Like the sound of hundreds of wild runaway horses the thunder booms across the sky. Then as quick as the blink of your eye, LIGHTNING streaks out of the sky and HITS our newly baptized man - striking him DEAD on the spot! He was called by God, he did meet the conditions of repentance, having his mind converted, putting his mind in the right attitude, getting baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit. But within seconds of all that, without doing any works, he was physically DEAD!
Was he saved by grace through faith? Oh, you bet he was! Will he receive his penny at the end of the day, when the trumpet sounds and the resurrection takes place? Indeed he will! Is eternal life his? I guess so! It is God that calls, when He chooses. At whatever time of the day. All agree to be saved by grace and not of works, for as long as the day for them lasts. At the end of the day for as many hours as all served under grace they all get the same - eternal life - the penny in the parable from Jesus.
Everything is in the hands of the Lord, it is He not us that shows mercy, to WHOM and WHEN and for HOW LONG they may live. This is what Paul was teaching in Romans the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters.
Our lives belong to God. As Job said: "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away."
If some are to live under grace for 75 or 50 years, it is the Lord's doing. If some are to live as a true Christian for 30 or 20 years, it is the Lord's doing. If some are to live for 10 or 5 years being saved by grace and not by works, that also is God's doing. If some are only to live for 1 year or 9 months as a Christian before physical death is their lot, that too is the Lord's doing, as He permits all things to happen. And if some are permitted by God to only live as a true saved by grace Christian for only one week or one minute, they also will receive ETERNAL LIFE at the end of the day.
Oh, it is true those true Christians who may die within a few minutes or seconds after being saved by grace through faith, will not have produced any works for rewards according to your "works, and so may be only the door keepers in the family and Kingdom of God. But remember David's attitude, he said he would be happy with only that position in the Kingdom, if that was what God decided for him. AH! Now we see a little more as to why God said David was a man after His own heart.
When you understand the mind bending truth of the word of God, and what it teaches us about WHY WE WERE BORN, about being saved by grace to become a literal son and daughter of the MOST HIGH GOD, a literal brother to Jesus Christ. When you understand the wonderful truth that we were created to be heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, to be like Him, to rule over and be above the angels, to inherit all things - (Rom.8:17; 2 Cor.6:16-18; 1 Cor. 6:3; Heb.2:5-17; 1 John 3:2; Rev.21:7).
When you come to understand that the very lowest in the family of God, as pertaining to the rewards given to each, will be on a level of existence that only God is on, then "rewards according to our works" will be put into their proper perspective, and we will be more than happy to be just a door keeper in the family of our heavenly Father.
NO ENVY OR JEALOUSY IN THE FAMILY OF GOD
The Eternal God is holy perfect righteous character. He is without sin, He has never sinned, He can not sin! The God of heaven and earth, the creator of the whole universe, can not even be touched with the temptation to sin! There is no JEALOUSY, no ENVY in Him as in carnal sin. Jesus Christ, the Father's firstborn son (Col. 1:13-18) is also God - John 1:1-2; Heb.1:8. He is a member of the family of God. He is on the right hand of the Father in heaven (Heb.4:14-16; 8:1,2). The Father is greater and head of Christ in authority (John 10:29; 14:28; 1 Cor.11:3). Jesus as God, is also sinless - complete perfect holy righteous character.
There is no JEALOUSY or ENVY in Christ Jesus towards the position the Father holds as the most supreme authority in the universe. Such carnal human sinful thoughts as: "I am envious of your position Father and believe I should have it because of my great works that I did," can not enter His mind! Both the Father and Christ are FREE FROM SIN, can not be touched by sin, can not even be tempted in thought to sin. No jealousy or envy in the carnal sinful manner is possible in their divine nature of HOLINESS!
So it will be my friends, with all the persons born into the family of God, changed from mortal to divine, from natural sinful flesh to the holy sinless character of the God family. Whatever will be our reward for the works we have done, whether serving (and our reward will be to serve not put our feet up and sunbathe on the beach at Waikiki) as "door keepers" or ruling over the tribes of Israel in the Kingdom of God, THERE WILL BE NO SINFUL ENVY OR JEALOUSY IN US OR BETWEEN US!
We shall be as God, we shall be as Christ (1 John 3) one with them ( John 17). We shall be ONE large happy, righteous FAMILY - 1 John 3:l-3, we shall be joyful, perfect, holy.
The true Christian SHOULD PRODUCE GOOD WORKS, the true Christian will automatically produce good works from the mere fact that God the Father and Christ Jesus will be living in them via the Holy Spirit, to bring forth GOOD FRUITS.
We need to relax, let them work in us for their will and purpose. Do not compare ourselves among ourselves. Do not try to keep "tally" of our good works to someday compare them with God's record, for such will be foolishness as we are carnal flesh and not yet divine holiness.
Yield and submit yourself under the might hand of God. He will work within you to do His good pleasure and produce His good works. Then when He comes He will bring YOUR REWARD with Him to give it to you. You can be assured your reward for your works will be JUST and PERFECT!
Written July 1995
RELATED ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC
SAVED BY GRACE - The True Way of Salvation
REAL REPENTANCE
SAVING FAITH
ALL ABOUT BAPTISM
OVERCOMING - What the Bible Really Teaches
………………
ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKS
AN EXAMPLE OF DEEP BIBLE STUDY: I USED TO STUDY THIS WAY ALL THROUGH THE 1960s AS A YOUNG MAN. YES IT TAKES HOURS AND HOURS USING A BIBLE CONCORDANCE AND NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE. THIS IS DIGGING IN YOUR TEETH AND CHEWING REAL HARD - GETTING ALL THE VERSES ON ANY ONE TOPIC.
FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT: ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT "WORKS" BUT DID NOT STUDY.
by Keith Hunt
* NEW TESTAMENT WORDS;- KJV: Work = 67 times; Works = 117 times; Worketh =27 times; Working = 16 times; Workers = 5 times; Workmanship = 1 time.
* THE GREEK FOR WORK/S: In most cases is Number 2041 in Strong's Concordance of the Bible: ergon from ergoo (to work; toil; as an effort or occupation; by impl. an act; deed, doing, labor, work).
GOD, JESUS, SATAN, UNIVERSE
GOD KNOWS HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING - Acts 15:18.
THE HEAVENS ARE GOD'S WORK - Heb.l:10.
GOD RESTED THE 7TH DAY FROM THE WORKS HE MADE - Heb.4:3,4.
MANKIND TO RULE OVER GOD'S WORK - Heb.2:7-13.
GOD THE FATHER AND CHRIST HAVE WORKS - John 4:34; 5:17,36; 6:28,29; 7:3; 9:3,4; 10:25,32,37-38; 11:2; 13:41; 14:10; 17:4; Mark 6:5; Acts ' 2:11; 5:38; Romans 9:28; 14:20; Phil.2:30; Heb.1:10; 3:9; Rev.15:3.
THE DEVIL AND DEMONS HAVE WORKS - 1 John 3:8; 2 Cor.11:13-15; Eph.2:2; 2 Thes.2:9; Rev.16:14.
JESUS IS OVER GOD'S WORK - Mat.28:18; Eph.1:19-23; Phil.2:5-11;3:20-21; Col.1:13-17; Rev.2:26,27.
THE PRESENT WORLD BELONGS TO THE DEVIL AND ITS WORKS ARE EVIL - Mat. 4:8,9; 2 Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2; John 7:7; Rev.12:9.
HUMANS CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS - Eph.2:10; Titus 2:13,14.
GOD WORKS IN MEN AND WOMEN - Mark 16:20; John 14:12; 1 Cor.12:4-11; Eph.3:14-21; Phil.2:13; 1:6; Col.1:29; 1 Thes.2:13; 2 Thes.1:11; 2:16-17; Heb.13:21; 2 Tim.2:19-21.
JESUS DID WORKS NO OTHER MAN HAD DONE - John 15:24.
SOME WERE TO DO GREATER WORKS THAN JESUS - John 14:12.
THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK OF GOD - John 6:28,29.
THE "WORKS OF GOD" CAN LEAD US TO BELIEVE IN HIM - John 14:11; Rom.l: 19-22.
JUSTIFICATION — SALVATION
GOD CALLS AND SAVES US NOT BECAUSE OF OUR WORKS - 2 Tim.9,10.
GODLY SORROW WORKS SALVATION - SORROW OF THE WORLD WORKS DEATH - 2 Cor.7:10.
REPENTANCE IS SHOWN IN GOOD WORKS - Mat.3:8; Acts 26:20; Heb.6:l.
JUSTIFICATION IS NOT THROUGH WORKS - Rom.3:27; 4:2-6; 9:11,32; 11:6; Gal.2:16; 3:2-10; Eph.2:9; Titus 3:5-7; 2 Tim.1:9.
BEING FORGIVEN IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING ZEALOUS GOOD WORKS - Titus 2:13,14; 3:5-8; Heb.9:14.
ETERNAL LIFE (BEING SAVED) HAS CONDITIONS - Mat.3:8; 19:16-19; Acts 2: 38; 3:19;5:32; 26:20; Rom.2:6-11,13; Rev.22:14.
SALVATION INCLUDES THE WORK OF FEARFUL RESPECT - Phil.2:12.
MUST WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD - Acts 10:35.
SAVING FAITH PRODUCES OBEDIENT WORKS - Gal.5:6; Eph.5:1-14; James 2:14-26; Rom.5:5; Acts 5:32; 1 John 5:3.
HUMANS
GOD'S WORD WORKS IN BELIEVERS - 1 Thes.2:13; 2 Tim.3:15-17.
MEN CAN HARM THE WORK OF GOD - Rom.14:20.
GOOD WORKS PREVENTED BECAUSE OF UN-BELIEF - Mat.13:58; Mark 6:1-6.
WE SHOULD STRIVE TO DO GOOD WORKS - 1 Tim.2:9,10; 6:17,18; Titus 2: 7,14; 3:8,14; James 3:13; Rev. 2:5.
GOD WANTS US TO DO GOOD WORKS - HE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE OUR GOOD WORKS - Mat.5:16; 1 Tim.5:25; 6:18; James 3:13; 1 Pet.2:12.
JESUS COMMENDED GOOD WORKS - Mat.26:6-13; Mark 14:6.
GOOD WORKS ARE TO LEAD OTHERS TO GLORIFY GOD - 1 Pet.2:12.
GOOD WORKS ARE TO BE DONE IN MEEKNESS AND WISDOM - James 3:13.
SOME GOOD WORKS ARE TO BE KEPT SECRET - Mat.7:1-4.
GOD'S WORD AND LAW IS "THE WORK" THAT IS TO BE DONE - James 1:21-25.
FAITH PUT TO THE TEST PRODUCES PERFECT WORK - James 1:2-4.
SOME GOOD WORKS ARE EASY TO SEE, SOME WILL BE MANIFEST LATER - 1 Tim.5:25.
MEN'S WORK WILL BE DECLARED - 1 Cor.3:8-15.
THINK CORRECTLY - KEEP YOUR WORK IN TRUE PERSPECTIVE - Gal.6:3-4.
GOD CAN BE DENIED BY OUR WORKS - Titus 1:6,29.
GOD REMEMBERS OUR WORK - Heb.6:10; Rev.2:2,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15; 14:13.
GOD WILL REWARD US ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS - Mat.16:27; 1 Cor.15:58; Gal.6:7; 2 Tim.4:14; Rev.2:23,26; 20:12,13; 22:12.
GOD HAS NO RESPECT OF PERSONS, SO HIS JUDGING OF WORKS WILL BE PERFECT - 1 Pet.1:17.
A WORKMAN SHOULD BE REWARDED - Mat.10:10.
DEATH
A "MIND SET" OF WILLFULLY DOING WICKED WORKS CUTS US OFF FROM GOD - Col.1:20-23.
THOSE WHO WORK INIQUITY/LAWLESSNESS, WILL NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD - Mat.7:23; Rom.1:26-32; Eph.5:1-14.
CAN DO WONDERFUL WORKS YET NOT BE IN THE KINGDOM - Mat.7:21-23.
WORKING ABOMINATION AND LIES WILL KEEP US OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE - 1 John 2:4; Rev.21:8,27.
SOME WILL NOT REPENT OF THEIR EVIL WORKS - Heb.6:4-8; 10:26-31; Rev. 9:20,21.
THE EARTH AND WORKS WILL BE BURNED UP, ONLY RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL REMAIN FOR THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH - 2 Pet.3:9-13; Rev.21:1-8.
THE CHURCH
GOD WORKS TO CALL MEN TO THE MINISTRY - Eph.3:7.
THE MINISTRY IS A GOOD WORK - 1 Tim.3:1.
SOME CHURCH OFFICES MUST BE QUALIFIED FOR BY CERTAIN WORKS -
1 Tim.3: -1-13; 5:9-10; Titus 1:5-9.
WHAT THE CHURCH DOES IS THE WORK OF GOD - Acts 13:2; 15:38; 1 Cor.16:10; Eph.4:11-16; Phil.2:30.
MINISTERS SHOULD WORK THE WORK OF GOD - 1 Cor.16:10; Col.1:29.
GOD'S WORKMAN MUST STUDY HIS WORD NOT TO BE ASHAMED - 2 Tim.2:15.
SOME MINISTERS WORKED AT SECULAR JOBS - 1 Cor.4:12; 9:1-18.
CHURCH MEMBER IS TO KNOW AND ESTEEM THE ELDERS FOR THEIR WORK - 1 Thes.5:12,13.
SOME IN THE CHURCH NOT WORKING LED TO SIN - 2 Thes.3:ll.
VARIOUS
GOD'S WORKING POWER RAISED CHRIST JESUS - Eph.1:19-20.
SOCIETIES OFFICIALS NOT A TERROR TO THOSE WITH GOOD WORKS - Rom.13:1-7.
WE SHOULD SPEAK ABOUT THE WORKS OF GOD - Acts 2:11.
WE NEVER HAVE THE WORK OF FREE MORAL AGENCY TAKEN FROM US - Rom.7:14-25; 2 Cor.6:1-18; 7:1; Gal.5:16-26; James 4:5-17.
SOME WORKS APPEAR AS LIGHT BUT THEY ARE FROM THE DEVIL - 2 Cor.11:13-15.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THE TRUTH BUT YOU MUST NOT FOLLOW THEIR WORKS - Mat.23:3-5.
WORKS OF THE FLESH - Rom.7:5; Gal.5:19.
DO NOT FELLOWSHIP WITH WORKS OF DARKNESS - Eph.5:ll.
ENVY AND STRIFE PRODUCE "EVIL" WORKS - James 3:16.
THE WRATH OF MAN WORKS NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS - James 1:20.
YES, IT IS OKAY TO PRAISE OTHERS FOR GOOD WORKS - 1 Thes.1:3.
WHEN ABLE TO WORK YOU MUST - 2 Thes.3:10-12.
PART OF PHYSICAL WORK/BLESSINGS IS TO GIVE TO OTHERS - Eph.4:28; 1 Tim. 6:17,18.
SOMETIMES WORK IS NOT POSSIBLE - John 9:4.
YES, IT IS OKAY TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PRODUCE GOOD WORKS - 1 Cor.15:58; 2 Cor.9:8; Col.1:9-10; 1 Thes.4:9-12; 2 Thes.3:13; 1 Tim.2:9,10; 6:17,18 2 Tim.4:5; Titus 2:7,14; 3:1,8,14; Heb.10:24.
GOD IS IN CONTROL, THE END RESULT OF THIS WORK WILL BE GOOD - John 9: 1-3; Rom.8:28; 9:28; Eph.l:ll; 2 Tim.4:16-18.
Nov if I missed anything, I trust you will find it!
Compiled July 1995
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