toldailytopic: Do good works play a part in your salvation?

[steko]

A beggar with absolutely nothing to pay simply reaches out his empty hands to receive what is freely given.
When I received Christ as my Savior, I simply 'lifted my empty hands of faith'.
It was not a meritorious work. It was simply receiving what was freely offered.

But now....

Tit 3:8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.


2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
2Co 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

My own works have no merit to save me, nor keep me saved, but are done through me as a yielded instrument in gratitude and are accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

 

[Seydlitz77]

Our own good works will never amount to anything, we are still debtors and unprofitable servants but they are our responsibility nonetheless.

 

[kmoney]

I am not here saying that something like works of the Jewish law (which Paul often speaks of) somehow cause salvation.

The point is rather that the common Protestant separation of faith (that which we intend or think; non-active intent) and works (that which we do bodily) is completely unwarranted and unBiblical. To engage in that kind of dubious and opposite distinction between what you do physically and what you intend or wish by faith is to engage in precisely the same problematic practice that James' denounces in his letter and to move towards Luther's heretical call to "sin boldly."

:e4e:

:thumb:

You earlier asked if we merit salvation if faith is an act of the will. Might be a dumb question but can you clarify what you mean by us meriting salvation? Do you mean that we deserve it and God owes us it?

 

[chrysostom]

Might be a dumb question but can you clarify what you mean by us meriting salvation?

why don't you show us where someone said that we merit salvation?

 

[kmoney]

why don't you show us where someone said that we merit salvation?

No one did.

 

[Bright Raven]

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

A question to Protestants: is the act of faith a free movement of the man's will?

I do. The act of regeneration by the efficacious grace of God via the Holy Spirit enables the person to freely believe. That is why we normally do not run around saying, "Praise to you, so-and-so, for making the right choice!" Philippians 1:29 and Ephesians 2:8 immediately come to mind.

From the WCF, Chapter IX, in part on the topic of Free Will:[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin; (h) and, by his grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; (i) yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil. [/FONT][FONT=&quot](k)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] h. Col. 1:13; Jn. 8:34,36.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] i. Phil. 2:13; Rom. 6:18,22.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] k. Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15,18,19,21,23.[/FONT]
​

Does man merit salvation by having faith?

No. Any merit is the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, the object of our faith. Faith is but the instrument of our justification.

Again, the WCF, Chapter XVI, in part on the matter of good works:

V. We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, (q) but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: (r) and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit; (s) and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment. (t)

q. Rom.3:20; 4:2,4,6; Eph. 2:8,9; Tit. 3:5-7; Rom. 8:18; Ps. 16:2; Job 22:2,3; 35:7,8.
r. Lk. 17:10.
s. Gal. 5:22,23.
t. Is. 64:6; Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15,18; Ps. 143:2; 130:3.

VI. Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; (u) not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight; (w) but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. (x)

u. Eph. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; Ex. 28:38; Gen. 4:4 with Heb. 11:4.
w. Job 9:20; Ps. 143:2.
x. Heb. 13:20,21; 2 Cor. 8:12; Heb. 6:10; Mt. 25:21,23.
​

And, WCF Chapter XI, in part on our justification:

I. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: (a) not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, (b) they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness, by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God. (c)

a. Rom. 8:30; 3:24.
b. Rom. 4:5-8; 2 Cor. 5:19,21; Rom. 3:22,24,25,27,28; Tit. 3:57; Eph. 1:7; Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30,31; Rom. 5:17-19.
c. Acts 10:44; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9; Acts 13:38,39; Eph. 2:7,8.

II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: (d) yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. (e)

d. Jn. 1:12; Rom. 3:28; 5:1.
e. Jas. 2:17,22,26; Gal. 5:6
​

AMR

 

[Ktoyou]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for September 22nd, 2011 09:36 AM

toldailytopic: Do good works play a part in your salvation?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

What I shall say is, "through Christ, the gift of Grace and salvation, one is led to do good works. You have to agree.

Getting backwards means you presume that salvation, through Jesus Christ, was not quite good enough to save you!

 

[Lighthouse]

Simple answer: No.

Being that the claim is made quite frequently that Christians are morally superior to non Christians, why shouldn't they be expected to be beyond reproach?

That's a false claim. We are not morally superior.

Romans 2:1-8

You forgot Romans 1. Context. k, context.

 

[kmoney]

Include Romans 1, I don't mind. :idunno:

 

[steko]

Do good works play a part in your salvation?

Some folks think it's:

Do good works. Play a part in your salvation.

 

[oatmeal]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for September 22nd, 2011 09:36 AM

toldailytopic: Do good works play a part in your salvation?

Are you speaking of being a requirement for salvation?

Or as our responsibility after salvation?

In either case, Ephesians 2:8-10 answers both questions.

Salvation is a gift,

as recipients of the gift of salvation, God has given us works to do.

oatmeal

 

[Lighthouse]

Include Romans 1, I don't mind. :idunno:

Do you understand why Romans 1 should be included?

 

[Paulos]

Tit 3:8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Titus 2:13-14
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.​

 

[Paulos]

Some folks think it's:

Do good works. Play a part in your salvation.

Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.​

 

[steko]

Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.​

Notice that they were not told to work 'for' their salvation but to 'work out' the salvation that was already theirs through their faith in Christ. They were being instructed to 'work out' or to put into practice in their daily living, what God had worked in their hearts by His Spirit. And.... we must not omit the following verse which gives context to this one:

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

After all, Paul did say in the first chapter:

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Notice that they were not told to work 'for' their salvation but to 'work out' the salvation

An important distinction that gets overlooked by too many.

AMR

 

[chrysostom]

An important distinction that gets overlooked by too many.

AMR

some overlook the need to work

 

[Frank Ernest]

Salvation is the cake.

Good works are the icing.

Revelation 3:5 (KJV)

 

[chrysostom]

Revelation 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.