THE WORKS GOD ACCEPTS By Nyron Madina The Evangelicals are against works in every sense of the word. This is how they put it: "In other words Paul is telling the Jewish Christians in Rome that the Law no longer serves as a guideline for Christian living ... Again it is important that we not forget the major thesis of this chapter: Christians are released from the Law as a guide for Christian service." Dale Ratglaff, Sabbath in Crisis, p. 203. "It is my prayer that what follows may bring harmony to the clear statements of scripture which declare the Ten Commandments are no longer binding upon Christians, and yet maintain the moral principles upon which they are based." Ibid. 210. "Now the great and most common error in setting forth God's righteousness here, is to allow law at least some place... It is not that God has not the right to demand legal righteousness from us: but that He does not do it. "Righteousness which is of God" speaks in a way diametrically opposite to man's law obedience, of any sort whatsoever." William R. Newell, Romans Verse by Verse, p. 93. But the only works the Bible reveals God to be against are works as MERIT, which is self-justification: "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. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."Rom. 3:20,28. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Gal. 2:16. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."Gal. 3:10,11. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8,9. This works is doing any works of the law (moral or ceremonial) without God, to make one self righteous: "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God." Rom. 4:2. "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone." Rom. 9: 30-32. It is wrong because man cannot change himself: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jer. 13:23. "For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD."Jer. 2:22. " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exce edingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matt. 19:23-26. And only God's grace or mercy that can save us or change us: "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."Tit. 3:4-7. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;). Eph. 2:4,5. The works God is pleased with are: a. Works as ESTABLISHMENT, this is the first Justification (Rom. 3:30,31). These are the works of the Law that God sets up in man when He justifies him: " A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Eze. 36:26,27. b. Works as FULFILLMENT, this is the second Justification or Sanctification: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?" Jam. 2:21-25. These are works done as a result of Justification: " What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Jam. 2:14-18. "For he that is dead is freed from sin. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Rom. 6:7,13. c. Works as RECOMMENDATION, this is the third Justification or the Blotting out of past sins: " For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Rom. 2:13,16. In this the sum total of all our good works recommend the blotting out of our past sins: " Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." Eph. 6:8. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt. 12:36,37. "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." Jn. 4:17. "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." I Pet. 4:8. These three categories of works are all Synergistic. a. Here is what the word Synergistic means: "Synergism (Gr. synergos, "working together")." Walter A. Elwell, editor, Evangelical Dicionary of Theology, p. 1063. "The term signifies co-operation... Melanchton taught that "there concur three causes of a good action, the word or God, the Holy Spirit, and the human will assenting, not resisting, the word of God." "Loci Communes, p. 90". A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 448. b. Thus synergism means a divine work of God enlisting the aid of humanity: " 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. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 2:12,13. c. These three categories of works are by God's initiative, which means that He causes us to do them and not we ourselves: " If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." I Jn. 2:29. " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love him, because he first loved us. I Jn. 4:10,19. d. And we respond to God's initiative or promtings by actual works obedience: "Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice." Deut. 26:17. "Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel." Phil. 4:13. God is only against works as MERIT because they exalt man to be God as man seeks to justify himself, when it is only God that can justify: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." Rom. 8:33. "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Gal. 3:8. a. Works as ESTABLISHMENT, FULFILLMENT, RECOMMENDATION (Synergistic). These are works God accepts. " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:1,2. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." I Tim. 2:1-3. "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God." I Tim. 5:4. "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Heb. 12:28. "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." I Peter 2:20. Amen |