The Relationship Between Good Works and Salvation

Middletown Bible Church ^ | 03/03/15 | Middletown Bible Church

[RaceBannon]

The Relationship Between

Good Works and Salvation

Salvation is NOT BY WORKS  (Ephesians 2:8-9)	Salvation is UNTO GOOD WORKS (Ephesians 2:10)
Good works are not the MEANS of salvation (Titus 3:5).	Good works are the RESULT of salvation (Titus 3:8).
Good works are not the CAUSE of salvation.	Good works are the CONSEQUENCE of salvation.
Good works are not what a person must do to be saved. "But to him that WORKETH NOT, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).	Good works are what a saved person does. "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus 3:8).
The unsaved person performs good works to try to obtain and merit God's favor.	The saved person performs good works because he has obtained God's favor (Titus 2:11-14).
(Why do believers perform good works?) Believers do not work in order to be saved.	Believers work because they are saved!
FLESHLY WORKS: that which an unsaved person tries to produce in order to be saved.	FAITH WORKS: that which God produces in the saved person (Heb. 13:21).
FLESHLY WORKS cannot please God (Romans 8:8).	FAITH WORKS are pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6; 1 Thess. 1:3).
The unsaved boaster: "Look what I have done!" (see Matt. 23:5--"to be seen of men").	The saved person: "Thank you Lord for what You are doing in me" (Phil. 2:13).
The works of an unsaved person are grounds for boasting. "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory [boast]; but not before God" (Romans 4:2).	The works of a saved person are cause for praise to God. "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:11).
DEAD WORKS (Heb. 6:1; 9:14; Eph. 5:11) Working apart from God's LIFE. Works produced by the old nature (Gal. 5:19-21)	FRUITFUL WORKS (Col. 1:10) Works which flow out of a right relationship to the living God.
The unsaved person boasts in SELF ("I") (Luke 18:11-12).	The saved person boasts in GOD (1 Corinthians 1:29-31).
A person cannot WORK FOR his salvation (Romans 4:5).	A saved person can WORK OUT the salvation that he has (Phil. 2:12).
EMPTY: "Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling."	FULL: "that ye may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Cor. 15:58)

Faith alone saves (Rom. 3:28).	The faith that saves is not alone (James 2:14,20,22,26).
The error Paul corrected in Romans 3-4: SALVATION IS BY WORKS. This is the error of legalism.	The error James corrected in James 2: Works are unnecessary after we are saved. This is the error of antinomianism.
You can't be saved by works (Romans 3:28; 4:6; 2 Tim. 1:9).	You can't show that you are saved without works (James 2:18).
How can I be saved? ONLY BY FAITH (Eph. 2:8; Gal. 2:16).	How can I show that I am saved? ONLY BY WORKS (James 2:14-26).
Faith without works is essential for salvation (Galatians 2:16).	Faith without works is detrimental and evidences death (James 2:26).
Faith is the ROOT (Galatians 5:6).	LOVE (expressed by good works) is the FRUIT (Galatians 5:6,22; Heb. 10:24).
Faith is unseen (even as a root)	Works are visible (Matt. 5:16). Works are faith made visible (James 2:18).
Good works REJECTED (Matthew 7:22-23).	Good works REMEMBERED (Hebrews 6:10).
The works of an unsaved person will be an issue at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).	The works of a saved person will be an issue at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
God's message for the unsaved: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29).	God's message to the saved: "[God's grace] teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world...a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11,12,14).
Impossible requirements for the unsaved: "Run, John, run," the law commands but gives me neither feet nor hands...	Supernatural enabling for the saved: ...far grander news the Gospel brings, It bids me fly and gives me wings!               --attributed to John Bunyan
LORDSHIP SALVATION ERROR: Adding requirements to saving faith. To be saved you must submit, obey, surrender to Christ's Lordship, fulfill the conditions of discipleship, etc.	GRACE EVANGELICAL SOCIETY ERROR: Insisting that a true believer can be barren and devoid of good works even to the point of totally abandoning the faith and denying Jesus Christ.
I do not work my soul to save-- That my Lord hath done...	...But I would work like any slave For love of God's dear Son!

 

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The Middletown Bible Church 349 East Street Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 346-0907

More articles under Salvation

[OrangeHoof]

Fully true. Ask the non-believer what he thinks gets him into Heaven and the answer is always some form of “being a good person” or “doing good”. The Jews were given the Law as a means to achieve Salvation but the Law, while showing how sin is utterly sinful, also demonstrated how impossible it was for sinful flesh to lead a sinless life.

We needed a Lamb to take our place to pay the price for our sins and that Lamb is Jesus Christ who gave us, by grace alone, the means to salvation.

It is a gift and one cannot earn a gift. To make works a requirement for salvation is to make Christ’s gift no longer wholly sufficient. If Salvation is by a gift plus works, then the gift ceases to be a gift.

But works are the response of faith and thanks that we demonstrate towards God for saving us and making us adopted sons and daughters into His kingdom that our own actions alone could not have won such merit.

By his fruit shall a man be known but it is God through His Holy Spirit that generates the fruit in us if we simply allow Him to by submitting to God’s will. How do we learn God’s will? By reading His Word in the form of the Scriptures and seeking, by the power of the Spirit, to live by it.

Such a person, if he has by faith believed in the gift, cannot help but bear fruit and that fruit will become good works.

[CynicalBear]

Interesting side by side comparison.

[LearsFool]

What a confusing chart. The author has got works as both necessary and unnecessary for salvation!

It seems he began with his own ideas, then went to the Scriptures to see if he could find support there. Doesn’t sound like he’s willing to serve the Lord, does it? Sounds like he’d rather the Lord serve him.

You might be wise to distance yourself from such false teachers, lest you become guilty of leading people astray and have to answer for it.

[ShadowAce]

Did you read the same post I did? Looks pretty clear and biblical to me.

[RaceBannon]

once again, your post makes no sense

I suggest you take a reading comprehension course

because, otherwise, it looks like you are only here to start trouble

[LearsFool]

I’m only here to warn you and other people against the false doctrine represented in this and other articles from this church’s website, and to point people instead to the Word of God.

Do you object to that? The author(s) of these articles has an objection to people hearing the gospel. Surely you’re not in agreement with him/them, are you?

[RaceBannon]

its a shame you dont know your Bible well enough to discern

[LearsFool]

Are you in agreement with what is taught on the website?

You’re posting from the website, but I don’t want to call you a false teacher if you’re merely posting it to illustrate how far this so-called “Bible Church” will go in their rejection of the Lord.

Do you stand with them or against them?

[RaceBannon]

Do you read your Bible?

Do you have any papers or essays that disagree with what they wrote?

Because I attended that assembly for over 10 years

While I dont go there anymore, it is not because of their doctrine

You wont find a better site online for teaching basic Bible doctrines in written form

[LearsFool]

Yes, I read the Bible. And IT disagrees with what they wrote. Have you read, for instance, their articles that deny what the Scriptures say about baptism?

I’m not telling you to stop posting on FR whatever you choose to. I don’t have that authority. But what I can do is warn you that it’s false doctrine, contrary to the Scriptures, and leads souls to hell. And warn others lest they be misled down that road.

I hope you want to escape that destination, and to not be guilty of leading others there.

[RaceBannon]

I dont know what Bible you read, but it is clear, It is not a Christian one, most certainly not a King James

Now, stop acting like a troll

if you dont like what I post, stay away