JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

Refuting the belief that salvation is based on works

� 2000 William R. Cunningham
July 16, 2000

We are going to discuss a principle that is revealed to us in the Epistle to the Galatian church. This principle is that justification is by faith and not by works. Many times people are deceived into thinking that salvation is based on some type of work that they must do. For example, some people may believe that unless they "speak in tongues" that they are not saved because the evidence of the Holy Spirit is not seen. Others believe that doctrinal issues such as tithing, and church attendance affect their salvation.

We are going to examine the concept of justification and the issue of works. What is salvation based on and what is the importance of works?

Let's turn our attention to the incident in the church at Galatia. You will realize that the same type of thing happens even today as I already mentioned.

Paul discovered that there was another teaching being perpetuated within the church at Galatia that directly challenged the gospel of faith that Paul used to start the Galatians church personally. There were certain Jewish "Christians" called Judaizers that were convinced that the New Testament message of salvation did not do away with the Old Testament laws. There was emphasis on the rite of circumcision as well. In other words, the Judaizers believed and taught that Christians were required to follow Old Testament rituals and law in addition to believing in Jesus Christ, i.e., faith was not enough. To them, salvation was based on the principle of works, which translates into following the law.

We should also note that the Epistle to the Galatians dealt with a fundamental problem at this time in Christian history. The Jewish people considered themselves special in the eyes of God, which included their "Jewish" rituals and ceremonies-the law. How can Christianity for the gentiles and the Jews be reconciled? That was the question that Paul answers in this Epistle.

This same practice occurs today. Certain denominations believe that they know the true way to God and how to live as a true Christian. Other churches believe that their way is the correct way and that they are special to God because of their adherence to His laws. I remember growing up as a child and how one church that we used to fellowship with believed that unless you were baptized in the name of Jesus then you were not truly saved because you were not baptized correctly. Others believe that you have to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and therefore everyone else is wrong. The bickering goes on.

We tend to believe that our petty methods of works and activities somehow make a difference to God. We tend to believe that our works impress God or displease God, which in some cases affect our very salvation. In other words, many believe that works and not faith secure their salvation.

Paul was amazed that the Galatians were turning away from the true gospel in order to follow a false gospel, which was based on works. The gospel that they were turning towards was a perversion of the true gospel that was preached by Paul and the other apostles. There are some things that we should establish here before we move on because it would help our understanding of the scope of this problem. We should identify justification, the gospel that Paul preached, and works.

I was amazed during a Bible study some time ago that many people did not know what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. They knew what the word gospel meant or at least they were able to give the standard answer of "good news." However, many professed Christians do not know what the Gospel of Jesus Christ actually is. That was the gospel that Paul preached to the gentiles and is of great importance here. First let's identify the gospel that Paul preached and then we will briefly look at the concept of justification.

The gospel of Christ could be summarized as follows.

1. Christ died for our sins

2. He was buried

3. He rose from the dead

4. He was seen by people

Now we cannot go into all of the aspects of the gospel because that is beyond the scope of this lesson. However, you can read my study on Salvation for more information. Christ paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our stead. He died so that we would not have to. He was buried because he experience physical death. This was a testament to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was actually dead. He rose from the dead. God brought Jesus Christ back to life and many others saw him. That acted as a witness to the fact that Jesus was actually alive again. Consider the following scripture.

If we believe in Jesus Christ then we will obtain eternal life and not have to die because of our sinful nature. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The important thing to notice here is that our salvation is not based on anything that we do in the sense of works to earn salvation. Salvation is provided because of what Jesus Christ has already done and more so by the grace and mercy of God since he decided to save us on His own. Our task is to believe (put our faith in the redemptive act of Christ) and we shall be saved. If we hold that our salvation is based on works then we mock what Jesus has done and imply that his work was not enough for us. So the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Jesus died so that we could live and all we have to do is to believe in that redemptive act and experience the salvation of the Lord.

Justification means to pronounce or declare righteous. This deals with man's standing with God once saved (regenerated). The doctrine of justification deals with God's way of dealing with man who is unrighteous. Man does not have the capacity to stand before a righteous God. All that we have or do are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Justification deals with the act of not imputing our sins and the act of imputing righteousness on us. Therefore, justification is a declaration of right standing and not a conversion in the strict sense. By the fact that the Holy Spirit resides in us we have a new nature and therefore a new Way of life to live. This doesn't necessarily mean that we are going to do the right thing from that moment on. God has declared us righteous if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that our salvation is secured in Christ and not in works else justification could be earned and also imply a self-conversion instead of the righteous act and declaration of God.

See Romans 1:18 - 3:20.

We are not justified or saved by works. However, works do have a place in the life of a Christian. Works are the results of living the Christian way and not the reason for it. In other words, a person isn't a Christian because he or she has performed the necessary works. Instead, he or she performs righteous acts (works) because he or she is a Christian and this is due to the new nature from the Holy Spirit. Works therefore is a by-product or result of the Christian lifestyle and not a cause of the Christian Way. Consider the following scriptures.

It is easy to say that you have faith and that you are a Christian. However, does your actions give evidence of your statements of faith. Faith is not founded on works; instead works is founded upon faith in that it is the results of faith. We could say, "talk is cheap" or "put your money where your mouth is." These imply that some action is needed to confirm your statement of faith.

For example, consider the following scriptures.

And,

The light that we shine forth originates from Jesus Christ. The light of Christ is evident in us by others by the good works that we do. No one can look at a person and say, "Look. He's a Christian." Instead, they determine that someone is a Christian by the works that they do or the lifestyle that they practice. The Christian Way in us is seen by the things that we do and the way we conduct ourselves.

Let me give you another example. Consider the following scripture.

Saying you have fellowship is one thing but does your fellowship have corresponding evidence, that is, the fellowship with God. Does your daily walk show that you are in fellowship with God and therefore a member of the body of Christ?

The Galatians were pulled away from the truth by deception. Paul says that they were bewitched. The word bewitched comes from a Greek word that means to malign (slander), that is, (by extension) to fascinate (by false representations). Someone had caused the Galatians to believe the false gospel due to their presentation of that gospel and not because it was shown to be true. The Galatians knew the truth but were pulled away from that truth. How could we begin in the Spirit and then hold that our perfection (sanctification) is of the flesh (works)?

Paul uses the fact that Abraham was called righteous because he believed God to show that our righteousness is based on faith (belief in what God said) and not by works. Faith therefore justifies us.

Anyone who attempts to live according to the law is already cursed. This is a result of the fact that no one can fully live up to the requirements in the law. We will all sin. Those who have been justified by God will live by their faith. This means that the justified (saved folk) will live by the steadfastness that they have in Christ.

I remember some time ago that a teaching pertaining to the just living by faith was perpetuated and I believed it until I examined the scripture for myself. Consider the following scripture, which Paul referenced above.

It was taught that a just person would live their life having faith in God for a new car, money, and a new home, etc. That is not what this verse says. It simply states that a person that is just (lawful or righteous) will put his confidence and security in God and not in self as the proud do. A righteous person relies on God instead of self. Sure we may trust God to give us a car, however, that is a twisted version of this scripture though it does apply in some cases. This scripture refers to a lifestyle issue and not circumstantial issues. It refers to a lifestyle of relying on, trusting, and having total confidence in God the Father.

The Judaizers were teaching that the gentile Christians as well as the Jewish Christians had to adhere to the Jewish rituals and ceremonies. They seemed to stress the ritual of circumcision. In essence, they taught a perverted or altered gospel by adding requirements for righteousness and thus salvation. The same thing happens today as I stated earlier.

We are sometimes taught that our righteousness is dependant on our church attendance or how we support or church or pastor. We are told that our justification is related to a loyalty to a particular local church. We are sometimes told that God's acceptance of us is based on our submitting to religious authorities such as the pastor, elder, bishop, etc. These couldn't be farther from the truth. Our righteousness is based on God's declaration made possible by the redemptive act of Jesus Christ and that alone.

We believe and are saved and the salvation that we believe in is a free gift from God. We can do nothing to earn it and we surely do not deserve it. Your church attendance or financial support has nothing to do with your obtaining salvation. These things will be affected by your justification. What do I mean? You will tend to want to go to church because of the fellowship and the instruction that you receive from that church. You will tend to support your local church because it has proven to be beneficial for your Christian edification. These are a result of your justification and these acts are therefore not the reason for your justification.

Do not believe a false gospel-a perversion of the truth. The truth is that Jesus died for your sins and all you have to do is put your faith in him and you will obtain everlasting life made possible by Jesus' redemptive act. You don't have to work for your salvation. But you may say, "What about the following scripture?"

The term "work out" does not mean, "work for." So Paul is not saying to work for your salvation in fear and trembling. The term "work out" (from the Greek rendering) means to bring to completion. Salvation is a process shown by the principle of sanctification. We constantly head toward the mark and grow in the faith. We constantly work to show the salvation that we have and not work to obtain salvation. Works are due to salvation and not the other way around.

Therefore, base your life on faith in God and believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believe that the redemptive act of Christ was enough to deliver you or rescue you from the impending calamity of eternal separation from God (the second death in Revelations). Believe that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins was sufficient. Don't hold to a proud spirit and believe that in addition to Christ's act that you have to do something. Don't be deceived to believe that your faith is dependant on the teachings of someone. Many believe that they can save themselves but that is mere heresy and far from the truth. Jesus came to rescue us so receive that salvation and live the Christian life more and more each day as you grow in the faith (are sanctified). Amen.