Faith and Works!

Faith and Works!

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. Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9 KJV

Again, two words - Faith and Works-which speak to my walk with God and underpin the entire relationship with God from start to finish. Why are faith and works important, and how do they affect my earthly existence? We look at today's extract for answers:

1. Salvation is by grace, through faith. Let it be known that no man came to know God on his own. No man could come near to God of his own accord unless the Son drew him to God. Sin was and has always been our weakness, and the separation between us and God. By it, a wall of separation has been built up, and man has been running away from God since the Garden of Eden. But by the dispensation of God's grace, a way has been opened for us to return to God. That way is through the body of the Son, Jesus, who died and rose again so that we all could now have access back to God. It was grace that fashioned out the way of return, not my tears or my fervent labour. It was grace that made salvation possible, not my sincere and fervent devotion. 

2. It was grace that made it possible for me to believe the message about God and seek to draw near to God. How does a rational and logical being accept the words of God are true without help? God gave us brains to process whatever information we receive, yet also birthed faith in our hearts so that we could accept even that which our brains could not process. All of the things that faith demands from me cannot be tied to any physical assurances. 

You can't prove heaven exists to anyone without divine help; you can't convince anyone about the reality of hell, especially if you have not been there before, yet there is a strong conviction in your heart that God doesn't lie and if He says something is true, then faith in my heart accepts it as true and I act as such. All of God's dealings have to be accepted by faith; my five senses are only good for so much, and that is why it is such a waste of time to seek to know God only through these limited senses. 

3. Knowing God is a gift. Let me not think that I knew God only because my parents introduced him to me. This was good, but is not enough. They did their bit, but it did not start there. Let me not think I knew God because I diligently searched the Bible to learn more. This was a good step, but it also didn't start there. Let me not think that I knew God by virtue of being a committed member of a fellowship; this is also good, but all the steps above were only necessary and fundamental steps flowing out of the grace of God that made it possible for me to know God. 

It is first the gift of God that I could even find the opportunities to know more about Him. So many people have heard the same thing I did, but they have not come to the same conclusion I did. I don't hold them up to a different standard; I can only sincerely appreciate God for the grace given me to discover God and walk with Him.

4. Works on their own, don't cut it. And this is why all the steps mentioned above don't, on their own, seal salvation for me. I don't quality for heaven only because I am a good worker in church, or because I support God's work, but when the foundation of salvation by grace is laid, and I keep that as the foundation of my own labour and work, then I am on the right path. I don't ever raise my works on their as the basis for the argument that God should bless me. If God wants, He can raise stones to praise Him, so I consider it a solemn privilege to be called a child of God; someone who is called to serve God and show him off. 

Please note: service in God's house is good; in fact, it is commanded. But I must not raise works over and above the right foundation: grace as a gift. That is the reason why my faith in God is made possible, and how my labour for God has the right eternal results. So, there is a strong connection among grace, faith and works, and understanding the place of each one is critical to service that God accepts. There is no room for pride in the quality of my work, when there is no humility of knowing that none of it would matter if not for grace. There is no room for man's applause if I know clearly that this is not the reason why I work; I am only working out of a heart of gratitude for all that God has done, and seeking His own applause. No room for all that the world celebrates; just all that God desires. What do you consider important? His time of favour is here.