Way Truth Life Apologetics

(original post 24 Oct 2019)

Over the past few months, one of the pastors at my church has been preaching through the Gospel of Matthew on Wednesday nights. The last 3 weeks have been looking at what is called “The Olivet Discourse” spanning Matthew 24-25. The emphasis in last night’s message was: what are you doing for the kingdom?

As Matthew 24 comes to a close, Jesus gives a warning and some illustrations. The warning is that God alone knows when Jesus’ return will be. He then gives examples of two people doing something, and one disappears while the other remains and that we should be watchful, knowing that He will return someday. The chapter ends with Jesus giving an illustration of two servants: one is faithful and wise, doing what his Lord expects whereas the evil servant is focused on himself and mistreating others. There is emphasis on Christians being busy about God’s work while we await His return.

But wait! Isn’t Christianity all about grace and not works? Is the declaration that we have to work for our salvation? No, this is not what Jesus emphasizes at all. There is only one work which saves in Christianity! John the Baptist identified that work when he declared to the people “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It is in Jesus’ work (living a perfect life, keeping God’s law, crucifixion as atoning sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection) which provides the righteousness to God for our debt (sin).

That’s not where the story ends, though. Having been saved by Jesus and submitting to His lordship, there are things God wants us to do while we await His return. It’s not a get-saved-and-chill-till-the-end situation; it’s a get-saved-and-get-busy-about-the-Lord’s-business situation. Again, we aren’t working FOR salvation, we’re working FROM salvation. That is because one is saved, he/she should be busy building / contributing to God’s kingdom (witnessing, teaching, worshipping, glorifying God, etc).

Every other religious worldview is a work FOR salvation system. Islam teaches the 5 pillars which include mandatory prayer, charitable giving, and a pilgrimage to Mecca (among other things). Devout Muslims do not have any certainty that what they’ve done in following Islam’s teachings will guarantee paradise. Hindus follow a system of life-death-reincarnation to pay off karmic debt. If you are alive, you have a debt to pay, but you don’t know how much you owe. One question I have regarding this: if every birth is a rebirth to pay for bad karma in the previous life, where did the debt come from for the first life? If in my first life I owed no debt, why was I born and not just freed to be reunited with Brahman; where did this initial debt come from?

It’s only in Christianity that salvation is offered as a gift for nothing we have done. We don’t earn it. If we could earn it, it’s not a gift, we could save ourselves, and Jesus didn’t need to come to earth and die for us. There is some work to be done, though. James, writing to Christians, makes the (controversial) statement, “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.” James is not saying we work for salvation. He’s saying that doing God’s will, building His kingdom, and living a life glorifying Him is EVIDENCE that one has truth faith. Many people claim to be Christians, yet by their “works” they look no different from a lost person. “Works” demonstrates the genuineness of one’s relationship to God.

To sum up, Christians are supposed to have works. Jesus stated numerous times that His followers would be known by their fruits. Jesus’ work on the cross saves us (and that work alone). Our works after salvation is our service to God; they play no role in salvation, rather they serve as testimony that one is a follower of Christ! So, let me ask you, if works is evidence that one is a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you in court of being a Christian? This is a question I ask myself from time to time and when I do, it helps light the fire that I need to be more focused in service to God and less on my own selfishness. Too much time and resources are wasted on things with no eternal value. It’s time to get to work!

~In Christ!