When the Bible says we are not saved of works it is talking about the works of the Law of Moses or man directed works. This evident if you were to look at verses 11-16 (Ephesians 2:11-16) and it is evident if you were to look at Romans and Galatians where the variation of the word "circumcision" appears several times (Which was mentioned so as to address the heresy of trying to be circumcised so as to be saved). I believe the saint today is to obey the Commands only in the New Testament (or New Covenant). But does this mean I believe in "Man Directed Works Salvationism"? No. See my "
Side Note" below within this post.
Anyways, the Scriptures say the Law has changed (
Hebrews 7:12). So when Paul says, "you are not under the law, but under grace.", he was talking about the Old Law and not the New Law. For if one broke the Old Law, they could be put to death instead of going to Christ and seeking forgiveness by confessing their sins to Him under the New Covenant so as to be forgiven of sin. "For if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (
1 John 1:9).
For God is not against His believers obeying Him; And God does not consider those who obey Him out of fear in being punished by the Lord in the after-life to be a wrong thing, either. "For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (
Proverbs 9:10). "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that
is wisdom; and to depart from evil
is understanding." (
Job 28:28, - Cross reference with
James 3:13). "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" (
Philippians 2:12). Also, the body of believers throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria walked in fear of the Lord (
Acts 9:31).
But in Eternal Security, there is no reason to fear God.
One can have their cake and eat it, too.
For example: In the most extreme version of Eternal Security, they could say something like,
"Keep on sinning boy, there is no need to worry, you have no control over your body of sin. Therefore, God is not going to blame you. You also got your guaranteed ticket to enter through the gates of Heaven because of your belief on Jesus, too. In fact, nobody's perfect, everybody sins, so just keep on doing the sins that you really like to do. God has forgiven you past, present, and future."
Now, some here may object to the Eternal Security statement above (As they most definitely should); And that is a good thing. In fact, there are Eternal Security Proponents who actually do think they love God and that they are truly serving Him and that they will sin less and less in this life as a part of the Sanctification Process. But will they ever stop sinning in this life? Never. That's the problem. For you can still have your sin and also serve God with even this version of Eternal Security (Which is still wrong). For God cannot agree with saving someone who wants to continue to remain in their evil because that would mean He would have to agree with their willful choice to do evil at some point in the future (Which is not possible because God is good and God is Holy and righteous and there is no darkness within Him).
Sin is merely transgression of the Law (
1 John 3:4). So that means, there is some kind of Law of God in existence that believers can still break today.
In fact, today, under the New Covenant, there is:
None of these laws were a part of the Old Covenant.
They are laws that are a part of the New Covenant (i.e. the New Testament).
I mean, do you not know that one of the Commandments in the New Testament tells us this?
"Believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,." (
1 John 3:23).
Here is the entire verse:
"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment" (
1 John 3:23).
Are you not justified by keeping the Law or Commandment that says,
"
Believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,"?
Are you not justified by keeping this Law or Commandment?
In other words, this means you are under some kind of Law.
Paul was not talking about all Law whatsoever (or the Commands given to us in the New Testament). For Jesus says, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" (
Luke 6:46). To put it to you another way, God is not lawless; And neither are God's people lawless, either.
Side Note:
Now your probably thinking I probably believe in Man Directed Works Salvationism at this point. But that is not what I believe.
For who ultimately does the "good work" in a believer's life?
Is it God?
Or is it the believer?
Well, Scripture tells us that God (Christ) is the One who ultimately does the work within a believer.
Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:11
Philippians 2:13
Philippians 4:13
1 Corinthians 15:10
Hebrews 12:1-2
Hebrews 13:21
Isaiah 26:12
1 John 4:12
Galatians 5:22-24 (cf.
Matthew 7:16-18,
Matthew 19:17)
John 15:5
Ezekiel 36:26-27
For that is why the 24 elders cast their crowns down before Jesus (
Revelation 4:10). For the crowns they received for their good work was all the result of Christ working in them.
Yeah, but doesn't a believer do the work, too? Now, yes, it is true; A believer is created unto Christ Jesus for good works (
Ephesians 2:10); And a believer is indeed held accountable by their "good works" here upon this Earth at a Judgment. But we must also realize that true believers are not ultimately doing these "good works" alone or of their own power, though. For in
1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul said that he labored more than all of his brethren, yet he said it was not him that labored but it was the grace of God that was within him. So true believer's are just choosing to allow God's "good work" to flow within them or not.
So no. I do not believe in Works Salvationism. I believe if someone truly has accepted the LORD and Christ lives within them, then good fruit (And not bad fruit) will be evident in their life to prove that the One who is salvation itself abides within them (
1 John 5:12).
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